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Ümit Özdağ's 'referendum' criticism of Kılıçdaroğlu: 'You must have the courage to walk into the barrel of a gun!'

Appearing on 12punto.com.tr's YouTube channel 12puntotv, Ümit Özdağ recalled the controversial unstamped ballots and Supreme Election Council (YSK) debates during the 2017 referendum. Criticizing former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Özdağ said, "My brother, look; if you are going to engage in politics in Turkey, you must have the courage to walk into the barrel of a gun."

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Answering questions from journalist and author Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu on 12punto.com.tr's YouTube channel 12puntotv, Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ recalled the 2017 Referendum, which came to the agenda with unstamped ballots. 

HE CRITICIZED KILIÇDAROĞLU

Recalling that he went in front of the YSK, Özdağ said the following:

"While all the party leaders were in bed, did Ümit Özdağ go to the YSK alone, enter the YSK President's office, and say, 'You will be tried in the Supreme Council'? He did. 

And what was Kemal Bey saying at that time? He was sitting at the Headquarters, saying if we set out, armed men have taken to the roads, they will shoot at us. My brother, look; if you are going to engage in politics in Turkey, you must have the courage to walk into the barrel of a gun. Otherwise, retire! Moreover, there was no one armed." 

"THE PRESIDENTIAL REGIME IS THE RESULT OF A DIRTY REFERENDUM"

Özdağ continued his criticisms as follows:

"If the CHP had marched to the YSK with its deputies that night, the presidential regime would not have been established in Turkey in violation of the Constitution. 

15 days later, those who carried out the dirty referendum, taking the will of the Turkish nation out of its hands, were taking photos while smiling. The presidential regime established in this country is the result of a dirty referendum. It was done by violating the Constitution."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

In the constitutional amendment referendum held in 2017, 51.41 percent of the votes were "yes," and the presidential system began to be implemented in Turkey. 

At that time, the focus of the opposition's objections to the results of the constitutional referendum was the YSK's decision to "accept unstamped ballots as valid."

The then-CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was criticized for not showing enough reaction. 

Kılıçdaroğlu defended himself with these words:

"The other side was armed. We received such reports. We discussed this with our friends in the party that night (the night of the referendum). And we did not constantly call on our citizens to 'take to the streets' for actions and protests. Due to the concern that very grave incidents could occur, we decided not to take that responsibility."