Özgür Özel’s Extraordinary Congress challenge: 'No one can stop it'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made striking remarks regarding the judicial processes targeting his party in an assessment he gave to the Cumhuriyet newspaper. Speaking about the lawsuit concerning the 38th CHP Ordinary Congress to be heard in Ankara on September 15, Özel said, "We have worked through all possibilities with our party's legal experts. We have no intention of leaving the field to them."

Drawing attention to the attitude of the delegates, Özel said, "Nearly a thousand signatures were collected in a day and a half. No one can stop the extraordinary congress planned technically and legally at the call of the delegates. Because this means the congress is being held despite the administration," he said.

"I HAD GOOSEBUMPS"

Özel emphasized the solidarity of the CHP organizations:

"The party is facing one of the greatest attacks in its history. The delegates gave their signatures, risking notary fees reaching two thousand liras. We made the application in a day and a half. I had goosebumps, and I was choked up. 540 signatures were also collected for the Istanbul provincial congress. Özgür Çelik had been elected with over 300 votes, but even those who did not vote for him signed to support him. This situation shows that the moves of those trying to divide the CHP have backfired."

"WE WILL NOT LET CONCRETE BE POURED OVER İMAMOĞLU"

Touching upon the investigation in which CHP's presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is being held, Özel said the following:

"We are at such a point that Ekrem İmamoğlu, the candidate of 15.5 million people, is in Silivri. Would I allow concrete to be poured over the nation's candidate in Silivri? The seat we sit in is Atatürk's seat. Trustees have infested that seat. Trustees have infested Istanbul. We cannot abandon those places. They will mobilize the army and the police. They might throw us out by beating us, that is another matter. But we will not leave our seats before that happens."

"WHATEVER THEY RISK, WE WILL RISK MORE"

The CHP leader expressed his determination to fight with these words:

"We are doing everything within the law. Whatever they risk outside the law, I will risk more. This is not about terrorizing the streets. But if we speak even one word less, they will silence the nation. That is why we will not be silent. We have risked everything. The struggle waged 100 years ago was not easier than this."