CHP Chairman Özgür Özel speaks in İzmir: 'I trust the Turkey Alliance'

With only a few days left until the local elections, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel traveled to İzmir.

HE THANKED FORMER MAYORS

Speaking at his party's candidate introduction meeting, Özel said the following:

"Today we are on the flagship of the CHP. Today we are where the first bullet was fired in the National Struggle. Today we are where the most important struggle began to stop being subjects of an Empire and to become honorable, equal citizens of a Republic. We are in the city where Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's mother, Zübeyde Hanım, was entrusted. Today we are in the city where Kubilay gave his head but did not bow it to them.

In the last year of primary school, my teacher said you will take 2 exams. Teacher Gülseren filled out my form. Now she is 89 years old and still living in Karşıyaka, and I came to Bornova Anatolian High School at the age of 10. I completed middle school, high school, university, and my military service right here at the Aegean Sea Regional Command.

I have come to this beautiful city today as Chairman, where I spent the best 12 years of my life, where I met my life partner Didem, and where I fell in love. Today, I am experiencing the honor of embracing this beautiful city. Hello İzmir!

May God have mercy on Aziz Kocaoğlu, Tunç Soyer, and İzmir's legendary mayor Ahmet Piriştina. We owe them a lot.

"WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR VOTES ONLY FROM SOCIAL DEMOCRATS"

Many slanders and insults are being lined up by the AKP and will continue, but as the CHP, our chests are puffed out and our heads are held high. İzmir knows us, and we know İzmir. Let them not get their hopes up.

30 mayoral candidates will take the stage. When we look at İzmir's expectations in this process, since it is the flagship of the Republic: While some announce 18 ministers and give women only the Ministry of Family, saying 'your place is the home, even if you are a minister, you can only be the Minister of Family,' entrusting this job to men in 17 out of 18 positions, we are here before you with 9 republican women, all in electable positions, while we have 6 female mayoral candidates.

If Deniz Baykal managed Turkey's treasury at the age of 35, and if they managed this country at the age of 40, the revolution that these young people of the CHP, each of whom is young and speaks at least one foreign language, will carry out will make İzmir a giant.

We are not asking for votes only from Social Democrats. The 2019 local elections ended with a great success. There was a need for a great alliance and cooperation. I did whatever fell to me in front of all of you. And we continue to do so. However, after a point, we could not achieve this. However, they wanted to stay outside of the alliances we never questioned after the last elections. We could not reach an agreement in Ankara and could not form an alliance in Turkey.

The voters who won 11 metropolitan municipalities, those voters have not changed; they are still there. Those voters' objection was to the Palace regime. Those voters' objection was to Devlet Bahçeli's U-turn; it is still there.

We could not sign a deal in Ankara, but the democrats of İzmir, conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, and Kurdish democrats will all protect our future together.

"WE WILL GO 30 FOR 30 IN İZMİR"

I trust the İzmir alliance, the Istanbul alliance, and the Turkey alliance.

So that the mentality that sold Ankara parcel by parcel, in the words of Bülent Arınç, does not return to Ankara. So that our İzmir, which they have set their eyes on, is not written off, we will turn the March 31 election into a victory. I believe in this with all my heart. We will achieve such a victory.

We will go 30 for 30 in İzmir. Believe in this, trust in this.

During Özel's speech, a promotional film featuring Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mansur Yavaş, and other mayors and candidates was also shown. Barış Manço's song "Anlıyorsun değil mi" (You understand, don't you) was featured in the promotional film.

Özel said, "There is an election song and an election promotional film. All of Turkey will see it this evening at 20:00."