Özgür Özel addressed Erdoğan from AKP's stronghold Çorum! 'I will quit politics on that day...'

CHP's Protecting the National Will rallies, which began following the release of Ekrem İmamoğlu and the demand for early elections, continue.

The CHP's destination today was Çorum, a stronghold of the AKP.

The rally began with the reading of İmamoğlu's letter by CHP Çorum Provincial Chairman Dinçer Solmaz.

Addressing the people of Çorum from Silivri, İmamoğlu stated the following in his letter:

"The brave people of Çorum who love their country with all their hearts... Dear ladies, esteemed gentlemen, beautiful-faced children, my dear youth... I greet each of you with love and respect. I embrace you one by one. I have missed you very much. Çorum is a very special city with its ancient history spanning thousands of years, its rich culture, and the abundance of its soil. But Çorum's greatest and most precious wealth is its people. I am proud of you, the precious people of Çorum, who stand up for the future of your homeland under all circumstances with your diligence, dedication, and common sense. I love you all very much. Thank you, may you exist. On this occasion, I would like to thank our Provincial Chairman Dinçer Solmaz, who enabled us to be together and represents the strong will of our organization.

Since March 19, the fundamental goal of the political operation we are facing is to usurp the national will through the judiciary. For this reason, mayors, administrators, and employees elected and tasked by the free will of our nation are being imprisoned through slanders and conspiracies. A handful of people, a privileged group, are trying to shape the upcoming elections from today with pressure, threats, and blackmail just so they do not lose their seats. They are bullying. As we all know very well, our country has been experiencing major crises in many areas for a long time. It is experiencing a crisis in justice. It is experiencing a crisis in the economy. It is experiencing a crisis in health. It is experiencing a crisis in education and security. These economic, political, and administrative crises caused by the government feed and grow each other.

The government, which makes the nation pay the heavy price of these crises without trying to produce solutions for the crises it has created, has brought our country to the brink of an abyss with the unlawful steps it has taken. The goal of those who use the judiciary as a tool for politics, who strike a blow to the national will, and who organize operations against Republican People's Party municipalities is not to ensure justice. It cannot be. Because they have long since lost their consciences, their mercy, and their sense of justice. They have become disconnected from the streets, the markets, the bazaars, and the citizens. They have become ashamed to face the nation. As they became ashamed, they became cruel. It is not possible for citizens to reach prosperity and abundance with this government that has moved away from law and democracy. With this government that ignores rights and freedoms, our social unity is being damaged and our country's peace is being lost.

The remedy is very clear. The remedy is to go to the nation without wasting any more time and to return to the path of law and democracy with the free will of our nation. Our nation wants exactly this. That ballot box will come, and Turkey will enter a new, hopeful path. As a nation, we will overcome all the troubles we are experiencing, and together, we will establish a humane and fair order where administrators know their place before the citizens and where those in office work with all their might to solve the country's problems. We will make Turkey a country of abundance, prosperity, unity, and brotherhood. We can only reach this goal with an understanding that sees everyone as one and equal with itself. For this, our motto is one and only: For everyone. Everywhere. Justice first. Freedom first. Our struggle will not end. In the nation's government, the nation's right will belong to the nation. Those who see themselves as greater than the nation will lose, and 86 million will win. Abundance and prosperity, justice and freedom will spread to every corner of our country, and everything will be very beautiful. Everything will be very beautiful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Prison."

Following the reading of İmamoğlu's letter, CHP leader Özgür Özel took the stage.

Özel's statements are as follows:

"They said it's the dead of winter. They asked if there could be a rally on February 1st. They said: 'This rally cannot happen in Çorum.' We said; if you call it a rally, it won't happen. But we said that Çorum comes running to the actions of those who seek rights and stand in solidarity against the greatest injustices in history, against the injustice in the courts, against the injustice in taxes and income, and against the fire in the kitchen and the market. Welcome! There was a square we filled when I was the deputy group chairman. Then, politicians could no longer fill that square. When Tayyip Bey last came, there were one-third the number of people in Kadeş Square. We wanted that square for this rally. One day before we applied, they removed that square from being a rally square.

"WE ARE HERE AT THE LARGEST RALLY IN ÇORUM'S HISTORY"

We said; give us this square, let us pack it full, let Çorum see, let Turkey hear Çorum. But because they are afraid of Erdoğan—who is the leader of warm halls, who makes those he appoints applaud him, who cannot go out among the people, who cannot look a retiree in the face, who does not make the minimum wage earner smile, and who cannot even fill half of that square in Çorum—they said we cannot give it to you.

