Özgür Özel's 'İmamoğlu' response to the Central Bank's interest rate decision! 'If the March 19 coup hadn't happened, today the interest rate would be...'
CHP leader Özgür Özel gave a sharp response to US Ambassador Tom Barrack's remarks regarding an 'Ottoman-style millet system' for Turkey. Reacting to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speeches emphasizing ethnicity, Özel said, "We see them using expressions based on certain dreams and imaginations that do not align with the reality of Turkey, the reality of the region, or the unitary structure. Exactly on the 102nd anniversary of Lausanne, it must be said: We completely reject rhetoric that targets the foundation of the Republic." Commenting on the Central Bank's interest rate decision, Özel said, "Just to win the election, they printed too much money into the market and failed to control inflation, creating a period of relative purchasing power and madness. They carried out the March 19 coup; if it hadn't happened, the interest rate today would be 32.5 or 35."
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Sharp rebuke from Özgür Özel to the US Ambassador and Erdoğan’s ethnic emphasis: “This country made its decision 100 years ago”
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made notable statements in front of the cameras following his meeting with Democrat Party Chairman Gültekin Uysal.
Özel reacted sharply to US Ambassador Tom Barrack’s remarks about Turkey regarding an “Ottoman-style millet system” and to the ethnic identity references that have come to the fore in recent speeches by AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Özel spoke as follows:
“We hear nonsensical assessments, such as expressions that it would be appropriate for Turkey to be governed by the Ottoman millet system, or that nation-states are a threat to Israel, without knowing the rights and wrongs, and without correctly analyzing that system.”
“THIS UNDERSTANDING DAMAGES THE UNITARY STATE STRUCTURE”
AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used the terms “Turk, Kurd, Arab” 11 times in a speech, and Özel pointed out that following such ethnic emphasis, some figures close to the government have similarly been giving messages contrary to the unitary state.
Özel said, “We see them using expressions based on certain dreams and imaginations that do not align with the reality of Turkey, the reality of the region, or the unitary structure. Exactly on the 102nd anniversary of Lausanne, it must be said: We completely reject rhetoric that targets the foundation of the Republic.”
“WE WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE REPUBLICAN SYSTEM, THE DECISION WAS MADE LONG AGO”
Emphasizing that Turkey has already charted its course, Özel stated, “This country made its decision 100 years ago, and this country will be governed by the Republican system. The roof of this country is the Republic. It is a Republic based on equal citizenship. It is about those who come with the ballot box leaving with the ballot box, and equal competition at the ballot box.”
“THE DISCUSSIONS ARE DELIBERATE AND DANGEROUS”
While reiterating their commitment to the unitary structure on the anniversary of Lausanne, Özgür Özel also stated that he does not find the new discussions on this subject to be well-intentioned:
“On the anniversary of Lausanne, we also discussed our commitment to this unitary structure. I would like to state on my own behalf once again that the discussions being stirred up on this matter are not well-intentioned at all.”
EVALUATED THE CENTRAL BANK'S INTEREST RATE DECISION
Evaluating the Central Bank's interest rate cut decision, Özel noted the following:
"Just to win the election, they printed too much money into the market and failed to control inflation, creating a period of relative purchasing power and madness.
They carried out the March 19 coup; if it hadn't happened, the interest rate today would be 32.5 or 35."
During that period, they burdened the nation with the cost of nearly 150 billion dollars of Turkey's assets.
They burned through 60 billion dollars in foreign exchange reserves just for the March 19 coup."