Özgür Özel reiterates early election call: 'There is no other solution...'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made notable remarks during a special July 15 broadcast he attended on Habertürk.

A REMINDER OF KAMER GENÇ

Highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

"This is the Parliament; Parliament means the will of the people. We are in a Parliament that convenes automatically based on the results of elections held according to the Constitution. Nothing should be above the will of the people. The target of all coup plotters has always been the Parliament. The late Kamer Genç had said, 'these people will become a trouble for you one day.' In those days, according to intelligence in the hands of the state, there was information that they might attempt a coup. There were 33 thousand officers, 11 thousand of whom were dismissed from the army for being FETÖ members. 84 out of 100 staff officers were affiliated and connected with the terrorist organization.

They have been systematically preparing for today for years. The Supreme Military Council was approaching, and they moved their plans forward. They moved the coup they were going to carry out at 3 AM to 9 PM after an officer reported it to the MIT (National Intelligence Organization). They were preparing to overthrow the Republic's administration one day and replace it with FETÖ. There is a 2015 MIT report; that report states that Mehmet Dişli should be dismissed, but no action is taken."

'COULD NOT REMAIN UNITED'

I am in favor of dialogue in politics. It started with 'let's invite these parties to Yenikapı, let's not invite those parties.' Rather than Yenikapı, they should have gathered in Parliament and returned to the spirit of 1920.

Turkey needs to succeed in remaining united. On the night of July 15, the country was united, but it could not remain so afterwards. The majority of the fault lies with the government. However, none of us are innocent in failing to remain united.

Communities and sects are not structures that emerged to govern the state. Membership in these cannot be a criterion for state service. But today, other sects are clustering in certain places. The state has a certain order.

'WE WANT NO ONE TO BE ABLE TO SEIZE THE PRESS AGAIN'

There should not be an understanding where the incoming party tries to seize the entire state when governments change.

I had said that if the people want it, there will be an early election. Unfortunately, the economic policy pursued since the local elections shows that the country is being poorly managed. I see the demand of the nation. In such a major crisis, if the voice of these masses is not heard, there is no other solution but an election.

When the CHP comes to power, it is preparing not to seize institutions, but to make regulations so that they can never be seized again. We do not want to come to power and seize the press. We want no one to be able to seize the press again. We do not intend to come and seize the judiciary. We are concerned that no one should be able to seize the judiciary.

MESSAGE ON SYRIA

We did not make an official request directly at first. We looked at what was being thought through back-channel diplomacy. The approach that came back to us was that they would look favorably upon it if there were an official request. We made our official request a few days ago. I think it is a situation in Turkey's favor, whether we meet or Mr. Erdoğan meets.