We said; the people of Çorum... They know what kind of crowd they will show to those who cannot fill that square. And now, by gathering three times the crowd that Erdoğan could not gather, we are here at the largest rally in Çorum's history!

"WE DID NOT TURN OUR BACKS ON ÇORUM"

Dear people of Çorum, for 35 years we have not been able to win the municipality in this city, in Çorum, the city of this square where the end of the crowd is not visible. We did not hold a grudge against Çorum. We looked for the fault in ourselves. We did not turn our backs on Çorum. We have been working since that day. In the last election, we won the municipality in 3 districts. We wanted the central district very much, we came very close, but it was left for the next election. I would like to thank Kargı, Mecitözü, and Oğuzlar from the bottom of my heart.

I greet with respect every soldier of my organization who waves our party's flag both there and in our other 10 districts, who keeps the door of the father's hearth open, who brews its tea, and who keeps its chimney smoking, in the person of our district chairmen and our Provincial Chairman. I am glad you exist.

I greet with respect and applaud from the heart my 3 valuable chairmen who took on the duty in Kargı, Mecitözü, and Oğuzlar, who worked despite all difficulties, who struggled, who did not give up under pressure, who did not even blink at immoral offers, and who showed the virtue of doing politics in the Republican People's Party, the party of the Gazi.

"WE WILL SUPPORT THEM IF THEY MAKE AN EFFORT TO SOLVE"

We are people who believe in the idea of democracy. If we win, we come and govern. If we lose, we step aside. We respect whoever the nation wants. We wished success to the central mayor of Çorum and to the mayors and administrations elected from the AK Party and MHP in other districts, and we do so. Çorum has many problems. We will support them if they make an effort to solve them.

Politics is the business of respecting the winner, respecting the nation, and respecting the nation's preference. Resisting those elected by the nation, looking at those elected by the nation and saying 'Where did you come from here', saying 'Do not govern, let the one I appoint govern instead' is not being a democrat.

It is not clear on the evening a politician, a political party, a political structure, or a politician wins an election that they are a democrat. Giving democracy speeches that evening, appreciating the nation, and bowing respectfully before the national will; that is easy. What matters is what you do when you lose.

The name of the politics that brought the Republic to Turkey, then brought the multi-party regime, brought the ballot box, was content with the duty given by the nation, and remained the second party for 47 years when necessary but never lost its respect for the nation, is the Republican People's Party.

"I WILL PERFORM THE OPENING OF THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE THEN-GOVERNING PARTY"

I stand behind these rightful demands of Çorum to the end, and I say from here: those who have been saying 'today or tomorrow' for 22 years about the high-speed train are now saying 'it will enter service in 5 years'. What does this mean? The high-speed train will enter service, and with God's permission, your brother Özgür will come and perform the opening while in power that day. I will come that day not as the leader of the main opposition who talks about these problems, but as the chairman of the then-governing party. Are you ready to welcome me? Are you ready to welcome me when I get off that train with Mayor Ekrem?

Together with our mayors Mansur and Zeydan, with the mayors of the CHP, the victimized mayors, and our mayor Muhittin, we will leave these dark days behind.

"WE ARE FACING A GOVERNMENT THAT IS SO CARELESS"

On the other hand, accidents are constantly happening in Çorum. The ring road remained inside the city. We want a new ring road, they keep ignoring this. They keep promising the İskilip-Tosya road but do not fulfill it. The state hospital here has been closed for eight years. Specialists in branches at the university hospital are insufficient, there is a long queue, and people wait for months for an appointment. For some specialties, people even go to Ankara just to get a prescription. We see all of these problems, all of these problems. In this city, the capital of the Hittites, simple steps will be taken to revive tourism, but if someone were to get up and go to Hattuşa, there is no bus from Çorum to Boğazkale. We are facing a government that is so helpless, so shameless, so incompetent, and so careless.

"THE ERA OF MINISTERS' CHILDREN WILL END, THE ERA OF THE HOMELAND'S CHILDREN WILL BEGIN!"

But let there be good news from here; I am saying this, the day will come, and it won't be that long, this brother of yours will be here again. It will be for the election! It will be for an early election! Çorum will hold onto the edge of the ballot box and will not let go of them. I promise you; we will close one era and open another.

The era of ministers' children will end, the era of these children of the homeland will begin! The children of the homeland!

Today here, today here... There are no people sitting at home and worrying. Today, those who followed our call here, those who took off their pajamas, those who threw away the remote, whether they are at the very front or the very back, there are those who came to have this photo taken in Turkey from Çorum today to give confidence to friends and anxiety to those who are not. I greet every square meter of this square. Especially to that hero at the very back, who came to do this duty even if they cannot hear my voice: You will save the country! You will save it!

