Özel's reaction to Minister Işıkhan over pension: 'You cannot do this from where you sit!'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is making statements at his party's group meeting.

Özel began his speech by thanking CHP Kütahya Deputy Ali Fazıl Kasap, who joined him on the podium.

Kasap had changed parties following the death of Saadet Party deputy Hasan Bitmez to prevent the Saadet Group from falling. He returned to the CHP following the decision of the Saadet, Gelecek, and DEVA parties to act together.

Highlights from Özel's speech are as follows:

"We have tried to voice the concerns of the millions crushed by inflation. From now on, the CHP will continue to voice these problems, offer solutions, and fight. However, we will continue to stand with the millions who voted for us and are at their wit's end, and we will continue to voice their problems. 2025 will be the year of struggle, labor, and the laborer.

2025 WILL BE THE YEAR OF STRUGGLE

We have tried to voice the concerns of the millions crushed by inflation. From now on, the CHP will continue to voice these problems, offer solutions, and fight. However, we will continue to stand with the millions who voted for us and are at their wit's end, and we will continue to voice their problems. 2025 will be the year of struggle, labor, and the laborer.

RESPONSE TO ERDOĞAN ON NATURAL GAS SUPPORT

He says 'there is victory there' as if the words he said 13 years ago were spoken that day. No one in Ardahan, Kars, or Erzurum believes in the victory you speak of. There should be a discount on natural gas provided for heating homes in this region. Mr. Erdoğan is bothered and is reminding us of the support he provided. I know what support he gave. During the election period, he talked to Putin, postponed the total natural gas bill for one year, and gave everyone 25 cubic meters of free natural gas. We said, 'Do not give it to those who are well-off, give it to those in need.' They gave it as an election bribe, why is it not there now? Is the winter milder, or has purchasing power increased? He turned natural gas into an election bribe, and now he says Mr. Özgür doesn't know. The natural gas of 1 million 7 thousand residences has been cut off due to debt. The 5,000 TL bill in Kars cannot be paid with the same minimum wage as the 2,000 TL bill in Manisa.

HIGH-SPEED TRAIN RESPONSE

Erdoğan, the man of the salons, Erdoğan who loves the heat, Erdoğan who rejoices by having those he appointed applaud him, kept throwing barbs at us from his warm salons while we were traveling in -20 degree weather. He said, 'The CHP opposes the high-speed railway project.' That is a tall tale. We asked why it wasn't being built, and they built it because of that. The CHP is not opposing anything. We say, 'The nation is being swindled six times over,' and he says, 'The CHP is opposing it.' You are frauds.

MUNICIPALITIES' SGK DEBT

Erdoğan said, 'Mr. Özgür loves the gold account very much. While he is walking around from jeweler to jeweler with a calculator in his hand, let him also calculate how much gold the SGK debts of CHP municipalities are worth.' It is good that they have reached this point; it is good that they respond with humor instead of insulting us. Since he wanted it, I did the math. The SGK debt of municipalities is 10 units, while other companies' debt is 90 units. He plans to forgive interest for companies and split the debt next month, but he plans to collect the debt from CHP municipalities until then. He is placing liens on the accounts of CHP municipalities to stop services. The total receivable of the SGK corresponds to 270 tons of gold; 30 tons are from municipalities and 240 tons are from the crony companies in the top 100. The total debt of municipalities from all parties is 1 truckload of gold. Two-thirds of these are AK Party municipalities, and one-third are opposition municipalities. There is also 9 truckloads of debt from crony companies. Put 9 truckloads of gold in front of the SGK; whoever does not give the one-third truckload of gold is a dishonorable person.

PENSION REACTION

The Minister of Labor said, 'We have raised the lowest pension to 14,469 liras.' A law must be passed to do this, my dear brother. You cannot announce the figure from where you sit. While I was preparing for my speech, we were going to say that the lowest pension was 12,500 TL, that it needed to be raised by law, and we were going to propose that the pension should not be below 22,000 TL. Last year you turned 10,000 TL into 12,000 TL, we held 105 rallies. Those who didn't understand then are making it 14,469 now. I am calling out to all retirees, this time we will do more, we will slap the red card, not the yellow card, on their foreheads. We will start a great struggle by traveling from square to square with retirees for a 15 percent increase in pensions.

KURDISH ISSUE

As the CHP, we have been insisting for years that the problems experienced by Kurds should be solved through democratic means. We are the only party that has not deviated from its historical consistency. We have to think not only about the short term but also the long term. We will not be part of any plan that puts narrow political agendas ahead of our country's interests. Our primary priority is to fix Turkey's justice system and raise democracy. While the People's Alliance treated even a legitimate political party and its voters as terrorists, we stood on the side of democracy; we held meetings and visits with the DEM Party out of respect for its voters. Those who see every path as permissible to win elections pinned their hopes on fake videos. Whatever we did, we did in front of the nation's eyes. We called the Kurdish issue the Kurdish issue, and we gave full rights and support to the fight against terrorism. We maintained our position against those who say 'close the DEM Party,' who still cannot say 'Kurdish issue,' and who negotiate behind closed doors. We have been following what has happened since October 22 closely. If the process from now on evolves into a process where steps are taken to solve problems, we are the most prepared party. This self-serving government will go, a sincere CHP government will come, and the CHP has the will to solve the problems of both the Kurd and the Alevi. Whatever is to be done must be done under the roof of the Parliament. We will not take part in show processes operated for the freedom of one person or the political career of one person. We met with the DEM Party delegation today, I thank them. In the proposal we made, we suggested the establishment of a fully authorized commission where no political party is excluded. We are ready to lead and contribute to a commission that will raise democratic standards and solve the problems of Alevis and Kurds, not like a 'process commission' whose definition is unclear. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) should lead this work. The contributions of civil society and academia must be taken for social consensus. Families of martyrs and veterans' associations should be directly represented in the commission.

We will not be the guarantor of anyone's seat calculations. One must show understanding for the public's skepticism of the process while some play democracy games, given the questioning of the sincerity of those who appointed trustees to Ahmet Türk 3 times, the fact that Ahmet Özer, the mayor of Turkey's largest district, is lying in Silivri, and the Gezi trial detainees are lying there. It is not 'wise people' but 'reasonable people' who need to be convinced and included in the process. Last time, while the solution process was being operated, Bahçeli, who objected to it most harshly, was telling people not to come before us with Turkishness. Today they have reached this point together. We must set out to trample all kinds of injustice underfoot; if you are willing to trample all kinds of inequality and discrimination underfoot, we are in. Let us trample injustice underfoot all together and build a fair, strong Turkey."

Details are coming...