New Year's message from Özgür Özel with a focus on local elections: He announced his first goal!

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel shared a New Year's video on his X (Twitter) account.

LOCAL ELECTION MESSAGE

Referring to the local elections on March 31, 2024, Özel said, "We invite everyone in the March 31 elections to both show a yellow card to this government and to reward the well-managed cities governed by the Republican People's Party—cities where everyone wants to move and settle—to look to the future with more hope."

In the video, which he shared with the note, "I celebrate the New Year of all our citizens with beautiful feelings as we look to 2024 with hope. We will make our country one that is worthy of our youth," Özel said the following:

“We are on the last day of 2023, and the whole country is experiencing the excitement of completing another year and reaching another in a few hours. We were expecting a very good year as we entered this one. We were all very happy together. Because it was the 100th anniversary of our Republic. However, with the great destruction and the great earthquake that occurred on February 6, we experienced great pain as a whole nation, as a whole country. We lost over 50 thousand of our lives. We have the wounded, and hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless.

Worse yet, contrary to the promise made to them that their houses would be built within a year and they would move into their homes, almost as the first anniversary of the earthquake approaches, 9 out of 10 of our citizens are forced to live in tents or containers. Their problems are great. They are suffering very serious difficulties and very serious pain in the snow and winter. It is not just the earthquake. In the 100th year of the Republic, we experienced too much pain, we had accidents, we had disasters, and we had martyrs. While greeting and embracing our heroic Mehmetçik (Turkish soldiers) with respect and love once again from here, we once again wish for God's mercy for our losses and our martyrs, and we offer our condolences to both their families and our nation. From now on, to avoid new losses and not to give new martyrs, we expect everyone to do their duty in the best way possible and for the most meticulous measures to be taken so that there is no room for any negligence. We will also be the followers of this.

In the last year of the first 100 years of the Republic, the elections in which we would enter the 100th year of the Republic were also held. In these elections, on May 14 and May 28, we as the Republican People's Party did not get the results we wanted. Afterwards, there was a change in our party during a convention process. Now, our party is entering the second 100 years of the Republic with its young staff and cadres where we have given more space to female managers.

'WE INVITE EVERYONE TO SHOW A YELLOW CARD TO THE GOVERNMENT'

Our first goal is the local elections to be held at the end of March. In these local elections, we invite everyone—both those who were unhappy with last year's election results and those who, even if they voted for the People's Alliance in last year's elections, did not get what they expected from life, were crushed by the cost of living, could not get the return for their labor, and are worried about their future—to both show a yellow card to this government in the March 31 elections and to reward the well-managed cities governed by the Republican People's Party—cities where everyone wants to move and settle—to look to the future with more hope. Of course, not everyone can come to the cities governed by the Republican People's Party, but with the votes they cast, they can bring good CHP municipalism, populist CHP municipalism, to their own cities. We expect you to support our mayoral candidates on the ballot on March 31 who will work for you, work honestly, work honorably, will not waste, and will not allow corruption. Five years ago, we said the end of March is spring, and we brought spring. Now, we promise to bring spring to the provinces where we could not bring it, and to continue the summer and the beautiful days in the provinces where we brought spring 5 years ago. With these beautiful feelings, I leave the pains of the past year behind and celebrate the New Year of all our citizens with these beautiful feelings as we look to 2024 with hope.

I am addressing our youth in particular. Never lose hope. The future will be very beautiful, and we do not accept the tomorrows that other countries in the world are calculating and dreaming of for the futures of the youth of this beautiful country, which the whole world is making calculations about. You will go when you want, you will return when you want, but this beautiful country is your home, your homeland. Very soon, we will make this country a country worthy of our youth. Once again, I celebrate the New Year of you all.”