Greetings to those standing at attention with their flags in their hands from the front of the square all the way there, where the sound of these two buses can no longer reach, we are sending a strong applause to the very edge of the square! To the very edge!

"THE AK PARTY'S DARK ORDER WILL GO, THE PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT WILL COME INSTEAD"

I am saying from here; if you take off your pajamas, leave the remote, and come here, if you go wherever the path is given without saying front or back, if you show this photo; someone else sitting at home will take courage from you. Someone who has lost hope will find hope from you. Whenever everyone is on the street, whenever everyone is in the square; that is the day those who exploit you, eat your rights, do not give a raise to your salary, and do not give a price to your product will lose power. The AK Party's dark order will go, and the people's government will come instead!

RETIREE SALARY...

We are ashamed that a retiree receives 20 thousand liras and a minimum wage earner receives 28 thousand liras. The average income of farmers in Turkey has become 19 thousand 700 liras. Some people are not ashamed of this, but we are ashamed of it.

Today, the hunger threshold was announced as 31 thousand liras. Today, the poverty threshold reached 3 digits for the first time; it was announced as 102 thousand liras. Unfortunately, today, if 5 retirees come together, if 5 of them give their salaries to one person, they cannot lift that person out of poverty. Let me see the hands of the retirees in the square.

These retirees, these retirees; if 5 of them come together, they don't make one rich person. Again, the salary given to the retiree; if 3 retirees combine, they cannot save 2 retirees from hunger. This is the kind of great injustice we are facing.

I am addressing the retirees from here. This government, I am addressing especially the retirees here who voted for the AK Party in the past: When this government came, the lowest retiree salary could buy 8 quarter gold coins. Today, at the point reached, it can buy 1.5 quarter gold coins. From 8 quarter gold coins to 1.5 quarter gold coins...

I am reminding the minimum wage earners from here: When the AK Party came, the minimum wage could buy 7 quarter gold coins. Today, it can only buy 2 quarter gold coins. When this is the case; this great exploitation, this great injustice... But let's also agree; if you bought one quarter gold coin today, put it in your pocket, arrived home, and saw that it had fallen... Wouldn't a person go crazy?

ÖZEL WORE ALTAN ÖYMEN'S HAT

We lost Altan Öymen, our chairman. May God have mercy on him. Afterwards, his daughter Aslı Öymen wrote me a letter. She said; “My Chairman, my father loved you like his own child. You know, in the rallies, both Altan Bey and our Chairman Hikmet Çetin, who is currently receiving treatment—let's send a strong applause from the top of the bus to wish him health—Mr. Karayalçın… They were always on the bus in Saraçhane. She said; my father had a hat that he never took off throughout his life. I thought, she said, let this hat not stay at home, let it travel the rally squares on our Chairman's head."

This is the legendary hat of the late Altan Öymen. Aslı Hanım also sent one of his ties. From here, we wish God's mercy upon both Aslı Hanım and everyone who has contributed from the day the Republican People's Party, the People's Party was founded until today, from the Chairman to the newest member, and upon those who are not among us. We applaud all Republican People's Party members from the heart. Lion social democrats!

"ANYONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TURKISH FLAG WILL NOT RECEIVE A GREETING FROM THE REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY"

Besides this, as I said; we embrace conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, Kurdish democrats, socialist democrats… All democrats, liberal democrats, all together. Do you know where the Republican People's Party stands? It stands side by side with everyone who has no problem with the homeland, the flag, and Atatürk. With everyone!

We held a meeting yesterday. In that meeting, we discussed Turkey's Kurdish issue. But with the commission in parliament, with respect for the homeland, for the unity and integrity of the homeland… At the beginning, we recited the National Anthem all together while the red flag with the crescent and star was waving on the screen. A few of them came out and said, “Sir, there was no flag in the hall.” The glorious Turkish flag was waving on a 30-square-meter screen, they didn't see it and said “There was no flag in the hall.”

I am saying this to the one who wrote that: Anyone who has a problem with the Turkish flag will not receive a greeting from the Republican People's Party! A greeting!

"YOU ARE THE GREATEST POLITICAL FRAUDSTERS HISTORY HAS EVER SEEN"

Now we are at such a point that there is a very important warning. Erdoğan's Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek tweeted something very valuable. It is truly important, and I support it too. He says; “Please be careful with digital fraud posts.”

