Özgür Özel calls on Erdoğan after Murat Kurum's 'Gaza' remarks: 'Withdraw Kurum, put in a Pinocchio'

CHP leader Özgür Özel made statements in the Osmangazi district of Bursa. 

Highlights from Özel's statement are as follows:

"IT WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR ISTANBUL"

"Yesterday, Murat Kurum said that the people of Gaza are waiting for the results of the March 31 elections, that Gaza will have hope from the March 31 election results, and that if he wins, he will provide humanitarian aid to Gaza; he said the election is important for Palestinian children because of this. One side is shamelessness, one side is hypocrisy, one side is fraud; there cannot be such cheap politics, it should not exist.

This Murat Kurum is the one responsible for the İliç disaster; even though it won't happen, if he were to become the Metropolitan Mayor of Istanbul, it would be a disaster for Istanbul. Such a mentality cannot exist.

"I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE UNPROFESSIONAL MAYORAL CANDIDATE THAN KURUM"

Erdoğan says we could not provide aid to the children in Gaza, we were embarrassed. Turkey's aid is stuck at the Rafah Border Crossing. This government, despite having developed good relations with Israel, fails to deliver aid, yet he says 'If you elect me in Istanbul, I will provide aid to Palestinian children.' There is no second mayoral candidate, let alone in Istanbul or the Marmara region, among the 1,300 electoral districts, who mocks people's intelligence and speaks with such hypocrisy.

I have never seen a more unprofessional, politically inexperienced mayoral candidate than Murat Kurum.

"WITHDRAW MURAT KURUM, PUT IN A PINOCCHIO"

If the AKP needs to win the municipality on March 31 to provide aid to the children in Gaza, then woe to us. Shame on Murat Kurum, shame on Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Özel also added, regarding the 2019 elections, 'They were saying, "Will you vote for Mr. Binali or for Sisi?" and it hasn't even been a month since he shook Sisi's hand. Now let's ask, who is Sisi, and who has Sisi become?'

In the last elections, he was trying to demonize Mr. Ekrem [İmamoğlu] using the structure Sisi had created to get votes from him. Now he has become friends with Sisi. And they have put someone as incompetent, as insincere, and as prone to lying as Murat Kurum against Mr. Ekrem.

The proof that Erdoğan has nothing left to offer Turkey is that his candidate in Istanbul is Murat Kurum. If I were in Erdoğan's place, today is the last day to withdraw a candidate. If it were me, I would withdraw this candidate; if he put a Pinocchio there, it would be more convincing. 

Today is the last day, I am calling on Erdoğan. Withdraw Murat Kurum, put in a Pinocchio."

WHAT HAPPENED?

AKP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Murat Kurum, at an event he attended in Bakırköy yesterday, stated that the nation should take a stance in favor of real municipalism for the aid they will provide to Gaza, saying, "On March 31, the oppressed in Gaza will rejoice, our brothers and sisters in Gaza who reach out to us will rejoice. Our children in Gaza will rejoice. For the freedom of Gaza there, for the aid we will provide to Gaza as the IMM, I hope our nation will again take a stance in favor of real municipalism on March 31."