Özgür Özel's response to Erdoğan on the 'junta lawsuit'! 'I'll step aside, let them settle it with Bahçeli...'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel responded to the lawsuit filed against him by AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the term 'junta leader' by recalling past speeches made by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli.

Özel stated, "The first person to call Erdoğan a coup plotter is Mr. Bahçeli, not me. In a 2012 group meeting, he calls Erdoğan a junta member and refers to the AK Party administration as a junta administration. I will step aside, let them settle it between themselves and Mr. Bahçeli," he said.

Özel spoke at a joint press conference held at the CHP Headquarters with Future Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu.

"I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO CALL ERDOĞAN A COUP PLOTTER"

Highlights from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's speech are as follows:

"We will continue to protect democracy. If this country loses its ballot box, it loses a great deal.

Regarding the lawsuit filed over the words junta and junta member, whatever penalty comes to me, we will refer it to Mr. Bahçeli. The first person to call Erdoğan a coup plotter is Mr. Bahçeli, not me. In a 2012 group meeting, he calls Erdoğan a junta member and refers to the AK Party administration as a junta administration. I will step aside, let them settle it between themselves and Mr. Bahçeli.

Just as I was proven right in the lawsuit filed by Hulusi Akar, they shouldn't push me too hard; there is plenty of evidence to prove through the courts that he is a junta member.

Berkay was elected to our party assembly. I congratulate Berkay and my other friends for scaring Erdoğan this much."