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Özgür Özel visits DEM Party for 'by-election' talks

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan.

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Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel went to the DEM Party Headquarters for talks regarding by-elections. There, Özel met with DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan.

Özel was accompanied by Selin Sayek Böke, Gökçe Gökçen, and Sezgin Tanrıkulu.

 

Özgür Özel made a statement following the meeting.

Addressing the state of the economy, Özel said:

"Because the Turkish economy is poorly managed and extremely fragile, in a problem that affects the whole world like the Iran war, the burden is being placed on the backs of citizens in Turkey while the rest of the world protects itself, as dozens of reserves have been burned since the March 19 coup. The cost of this war is being placed on the backs of countries like Turkey that were caught unprepared for such a shock and exhausted their necessary precautions at other times. Spain lowered taxes on natural gas and electricity. It increased the number of households for which it covers water and energy costs entirely free of charge. It has been doing this to protect its industrialists and citizens since the war broke out."

"NO STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN"

Continuing his remarks by mentioning the government's second opening process, which it calls a 'terror-free Turkey,' and the commission report, Özel stated:

"Mr. Numan says the commission report was prepared with the contribution of every party, but Hatay MP Can Atalay is not there. The work that needs to be done is for Can Atalay to be added to the MP registry upon Mr. Numan's rightful instruction; even this step has not been taken. Trustees are still in their seats. We all wrote together that the trustee practice must be ended in the report, but no steps are being taken on this matter either. Our stance on this is clear. In the coming days, I will request an appointment from Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş and we will hold a meeting with them. I will have the opportunity to negotiate with him the steps he needs to take.

The election is approaching; we think we are getting closer to power every day. Two things come to the agenda here. One is election security, and this must be addressed at the voter's decision-making stage. Political parties exist to compete. We can compete in the economy, we can race in social policies, we can race in transportation. However, democracy is not a field of competition for parties, but a common area of defense. Giving up on democracy can be defined as an area of resistance against this. All opposition parties need to be in consensus on democratization. We must reach a consensus on fair and free elections and constitutional democracy. We have conveyed the demand for solidarity in this regard to other political parties within the entire political institution as well.

On March 31, while setting off for the national match, he encountered the Bursa leg of the coup. An operation was carried out against someone who has been rumored for 2 years to be joining the AK Party, but who has constantly denied it, on the accusation of forcing a donation to a foundation belonging to his family. They relied on the accusations of three people. One is abroad, one is a fugitive, and one is a confessor. 500 people protested in front of the house of one of these three people because he is a real estate fraudster. The nation is saying something else, you are being stubborn. You win again and oppress for 5 years, you win again and throw them in jail.

By-election discussions are being held. According to the Constitution, a by-election cannot be held in the first 30 months and the last 1 year. Other than that, it says that if there is a vacancy in the TBMM, a by-election is held. It says that if the number of vacant members is 1/5 of the total number, one does not wait for 30 months. Currently, 8 seats are vacant. It is mandatory for the TBMM to take a by-election decision for the vacant seats as soon as possible and for the Speaker of the TBMM to do what is necessary. The business of forcing 22 MPs to resign and holding a by-election is for the first 30 months. A by-election should already be held now. Let no one say it won't happen if 22 MPs don't resign. That by-election will happen, the constitution says so. The will regarding the holding of that by-election must be revealed. We discussed completing the number of resigning MPs to 30, but that is valid for the first 30 months. Let it be held for just the 8 vacant seats. Actually, Hatay is not vacant, but we want to see if the AK Party is ready to compete in the Istanbul 3rd district and the Istanbul 1st district, which became vacant after the late Sırrı Süreyya Önder."

"OPERATIONS ARE POLITICAL"

Speaking after Özgür Özel, Tülay Hatimoğulları said, "Systematic operations against CHP municipalities are not legal, they are political. It is an operation to design politics." Stating that the judiciary's effort to design politics is a 'lack of democracy,' Hatimoğulları spoke about the process as follows:

"This process can only be successful with the participation of all segments, not with a dialogue line squeezed between the AKP and the DEM Party. We thank Özgür Özel and Ekrem İmamoğlu, who have supported this process from the beginning."

Emphasizing that Can Atalay should be in the TBMM, Hatimoğulları said, "If society is generally expecting an early election, we, as the DEM Party, are ready for a possible election within this framework."

HOW DOES THE DEM PARTY VIEW BY-ELECTIONS?

DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan had previously stated regarding CHP leader Özel's election calls, "Election discussions are not on our agenda. One of our party's most urgent agendas is democratization."

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan had expressed, "It is the most natural right of the CHP to make such a call. We are not uncomfortable with this demand."