Özgür Özel points to Monday: 'We will ask Mehmet Şimşek...'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made statements at a Public Meeting held in the Yazıhan district of Malatya.

In his speech there, Özel spoke about the visit that a three-person CHP delegation will make to Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek.

"WE WILL ASK MEHMET ŞİMŞEK ON MONDAY..."

"Next Monday, our Deputy Chairman responsible for the economy will show Mehmet Şimşek where they can find the money," said Özel, adding, "On Monday, we will ask Mehmet Şimşek: Is your priority the citizens or your cronies? Are you on the side of the contractor, or on the side of the apricot producer in Yazıhan?"

Responding to criticisms regarding normalization, Özel said, "We are not in a position to shoulder the burden of the 22-year AKP government, nor are we in a position to call their wrongs right."

ARMED ATTACK ON CHP COUNCIL MEMBER IN KAYSERI

Speaking about the armed attack on CHP member Şerafettin Bahadır in Pınarbaşı, Kayseri yesterday, Özel stated, "The election is over, our mayor will embrace everyone. Some are still trying to create tension. Attacking a defenseless man with 5 people is neither strength nor courage, nor is it toughness; at best, it is weakness and pathetic."

ANOTHER RALLY

On the other hand, Özel also announced the CHP's new rally. The CHP leader invited citizens to the 'We Cannot Make Ends Meet Rally' in Kocaeli on June 30.

Here are the highlights from Özgür Özel's statements:

"One must look at the municipalities that were not won as well as those that were. This means that the CHP has now broken the glass ceiling over it. We received 39 percent of the vote in Malatya with Veli Ağbaba. Malatya has now seen who its fair-weather friends are and who its true friends are. We saw that we could win. Ulaş Karasu told me, 'Let there be a metropolitan city left to win next time, we will take Malatya next time,'" he said.

"They said there was no possibility of winning Yazıhan in these elections, but we listened to our candidate from Veli Ağbaba. They said, 'Abdulvahap Göçer will handle this.' I entrust all of you to Mayor Şahmurat and Mayor Abdulvahap."

"WE WILL BE IN POWER IN THE FIRST ELECTION"

"There is a path to walk in this party from now on. Abdulvahap Göçer has a key in his pocket. The key to coming to power in the next election is in the Mayor's pocket. Working hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, we will make Atatürk's party the government in the first elections.

It is not enough to just commemorate İsmet İnönü in Malatya. One must also commemorate Turgut Özal. After the 1980 coup, while the military was imposing a direction on the nation, he achieved successes in the struggle he entered by uniting 4 tendencies, despite finding the state against him. There were points where we thought very differently, but we also wish God's mercy upon Turgut Özal, a son of Malatya."

FOREST FIRES

"We have 12 children who died in the fires that broke out between Diyarbakır and Mardin yesterday. Forest fires are continuing all over Turkey. The Turkish Grand National Assembly must now take charge of this issue. We will work for this."

"WE WILL DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE APRICOT"

"In Malatya, the land of the apricot, you touch the producer and hear a thousand sighs. Dried apricots are 140 TL for the producer, 300 in the bazaar, and 370 lira in the market. Last year, dried apricots were 100 lira in the orchard. In 1 year, diesel, fertilizer, and labor costs have doubled, but the price has only increased by 40 percent. The price in the market doubles, but the price here is 40 percent. It is the same for grapes, hazelnuts, and apricots. We will do whatever is necessary to seek the rights of the apricot."