Özgür Özel evaluates the Can Atalay ruling: 'It is an attempted coup'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made statements following his visit to the Social Democracy Association. Özel spoke regarding the 13th High Criminal Court's decision to send the file of imprisoned TİP deputy Can Atalay—for whom the Constitutional Court (AYM) had issued a second ruling of rights violation—to the Court of Cassation.

Özel stated the following:

"Today, there is no longer any justification to speak of a separation of powers in Turkey. Let no one say that there is rule of law in Turkey. We have a constitution, and it is said that constitutional court rulings are binding for everyone. The AYM reached its latest decision regarding Atalay by a majority vote.

In other words, even those who did not join the decision at the AYM reached a unanimous verdict. A local court cannot resist the AYM; if it does, it has been instructed. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying. This is the seizure of the executive branch. The Gezi trial is a matter of his personal hostility.

Our world leader decides who goes to prison, and our leader's friends decide who gets out. If a phone call came from world leaders, Can Atalay would be released. What is being done is a blatant attempted coup. They are saying, 'You cannot decide on the law, I will,' and this is a coup. They are telling all of us at once that the Constitution has no validity.

All of Turkey, with all its institutions, and everyone who wants to pin their hopes on Turkey's future must resist this. Today, justice is dead.

Everyone who values our words, everyone whose political views differ from ours, should at least look at the words of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Could Recep Tayyip Erdoğan possibly know better than Fatih Sultan Mehmet?

MINIMUM WAGE STATEMENT

"Rather than the minimum wage, one should be concerned today with what can be purchased. The minimum wage needs to be updated at least every 3 months."

ISTANBUL AND ANKARA

"If I were in Erdoğan's place—he has no reason to boast about the cost of living—if he is going to boast about something, he should say, 'Our city that the world knows best, Istanbul, and our capital, Ankara, are being managed so well that I cannot even find a rival.' He should boast about Istanbul and Ankara and tell the whole world about their successes."