Message of 'new government' from Özel, who held the final Ramadan iftar in Saraçhane: We will be in its future

Özel said, "We have a long way to go with the people in this hall. There will be other iftar tables. We will meet for iftars not in Istanbul, but in Ankara. Your siblings, spouses, and children will be in much more important positions in Ankara, just like here. Together, they will govern Turkey."

The program, organized in the municipal cafeteria, was attended by İBB Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, the wife of elected İBB Mayor and CHP's imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, the Family Solidarity Network formed by the relatives of the imprisoned, as well as İBB bureaucrats and council members.

Özgür Özel said, "My very valuable bureaucrats, workers, I greet you all with love on my own behalf, on behalf of the party's corporate identity, and on behalf of our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, whom I visited in Silivri today, and our many friends. I am glad you are all here, welcome to you all."

Özel stated the following:

"TURKEY IS EXPERIENCING BIRTH PANGS"

"We are in the middle of a difficult process. Turkey is experiencing birth pangs as it prepares to welcome a new government. It is facing a series of difficulties as it prepares to bid farewell to a government that has lasted for many long years. For many of you, it has fallen to your lot to be separated from your loved ones, to miss them; for some of you, to raise children without them, for others, to remain separated from your children and spouses. Truly, those whose relatives are in prison here are experiencing the hardest part of this. Our friends in prison are experiencing the next difficult part. Because what is harder than being in prison is what people who have left their families outside and are inside themselves experience and feel. Besides this, in order to prevent us from being able to serve—and they know this is a march to power—and following the attacks made to interrupt this march to power, those who are here and those who are outside are experiencing difficulties, on one hand, by having their work obstructed, and on the other hand, by being separated from their companions and always feeling that a part of them is missing. Here, in Istanbul, together with our provincial chairman and our fellow party administrators, we are trying to contribute as much as we can to a struggle that involves separation on one side, pain on the other, and resistance on the other. Suat Özçağdaş is here with his contributions to the Family Solidarity Network. Sinem Kırçiçek is here with her efforts in the ADA on behalf of our Party Assembly. Together with the entire bureaucracy, we are here with Volkan Bey's efforts and Nuri Aslan, who is acting on behalf of an irreplaceable political figure and administrator, Ekrem İmamoğlu. We had met with the families at an iftar dinner before. But we wanted to have the final iftar on the day everything started, that is, on the anniversary of March 19. We wanted to be in Saraçhane on the anniversary of March 19 with our municipal council group, our families, and our bureaucrats; and to break our final iftar here in Saraçhane with you."

"I WAS TOGETHER WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER AFTER THREE MONTHS"

"Last night, we were with hundreds of thousands in Saraçhane, filled with those who did not surrender, who resisted the coup, and who fought. Just like a year ago. Today, I was with my daughter İpek and my wife Didem, and we are a family of three living in three different cities. We rarely come together. We were together at the rally last night. This evening, we wanted to share this iftar table all together. On a day when spouses are separated like this, and our family, which is physically separated, wanted to come together to show solidarity with you, we want to give each other hope on one hand, but we are always talking about bad things. I wanted to share something that would make you smile a little, with a small slice of our lives. A little while ago, I said to Chairman Özgür, 'Shall I tell an anecdote like this, would it be pleasant?'"

"WE WILL BE TOGETHER IN TURKEY'S FUTURE"

"We love you all very much. This hall is an iftar table. This hall will be. It was a slip of the tongue, Nuri Bey said, 'May you be together at the next Ramadan Feast.' Hopefully, we wish for the spouses and children to reunite before the Feast of Sacrifice arrives. But we have a long way to go with the people in this hall. There will be other iftar tables. We will meet for iftars not in Istanbul, but in Ankara. Your siblings, spouses, and children will be in much more important positions in Ankara, just like here. Together, they will govern Turkey. And we will continue to be proud of them. I hope that at the iftars to be given at the Çankaya Mansion, at iftars held in much more important positions and offices, hopefully with Ekrem İmamoğlu's presidency, at iftars where each of us or our loved ones we are not with right now are in very valuable positions, we will be together in Turkey's future. On that day, I will remind you of today again. Enjoy your meal. May your fasts and prayers be accepted. Happy holidays in advance. Thank you."