Truly, be careful about this. Never, ever hang up the phone just because they say so to those who call you, go to the bank, these things… Hang up on them when you hear it. A link came, click for this; do not click. These are true. And Mr. Şimşek's warning is true, but… Now I will say something to Mr. Şimşek. It would be fine if it were just digital fraud… You are the ones who eat the rights of the retiree! You are the ones who crush the workers under inflation! You are the ones who do not give the farmers the support in the law! You are the ones who take from the nation's pocket and give to the interest lobbies! You are the ones who collect votes saying the economy will be good, and talk after the election saying you will tighten your belts!

"I WARN OUR NATION AGAINST POLITICAL PICKPOCKETS WHO TAKE AYDIN'S VOTE AND RUN TO THE AK PARTY!"

Beware of digital fraudsters, but what will we do about political fraudsters? You are the greatest political fraudsters history has ever seen!

I warn our nation against those who take votes from this nation saying “It will be good, you will smile” and then turn their backs on this nation… Against political fraudsters who try to pull the mayor elected by taking votes from this nation to the Republican People's Party into their own party by force, bribery, and pressure… Against political pickpockets who take Aydın's vote and run to the AK Party!

I warn our nation against political fraudsters who have the name AK Party in the country but impose a dark order on the country, take the votes and turn their backs, do not provide services, and leave the nation face to face with hunger and poverty! I invite you to the ballot box to fight against them.

If it were the Republican People's Party; today the minimum wage would be 30 thousand liras. The retiree salary would first be one, then one and a half times the minimum wage. There would be no SCT or VAT on the diesel used by the farmer. That is, diesel would not be 58 liras, it would be 33 liras. A minimum wage bonus would be given to retirees every holiday. No one would be abandoned to poverty, and a salary would be given to all poor families to make a living with a basic citizenship income.

"A FAIR TAX SYSTEM WILL BE ESTABLISHED"

Tax will not be 65 percent indirect as in their period, that is, by taking the same tax from the factory owner and the employee; a fair tax system will be established where those who earn a lot pay a lot, those who earn a little pay a little, and those who do not earn do not pay tax. Today, indirect tax is 65 percent, and the income tax deducted from your salaries is 24 percent. 88 percent… Those who deposit money into the Currency Protected Deposit, that is, those who add money to their money, say “Let's pay its tax”, they say “We will not take tax from you”. Besides these discomforts in Çorum, there are also the problems of the farmers, everyone's problem is difficult, but the state of the farmer is truly miserable.

The farmer of Çorum has many problems, but no one is solving them. Çorum is the center of paddy, Osmancık gave its name to rice, but the government broke the import record in the history of the Republic in paddy and rice last year. Diesel, fertilizer, medicine; they received a 34 percent raise in six months. Rice received a 30-cent premium, 30 cents. They are making a 34 percent raise and 30-cent support.

Çorum has chickpeas, but there is no one who can produce them under these conditions. Chickpeas are coming from Argentina and India so that the chickpea sellers in Çorum can use them. There is a big crisis in potatoes and onions. Is that right?

"THE FARMER OF ÇORUM HAS MANY PROBLEMS, NO ONE IS SOLVING THEM!"

Look, I am announcing to all of Turkey from Çorum. 2022, just 3 years ago. We just entered 26, 25 just finished. 3 years ago diesel was 30 liras, today diesel is 58 liras, 60 liras.

Look, diesel went from 30 to 60, potatoes fell from 9 liras to 6 liras. Onions fell from 10 liras to 5 liras. Is that right?

Even in potatoes and onions, when they are forced to sell at half the price while diesel doubles, the farmer in Çorum has also been exhausted. On the other hand, they need to take a loan because they cannot pay their debt. They go to the bank to take a loan; they say "Pay your Bağ-Kur and tax debt, otherwise we won't give you a loan". My brother, if the man had been able to pay his Bağ-Kur debt, if he had been able to pay his SSK premium, if he had been able to pay his tax debt, what would he be doing at the bank's door anyway? Isn't that so?

In the Republican People's Party government, all interest on Agricultural Credits will be erased once. The principal debts of those who use credit in agriculture will be divided into 5 years. The farmer will get rid of the interest once and for all, will have the principal divided, and the farmer will smile. First, they will be fed, then they will feed this nation. It's that simple.

"I AM SHOUTING FROM ÇORUM: FORTRESS POLITICS IS OVER"

Dear friends, none of what we are experiencing is happening for no reason. As I say, today we have come to the 86th action in Turkey. The first one; the first day was in Saraçhane. They asked "What will happen tomorrow?", we said "We are here tomorrow too". The second day ended, we said "We are here until the end, until the trustee leaves, until the IMM elects its own deputy mayor from within itself". The 7th day ended, we moved to Maltepe. They asked "What is this?". On the eve of the holiday, 2.4 million of us gathered. We set foot in Anatolia, we said we are in a different province every weekend.

