Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Tugay to Kılıçdaroğlu: You are each a great shame

Speaking at a gathering held in front of the CHP Izmir Provincial Headquarters following the Absolute Nullity ruling, Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay reacted to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his team, saying, "You are each a great shame. I will not forgive you for a single gram of my rights until my last breath."

At the call of the CHP Izmir Provincial Headquarters, party members and citizens gathered in front of the CHP Izmir Provincial Headquarters building at 18:30. While the program was attended by Provincial Chairman Çağatay Güç, Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay, district mayors, district organization representatives, and citizens, voices of reaction against the nullity ruling rose during the "Solidarity and we do not recognize the nullity" meeting.

Describing the events as oppression by the government, Tugay spoke as follows:

"I rebel from time to time. In this short life we live, we have been subjected to the pressure and oppression of many people who do their best not to let us see the light of day. For a long time, this country has been subjected to the torment of those who deceive the nation, take away their rights, and work to disrupt their solidarity. This unlawful act committed against the CHP has been done to other political parties, non-governmental organizations, and many democratic-minded, enlightened people of this society when you look back. They were the real targets. There were those who were subjected to very severe torture in secret corners or in prisons. But I think they inflicted the greatest torment on the hardworking, well-intentioned people of this country who want the best for everyone here. Today, we are experiencing a different dimension of this torture. When I look at those who are trying to legalize the appointment of a trustee to the head of the CHP today, I see this: They saw that there is such a movement in the CHP: It has turned into a structure that can reconcile with other opposition segments of society. Someone also saw that this business is not going well. This will not be solved with such perception management, in purchased media, with troll armies on social media, and their perception operations. They saw that the nation is waking up, they were afraid of them. It is time to wake up."

"You cannot find such nonsense even in the most fascist regimes"

Drawing attention to the timing of the objection to the congress, Tugay said, "'There was an irregularity in the CHP congress, the bylaws were like this...' it has been on the agenda for 2 years. The congress took place and all official authorities approved the result. No one made a peep in those days. Then suddenly someone came out and started talking about 'there is such an irregularity in this congress, there is this and that.' We said, 'Brother, if there was a mistake somewhere, if you saw it, you should have said it when that congress took place; everyone would have done all kinds of examinations anyway, and if there really was something, it would have come out immediately.' You created a suspicion. You started to tell people as if it were real by constantly processing something that did not exist with the media and social media you own. This nation cannot be treated as if it were so mindless, this nation's intelligence cannot be mocked. We could not believe they would do this much. You cannot find such nonsense even in the most fascist regimes," he said.

"Who are you cooperating with?"

Criticizing Kılıçdaroğlu and his team, Tugay said, "One of the things that devastates us all the most is this: Some people who do politics for their own interests, who are worried because the seat they were sitting on is gone, because the privilege they had is gone; who are democrats in their language, politics in their words, but immorality in their veins... We had believed the words of those people. We had asked for votes for them, we had thought of them as comrades. You are each a great lie. You are each a great shame," he said.

Continuing his words, Tugay said:

"You have created such a painful wound in the heart of this nation! Because millions of people went and voted for you at those ballot boxes. Did they vote for you to cooperate with them or to bring this party to this state? With what conscience do you accept this? With what face will you go and sit in those seats as if they were your own right! How will you digest this, how will you stand in those buildings without shame? How will you say without shame that I am an administrator here? Who are you serving? Who are you cooperating with?

This nation is experiencing one of the greatest betrayals in history. This nation is experiencing one of the greatest betrayals, treasons in history. Those people who have changed their colors and made us believe in them are making us live this. You have deceived us. You have lied to us. I will not forgive you for a single gram of my rights until my last breath! I do not forgive you and your collaborators. You are doing this shamelessly. You are doing this by looking down on all of us. You are doing this by normalizing the evils of the people you cooperate with. This nation does not deserve this, the children of this country do not deserve this. You can forcibly take the CHP Headquarters building from its hands. You can come and seize these provincial buildings. But our power does not come from these buildings! Our power comes from the faith within us. It comes from our righteousness."