Özgür Özel evaluates 2025 and reveals his only wish for 2026

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel has shared his assessments regarding the year 2025. Responding to questions from Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk, Özel also revealed his expectations for 2026.

Stating that Turkey is stepping into 2026 in an environment of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, Özel expressed that the deepening poverty has reached the level of hunger. While noting that attempts are being made to give the public hope through the rhetoric of a "Terror-Free Turkey," Özel said that, despite this, serious security threats such as ISIS have carried over from 2025 into 2026.

Arguing that the CHP became a target after becoming the leading party in the local elections, Özel described the process the party has gone through with the following words:

"2023 was a year of self-criticism and change for the CHP after a lost election, while 2024 was a year marked by the victory of local administrations and the CHP becoming the leading party. The CHP becoming the leading party was not a temporary support specific to the local election, but a year in which the voter's support became permanent, with the CHP emerging as the leading party in every poll.

That is why it was attacked. Because they saw that with this momentum, the CHP was heading toward power both through its success in the election and by increasing its votes through good municipal practices. An attack was launched, and 2025 was a year in which we were attacked, resisted, and fought back. 2026 will be a year where we continue our struggle while accelerating our steps toward power."

Clearly expressing his expectation for 2026, Özel emphasized that the solution lies at the ballot box. Stating that economic and social problems cannot be solved with the current government, the CHP leader listed his expectations as follows:

"Let me list my wishes for 2026. None of these are problems that can be solved with this government. For example, if I were to expect abundance and prosperity from 2026, if I were to expect the farmer's produce to be profitable, if I were to expect the exorbitant cost of living to drop, if I were to expect meat and milk to become cheaper and accessible to everyone, if I were to expect poverty to end, if I were to expect everyone to have a salary they can live on humanely, if I were to expect the housing problem to be solved... The government has not solved these for 23 years. That is why, for all of these, for everyone in this country, I am expecting a ballot box from 2026. My only wish from 2026 is an early election ballot box. Both the polls and the field show this."

Arguing that the upper hand in the political atmosphere belongs to the CHP, Özel drew attention to the government's attitude during the recent budget negotiations, stating that the ruling wing is now using the language of the opposition.

Touching upon the situation of those arrested within the scope of operations against municipalities, Özel stated that the mayors and administrators in prison are maintaining their morale. He made the following assessment regarding the process:

"On a path where they have no accounts they cannot answer for, our friends in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) case are experiencing the morale of being in the right and are eagerly awaiting the court process in March. Besides this, we also have patients. I saw Murat Çalık. They are practically waiting for his illness to recur for his release. A new biopsy had been taken, and a suspicious situation emerged. This Friday, he will go to the hospital to have that mass removed. On one hand, Muhittin Böcek is trying to hold onto life by taking a handful of pills. The condition of the patients is critical. The situations of their children and spouses are very bad. We feel great sadness and anxiety for all of them. We expect freedom for them and for everyone as soon as possible."