Özgür Özel's striking Hatay admission: 'We made a mistake on March 31'

The Republican People's Party (CHP) met with citizens in Hatay as the new stop of its "Defending the National Will" rallies, which it launched within the scope of calls for early elections and the freedom of the imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Taking the stage at the rally held at the Çekmece Junction in the Defne district, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel admitted that they made a mistake in Hatay during the 2024 local elections.

Highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

We have won this city in two out of the three terms since it became a metropolitan municipality in previous periods. We experienced misfortunes in Hatay during the last elections, we made mistakes, and while we won all the municipalities we held on the night of the March 31 victory, while we won metropolitan cities, won 21 provinces, and won 65% of Turkey, we unfortunately lost Hatay. At the time Hatay needed us most; yes, by a very small margin, yes, through trickery, intrigue, and without listening to objections, the votes and the will were practically stolen, but we should not have left it to that point. We should have won by a clear margin, as we did throughout Turkey. We heard Hatay, we acknowledged our fault. For the future, we are coming to embrace Hatay so that we never leave it again in the first election.

Can Atalay, whom Hatay sent to represent it, is still in prison. This is a huge shame. Shame on those who keep the deputy elected by the ballot box in Hatay, which joined Turkey through the ballot box, in prison. I salute Can Atalay from here.

"IT CANNOT BE DONE WITH MONEY, WITH BILLBOARDS, WITH BANNERS; THESE THINGS ARE DONE WITH HEART"

"Dear people of Hatay, they collected so much money; 3 trillion dollars. An incredible tax. 40 billion dollars just in earthquake taxes. So, what did they do to prepare for the earthquake? Eight zoning amnesties. They are the ones who issued the zoning amnesty; when they made unfair arrangements, they did not listen to the neighborhoods that objected to them, and those who engaged in urban transformation—or rather, rent-seeking transformation—and ignored the neighborhood's objections, did not go after the zoning amnesty they issued; they went and blamed the people who died after voicing objections in such and such neighborhood at that time.

And when we experienced this disaster, the citizen screamed under the rubble for days. Those voices are in all of our ears, saying 'Is there anyone who can hear my voice?', but no one heard their voice. Our heroic army waited for orders in the barracks for three days, it could not take to the field for three days. On the other hand, regarding the work done and responsibilities taken to strengthen the fight against disaster; to those who came to Hatay, to the 11 provinces, from all over the world, from all of Turkey's institutions, from all municipalities, who fought here; to those who risked death and exhausted themselves for days to save a life under those ruins and debris; to those who laid a stone upon a stone regardless of their political views, may they be blessed, may they be granted their due, we are grateful to them all.

They were the ones who sent an IBAN when the nation was waiting for help. They were the ones who sold tents for money while the nation was on the streets. If I were saying these things myself, for example, this is Hatay, if this were not known in Hatay, if there were no such tension, would this Hatay give this reaction here in this rain? Did they keep the army waiting for three days? Did they sell tents for money? Did they send an IBAN to the earthquake victims? Were there tent queues and lines even after 40 days?

That is it, Erdoğan, it cannot be done with banners, with billboards, with state power, by lining up civil servants in the square. It cannot be done with money, with billboards, with banners; these things are done with heart, they are done with heart!"

"THAT'S IT ERDOĞAN, THERE IS NO EASY POLITICS LIKE BEFORE"

"The provinces needed to be rebuilt after the earthquake. On this issue, our then-Chairman and our administration said, 'We are here for whatever falls to us.' All constructive suggestions were made, but they preferred to use the earthquake as a tool for politics and to create an opportunity from it for the upcoming election. They said: 'We can do it, they cannot. We are the ones in power; if you change the government, you cannot move into your homes within a year.'

Erdoğan came out and said: 'I give my word as the state, I give my word as the state to my nation. We will deliver 650 thousand residences within a year.' The nation appreciated it, and he was given the task. At the end of one year, he could keep 2.7% of his promise, at the end of two years 30% of his promise, and at the end of three years 70% of his promise. Now he has come and when he says 'I will provide these houses,' they were saying 'You cannot.' No one said 'You cannot'; they said 'You cannot do it within a year.' There were those who said 'It is not right to sell them for money, let the state build the disaster houses.' Those who said 'I will build these houses in a year' back then, and at the end of a year 97%, at the end of two years 70%, and even now 30% have not been able to get into their homes; those who promised 650 thousand and are trying to make 455 thousand a source of pride after three years... And right now, while 271 thousand people are living in containers in 11 provinces, along with other provinces; while 155 thousand people are living in containers in Hatay, our answer to those who come here with banners, with transport, and with state power to make claims: Get out of here, get out of here, get out of here!

Today, 155 thousand are in Hatay, and 271 thousand people are in containers in the 11 provinces that experienced the earthquake. In the speeches they make today, they are hiding the fact that the residences are not given for free but for money. That they made people sign blank promissory notes; that they gave a 70-square-meter house to someone whose 170-square-meter house was demolished... Is this true? Jimmy, pull the jeep, pull it. Pull! Is what I am saying true?

That's it Erdoğan, there is no easy politics like before. Making big claims from halls, covering the face of a house with a banner, coming here and speaking one-sidedly, ignoring the efforts... And also showing this to Turkey as if the issue here is on track with an unrealistic perception... That comfortable politics is left behind. We are here; against the lies, against the perception, we are standing tall behind Hatay!"