Özgür Özel announces steps to be taken regarding pensions: We will increase it immediately

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made a statement following the Presidential Candidate Office Executive Board meeting.

Some highlights from Özel's speech are as follows:

“Today, we held the first meeting of 2026 at our Presidential Candidate Office. This was already our second meeting at this candidate office, and we were with you after the first meeting. In the time that has passed since then, our Shadow Ministers, who chair their boards, have formed their policy boards, and so far, 120 of our colleagues have been assigned to these policy boards.

Among these 120 colleagues are many of our deputies, Party Assembly members, and experts and politicians in their fields. We expect this number to increase slightly in the coming days, settling into a structure where 170 people will serve on the policy boards here. Seeing the preparatory work, assignments, and the dynamism of the activities here at the Presidential Candidate Office today, I realize how right a thing we have done. In this process, where the country is going through so much struggle, polarization is at its peak, and unfortunately, the agendas brought to the forefront by the ruling party, which act as a fog over the discussion of the country's burning problems, prevent the citizens' troubles from being discussed, this space where we create a positive agenda and continue to coordinate our preparations to take over the government of the country is our most important guarantee and hope for the future, both for our party and our country.”

"IN THE FIELD OFECONOM Y WOK TESTITEM SWITH ITEMS WE ARE WORKING"

I would like to share with you one of the decisions taken and formalized at the council meeting we held today. We are working with very experienced names in the field of economy, both here at the Presidential Candidate Office and in the Central Executive Board (MYK). And they all need a common ground where they can discuss the work they have done in their respective fields together, and later explain and debate it in committees with our counterparts in the country and the world, and both convey and plan our march to power to the public.

The name of this platform has been determined as the Economic Coordination Council. The Council includes members from our Executive Board at the Presidential Candidate Office; our Head of Treasury and Finance Policy Board, Head of Labor and Social Security Policy Board, Head of Trade Policy Board, Head of Industry and Technology Policy Board, Head of Culture and Tourism Policy Board, Head of Agriculture and Forestry Policy Board, Head of Energy and Natural Resources Policy Board, Head of Transport and Infrastructure Policy Board; and from our Central Executive Board members; our Deputy Chairman responsible for Economic Policies, Deputy Chairman responsible for Employer Organizations, Professional Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations, Deputy Chairman responsible for Labor-Civil Servant Unions and Labor Bureaus, and our party's Secretary General and CAO General Coordinator. Thanks to this Council, which consists of 11 members and two coordinators, our economic units will work much more efficiently and actively in the preparation and implementation of policies.

"MR. ERDOĞMR. TRUMP OF THE MOMENT ITH ILRELIONTHE INTERESTS OFTHEPEOPLE..."Distinguished members of the press, today, during the meeting of our Presidential Candidate Office Executive Board, we addressed multidimensional, regional, and global developments, as well as the burning economic problems of our country. The podium of the Candidate Office is, after all, a podium for action. Therefore, while correctly identifying the country's problems under this roof, we are also working on our party's concrete solution proposals. We produce the most constructive solutions to the country's most pressing problems and share them with our citizens. We are here before you today with this understanding. First of all, I would like to start with the developments in foreign policy, which we focused on heavily during our meeting. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and our founding cadres left us a legacy of a state that establishes good relations with its neighbors, inspires its region with economic and social revolutions, and is respected in the world. Subsequently, the leadership of İsmet Paşa succeeded in keeping our country away from the devastating environment of the Second World War.

Distinguished members of the press, today, during the meeting of our Presidential Candidate Office Executive Board, we addressed multidimensional, regional, and global developments, as well as the burning economic problems of our country. The podium of the Candidate Office is, after all, a podium for action. Therefore, while correctly identifying the country's problems under this roof, we are also working on our party's concrete solution proposals. We produce the most constructive solutions to the country's most pressing problems and share them with our citizens. We are here before you today with this understanding. First of all, I would like to start with the developments in foreign policy, which we focused on heavily during our meeting. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and our founding cadres left us a legacy of a state that establishes good relations with its neighbors, inspires its region with economic and social revolutions, and is respected in the world. Subsequently, the leadership of İsmet Paşa succeeded in keeping our country away from the devastating environment of the Second World War.

While the Republic stood out in every period as a country that was taken as an example and respected in its region, it was also able to show the determination and courage not to bow to the threats, embargoes, and sanctions of the seven powers in decisions such as the Cyprus Peace Operation. Today, in this difficult process that the world is going through, there is a need to handle our foreign policy with a supra-political understanding, in line with the interests of our country and our nation, and with state seriousness. However, the Justice and Development Party has long since deliberately broken away from this seriousness and institutionalism, and has not refrained from reducing foreign policy to personality, arbitrariness, mutual bilateral and personal relations, and bargaining. Our foreign policy, especially in the recent period, has been shaped by Mr. Erdoğan's Trump personal relations, interest-based relationships, conflicts of interest, or alliances established with him. This practice of relations puts Turkey's interests in the background. It is known to all of us that Mr. Erdoğan's Trump attempt to build a relationship not for Turkey, but based on his personal future or the hope of continuing the power of his own cadres, is known to us all, and this is the greatest risk for our country.

"S-400SIN THE TOPICIN THE PROCESS BETURNING TO THEAREA OF THECOSTMUSTUR"

This practice of relations, this way of conducting business; in the past with Mr. Putin, and now with Mr. Trump As a result of this management approach, which is developed and managed by one person, excludes institutionalism, and where no one other than himself can explain the intentions behind the decisions made, if we look back briefly, the F-35s we paid for are waiting in a hangar in America even though they have the Turkish flag on them. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs himself has announced that the US has not provided the engines for our pride and joy, the Kaan. Furthermore, the heavy sanctions imposed by the United States could not be prevented, and our business people, our nation, and all of us have paid and continue to pay the price. The failure in the procurement process of the S-400s has turned into a crisis area first with the US and now with Russia.

Just as we have not been able to add a single aircraft to our fleet for 15 years, it is clear that the reassuring statements regarding our air defense system are merely long-term declarations of intent, and the concern created by our vulnerability in air defense is evident. Despite all this, Mr. Erdoğan has given Trump all the concessions he wanted, from expensive natural gas to Boeing aircraft, from tax cuts on American goods to the implementation of taxes on Chinese goods, and unfortunately, a series of concessions, including the promise of Rare Earth Elements to Trump, have been given without blinking. The heaviest damage of this distorted relationship to Turkey has been laid bare by the words of the US Ambassador and the Secretary of State. While one said, 'Trumpis giving Erdoğan legitimacy he does not have,' the other was able to say, 'They are begging us for a five-minute meeting.' However, unfortunately, there was not even a response to these insolent statements. It is clear that for Turkey's relations with the US to get back on track, there is a need for a President who derives his legitimacy from the nation first and foremost, and who defends Turkey's future rather than his own personal future."