Özgür Özel speaks after PM meeting: Erdoğan has admitted to being at the head of this coup attempt to dismantle the constitution

The Republican People's Party's Party Assembly meeting has concluded. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made statements following the Party Assembly meeting.

MYK AGENDA CHANGED

The CHP's Central Executive Board (MYK) and Party Assembly (PM) meetings were expected to discuss and announce over 200 mayoral candidates. However, the MYK's agenda changed following the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation's decision not to comply with the Constitutional Court's (AYM) second violation ruling regarding TİP MP Can Atalay.

Özgür Özel stated, "Constitutional Court rulings are published with their justifications, and the moment they are published, AYM rulings are binding for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. But someone; that Erdoğan; Erdoğan, who had a constitution made for himself, sees himself as being above this constitution as well," he said.

"THE GEZI TRIAL IS ERDOĞAN'S POLITICAL VENDETTA"

Özel's statements are as follows:

"Our Party Assembly has placed on its agenda a civil coup attempt that we are facing, which aims to suspend the constitution, ignore the constitution, and de-constitutionalize the country through the judiciary.

While the decision taken yesterday by the 3rd Chamber of the Court of Cassation appears to be a decision and a crisis regarding the fact that Can Atalay, who was elected as a deputy by the people of Hatay, is not being released and is not benefiting from his parliamentary immunity, it has reached a point that far exceeds this.

Today, if Can Atalay had been released, it would not have changed the fact that Tayfun Kahraman, Osman Kavala, Mine Özerden, and Çiğdem Mater, who are held captive with him, are being retried in this case where they were acquitted twice due to lack of evidence, upon the explicit instruction of Erdoğan, who said, 'Someone wanted to acquit them, but I do not accept this,' and are being retried as a result of one person's hostility in an environment where there is no evidence. The Gezi trial is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political vendetta, his political blood feud; Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Gezi trial is a trial where they demonize innocent people to legitimize himself.

"JUSTICE MINISTER YILMAZ TUNÇ HAS ADMITTED TO BEING THE AIDE TO THE COMMANDER OF THE COUP"

It is the disregard for an article of the constitution that they took into their own authority for the sake of someone's vendetta and blood feud. That article is Article 153. Constitutional Court rulings are published with their justifications, and the moment they are published, AYM rulings are binding for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. But someone; that Erdoğan; Erdoğan, who had a constitution made for himself, sees himself as being above this constitution as well.

'Since I wanted it, I changed some articles during the State of Emergency (OHAL) with a stick in hand, beating them in some places, using the state's resources; if I had known, I would have changed this one too, isn't it my pleasure; Article 153 is null and void for me,' he said, tearing up Article 153. Five judges did it on his behalf, but when he later claimed ownership of that decision, Erdoğan admitted that he was at the head of this coup attempt trying to dismantle the constitution. Today, the Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, appointed by Erdoğan, admitted to being the aide to the commander of the coup by reminding of the decision and saying 'It is before the Parliament.'

The danger here is this. If you do not speak up today when Article 153 is torn up, one day they will come and tear up Article 75, and we will not be deputies, and Mr. Bahçeli will not be a deputy. If the Constitutional Court is null and void today, tomorrow they will tear up Article 75 and the National Assembly will be null and void.

INVITATION TO THE RALLY

I have here our application to call the General Assembly to a meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 15.00, which has been signed by the CHP, Future Party, Felicity Party, TİP, DEVA, and Democrat Party, and which the IYI Party and DEM have stated they will attend when convened, as all opposition parties have indicated they will participate when gathered. We are calling the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) to an extraordinary meeting against this coup attempt made against its own will.

Furthermore, as the CHP, we express that we will provide the most heartfelt contribution to any democratic call in civil society against this coup attempt. We invite all our citizens, all political parties, and every individual who wants to own the future of this country, and its youth, to our rally at Tandoğan Square on Sunday, January 14, at 13.00, where we will say we are owning our future, and where we will own democracy and the constitution."