Özel announces after Dervişoğlu visit: I returned Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's call

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met with İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu, who visited his party following the absolute nullity ruling. In his statement after the meeting, Özel noted that he had returned Kılıçdaroğlu's call but that no conversation had taken place. Özel also stated that the addressee of Devlet Bahçeli's remarks was Kılıçdaroğlu.

The leaders, who came together over the agenda of the 'absolute nullity' ruling, made a statement after the meeting.

Özgür Özel said the following:

"One of the leaders with whom we consult most closely regarding the process we are in, Mr. Müsavat Dervişoğlu, with whom I have a brotherly relationship, paid a solidarity visit along with his esteemed delegation.

I would like to thank Mr. Dervişoğlu once again, both on my own behalf and on behalf of our party, for being the first to show the most democratic reaction from the very first moment to this unjust and unlawful operation—an intervention unprecedented in world politics—launched against Turkey's founding party, the country's main opposition party, and an opposition party that the ruling party believes it cannot defeat in the upcoming elections; and for taking the clearest stance against those who are trying to use judicial power to obtain the means to decide who should lead the party that the government wants, thereby eliminating the ground of political parties that we all belong to, and showing that this issue is not just a party issue."

Dervişoğlu spoke as follows:

"I had made my previous visit to the CHP Headquarters upon the possibility of an absolute nullity ruling. At that time, I had expressed how I would act if such a ruling were issued. I am of the opinion that all these practices are an attempted coup not only against the CHP but against democracy and all parties. Appointing a guardian to a 100-year-old political party with such a ruling, or in a sense appointing a trustee, is an absurdity no matter how you look at it."

ÖZEL: I RETURNED KILIÇDAROĞLU'S CALL

Following the two leaders, they answered questions from members of the press.

Özel spoke as follows regarding Kılıçdaroğlu calling him and the statements made by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli:

"It was stated yesterday that Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu called me; during that busy schedule, our mayor friend stated that the former chairman had called me. I returned his call around noon today, but his phone was off when I called, so a conversation did not take place. However, if his phone is on or if he calls again, we will of course have a phone conversation with him, but our statements regarding our position in this situation are framed by the speeches we made at our press conference last night."

"Apart from that, we also followed with interest Mr. Bahçeli's assessments regarding the fact that the CHP should not be made a subject of debate, his past assessments that an absolute nullity ruling would not be correct, and his evaluations of how unpleasant the emerging situation is. Any assessment that takes a position against nullity and states that it will not contribute to either the CHP or Turkish political life is extremely valuable. The addressee of his suggestion regarding the waiver assessment is, of course, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu. He needs to answer that himself."