AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik answers journalists' questions

AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik made evaluations regarding the election process in a statement to journalists.

CANDIDATE DETERMINATION MEETING

Çelik stated, "While our esteemed Chairman, our President, continues his normal work schedule here, he is also continuing his consultations with our provinces. Last time I said the consultations were completed, it was reported in some places that candidate determination efforts were completed. These two are different things. One must pay attention to this sensitivity. Yesterday, meetings were held with Konya, Kahramanmaraş, Antalya, and Eskişehir. Today, consultations with Aydın, Hatay, Diyarbakır, Mersin, Muğla, and Van will be completed. After these consultations are finished, candidate determination will be addressed in subsequent meetings."

"THEY CONTINUE THE POLITICS OF LIES AND DESTRUCTION"

Çelik criticized the CHP leadership for not signing the declaration prepared in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) against terrorism with harsh words, summarizing his points as follows:

"Today, the speech made by CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel at the group meeting has clarified the discussions that have been ongoing since the day he took office. There were segments that had expectations. It has become clear today that he will continue a kind of politics of lies and destruction without regard for principles or values. There, he used the term 'traitor' in an extremely inappropriate manner, overstepping his bounds toward our President. We know who calls our President a traitor. Netanyahu, the PKK, and other terrorist organizations say these things about our President. The sentences spoken by Mr. Özel have aligned with the sentences used by these segments."

"THEY SPOKE BY REVEALING WHAT THEY WERE HIDING"

If he has chosen to repeat the sentences used against our President by people like Netanyahu, PKK and similar terrorist organizations, and fascists in Europe, that is Özgür Özel's own business. We are saddened by the stain on Turkish politics. We are saddened by the harm done to our CHP-supporting citizens. Today, he delivered this speech in a way that shows all of Turkey how politics of hatred is conducted, revealing what they had kept hidden until now. He used the expression 'bad people' for our President and Mr. Devlet Bahçeli. We know very well what bad and evil are. We have recently seen which bad actors wanted to inflict what kind of evil upon Turkey. Before the elections, they displayed an approach that stood side-by-side with terrorist organizations, using the same language and presenting the same perspective. Our nation prevented this political evil with their votes and by using their will to elect our President and support the People's Alliance.

"ÖZGÜR ÖZEL WILL HAVE DONE A GREAT DISSERVICE TO CHP"

When the secret bargains, the distribution of ministries as a result of these bargains, and the secret collaborations behind the model they wanted to impose on Turkey were revealed, it became clear which cadres were the focus of political evil. These sentences by Özel do not harm us, but what I see is that Özgür Özel will do a great disservice to the CHP. He revealed in his speech today how he will carry out this political evil. He says the 'era of free politics' is over. He is saying that if a correct action is being taken anywhere, he will refrain from supporting that correctness. They used this phrase when they did not sign the joint declaration against terrorism. The proposal for the declaration came from the opposition. Our group deputy chairman said, 'Of course we will support it.' We supported it by saying we do not look at the address, we look at the principle; the People's Alliance supported it. The CHP tried to play a double game as usual in their own way. On one hand, they pretended to condemn terrorism, while on the other hand, they chose not to sign in a way that would pave the way for political bargains.

"DURING BAYKAL'S TIME, AN UNCOMPROMISING STANCE WAS TAKEN AGAINST TERROR"

In his speech today, he is saying things like, 'We had read this in parliament before.' No justification can excuse them from signing the joint declaration prepared against terrorism in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Those who are still CHP deputies and people who have served as CHP executives in the past have made statements; they said the CHP management's stance is wrong, we reject this, it was a mistake. Although there were many issues we could not agree on with the CHP in the past, we have seen in our own political life periods when the CHP was sensitive about the fight against terrorism. During Baykal's time, the CHP would take an uncompromising stance on these issues regarding defending Turkey's power and determination against terrorism in national matters. It was considered important for the strongest declaration to come out of the Supreme Assembly. Now he is trying to express this by saying 'there is no free politics.' You have clearly expressed today who the sponsor of your politics is.

"IS THIS HOW THEY WILL EXPRESS FALLING IN LINE WITH THE PKK?"

They say, 'opposing the opposition provides support to the government.' Now, even if what the government says is correct, will they express their opposition to the common will in the fight against terrorism and their falling in line with the PKK in this way? They are confused and uninformed about the fight against terrorism. The theses and arguments they put forward are extremely inadequate. This is a politics of evil against our citizens who have given their hearts to the CHP, against the rights of our nation, and against the sovereign rights of the Republic of Turkey. Özgür Özel uses the same language against our President as if he were translating the language used by fascists in Europe. What branch is this? He says we are not doing free politics; one must say that the mentality of these affairs and the place from which their political sponsor draws inspiration are extremely bad.

"THOSE WHO WONDERED HOW THE CHP WOULD ACT HAVE SEEN IT TODAY"

Using the expression 'bad people' against our President and Mr. Devlet Bahçeli is an attempt to do harm to Turkey, the CHP, and our sovereign rights. The politics they practice is of low quality and is a politics of hatred that must be rejected. It is a process in the CHP that began with voting 'no' to the Syria and Iraq mandates, the mandates that authorize our soldiers. Previously, the CHP had never voted against them. Every sentence they utter today will follow them. Those who were wondering how the CHP chairman would act have seen it today. Especially those within the CHP who are sensitive about national politics and national values will save the CHP from this drift and prevent this harm from being done to the history of the CHP.