CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: 'Everyone should be very careful, there may be minor tensions tomorrow'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel arrived in İzmir hours before the March 31 local elections.

After greeting citizens from a bus in Balçova, Özel held a press conference in front of the Balçova Municipality alongside CHP İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral Candidate Cemil Tugay and CHP Balçova Mayoral Candidate Onur Yiğit.

In his speech there, where he specifically invited young people to the polls, Özel said, “Tomorrow, 61 million voters in Turkey will go to the ballot box. They will make two important decisions. The first is that the voter will decide on their local administrators. In the last elections, the Republican People's Party won a large number of municipalities with a major alliance. Our friends have served for 5 years. When the ballot boxes are opened tomorrow, two things will be clear. First, we want to see the favor that people-oriented municipalism, which provides service instead of waste, has received from the public in the election results. Second, those who won the general elections by a very small margin by using edited tapes, videos, managing fears, saying 'if we don't come, it will be a disaster,' and using the state's television and agencies as tools for themselves, have been making Turkey suffer for 10 months.”

HE ADDRESSED THE YOUTH

Calling out to young voters, Özel stated: “Our young voters will show their reaction to this government at the ballot box tomorrow, as they are unfortunately being forced into a country they do not want, where freedoms are restricted, their lifestyles are interfered with, trustees are appointed to their universities, and their concerts and festivals are banned. We expect all young people who want to protect the republic entrusted to them by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to go to the polls tomorrow without exception. Democracy means freedom. Those who want freedom must protect democracy. Protecting democracy is done by going to the polls. I continue to call on all young people, regardless of their political views, to come to the polls tomorrow and take ownership of their future, as they love their country and are worried about tomorrow.”

''EVERYONE SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL...''

Continuing his words by saying, “I congratulate all the officials at the ballot boxes once again for protecting democracy,” Özel made the following remarks:

“I expect our party officials not to leave their posts until all results are obtained, the last wet-signed report is delivered, and the last result from the last ballot box is recorded. We have come this far without any accidents or trouble. Everyone should be very careful; there may be minor tensions tomorrow. Please be patient and tolerant. There have been no unwanted incidents in the election, very few have occurred. From now on, I invite everyone to use common sense until the election results are obtained.”

''THE REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY WILL WIN''

Noting that their victory is not anyone's defeat, Özel said, “We will be happy, we will rejoice. I invite everyone not to overreact, not to offend anyone, and not to make anyone feel like they have lost. The Republican People's Party will win. The Turkey Alliance will win in Turkey. In the end, Turkey will win. There will be no loser in this election. Democracy will win in Turkey, and there will be a balance in politics. Therefore, I am conveying it as an instruction to our entire organization to never abandon the principle of moderation in joy and celebrations, to think of the sick, to think of small children and babies, not to make loud noises after a certain hour, and to welcome the victory in a gentlemanly manner.”