Since that day; from Mersin to Van, from Tekirdağ to Çorum... From Yozgat to Konya, to Kayseri... But we went to places where the CHP, the AK Party, or the MHP are strong. They said "Don't go, that's the AK Party's fortress". I said; fortress politics is over now. Today, I am shouting from here, from Çorum: Fortress politics is over! Çorum is not the fortress of the AK Party or anyone else. From now on, Çorum is the fortress of the nation! It is the fortress of the nation!

"INDICTMENTS CAME OUT, THEY WENT BACK ON THEIR WORDS"

For 319 days, our Mayor Ekrem, whose picture you see here, and our 16 mayors, our municipal council members, the laborers of the municipality, the employees... are unfortunately suffering great persecution in Turkey, especially in Silivri, İzmir, Afyon, Düzce, Antalya prisons, and unfortunately in Gebze prisons.

We have trusted our friends since the first day. We said; come on, broadcast the trials on television. Let the nation hear the slander thrown, and let them hear the answers in return. Devlet Bey supported it, Tayyip Bey said "If Devlet Bey says so, of course it will happen". But the indictments came out, and they went back on their words.

"ERDOĞAN HAS FOUND A 'JUDICIARY BRANCH CHAIRMAN' BECAUSE HE REALIZED HE COULD NOT WIN"

Because I am saying this clearly from here; because Erdoğan realized he could not win the elections, because he lost hope in the youth branches and women's branches, because he does not trust his main staff, he has found a "Judiciary Branch Chairman". He has appointed a politician as the chief public prosecutor in Istanbul. The order established by that chief public prosecutor is the reflection of the AK Party's dark order on the judiciary. And that "White Taurus Gang" is not out to distribute justice today, but to break the arm and wing of the Republican People's Party, which is marching to power.

But what they are deceived by is this; we set out on a path not for a political march, not for an expectation of a position, but to take the rights of those whose rights have been eaten in this exhausted country after a hundred years, to eliminate the grievances of the victims, to defend the oppressed against the oppressors, to be a hope for the future for the hungry and the poor.

This path is a path to power, but this path is not a path we walk for ourselves. I am the grandson of a gardener, the child of retired teachers. My goal is for the children of the poor in this country not to start so far behind that they cannot close the gap in life. It is equality of opportunity in education. It is for the child not to go to bed hungry, not to go to school hungry. It is for one child not to look at dry bread while a banana or tangerine comes out of another child's lunchbox at school. It is for the poor child not to put their mouth to the toilet faucet while the rich child drinks water to their heart's content.

That is why our march is not a march of sitting in the palace, but a march of bringing prosperity to the nation. Ekrem İmamoğlu is rolling up those sleeves not so that he can be rich, but so that the poor child can also find peace.

For this, the Republican People's Party has a demand for early elections as soon as possible. I won't say anything about his age, but I will remind him of this; Mr. Erdoğan was my age, and that day Necmettin Erbakan was 70 years old. He was saying to him—he has his own voice—"Age 70, the job is done" he was saying for Erbakan. That day Ecevit was 74 years old, when Ecevit got sick, instead of wishing him healing, he was saying; "Leave it, man, when will you leave? Will you leave when you die?"

There is no mocking age in our politics. There is no mocking a prime minister if he cannot walk or if his foot drags in our politics. There is respect for both age and office in our politics. But there are tens of millions in this country who are tired of this government. There are the poor, the workers, the laborers, and the retirees. That is why I am saying to Erdoğan; your power is exhausted. You have no energy left. You cannot be a hope for this country. For this, bring the ballot box without running away any further.

"WHETHER IT'S YOUR SON, YOUR SON-IN-LAW, OR A MINISTER, BRING WHOEVER YOU CAN FIND AS YOUR CANDIDATE!"

I want an early election in politics. If he has the courage for an early election, let him bring it, let the people of Istanbul decide. If you have the courage, come and determine your candidate, let's renew the elections in Istanbul on Sunday, March 29. You brought a Prime Minister before, we won; you brought a Parliament Speaker, we won; you brought a minister, we won. Whoever you bring… Whether it's your son, your son-in-law, or a minister, bring whoever you can find as your candidate. My candidate is clear. Let's renew the election in Istanbul for Mayor Ekrem. I have only one condition, if your candidate wins, Mayor Ekrem is gone, I will quit politics that day, but if the people of Istanbul say stop to this injustice once again, if they elect their child once again, you will get off our backs, you will bring the early election ballot box, challenge accepted!"