Strong reaction from Müsavat Dervişoğlu after the punch attack on Özgür Özel: 'Who is behind the threats?'

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu was a guest of İsmail Küçükkaya on Halk TV. During the program, he evaluated developments on the agenda. Dervişoğlu said the following regarding the physical attack carried out against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel:

"I do not look at this issue from a political window. This is a very important issue that Turkey needs to dwell on. Turkish politics has been attacked. These attacks and threats are not new. What is happening is a natural consequence of past attacks and the threats experienced today. I condemn it. I am a representative of an opposition party, but the government should not be content with just condemning. Therefore, it must now be accepted that it is possible to prevent these unacceptable events by taking precautions in advance. The civil administration takes measures, law enforcement intervenes, and the judiciary gives the necessary punishment. In such cases, there is a state of impunity.

An attack was made on Kılıçdaroğlu. He was called a 'cow thief,' but politics and the public agenda were moved to a point where a statue of the man was almost going to be erected. Today, we are talking about a child murderer. In this and similar attacks, such men are essentially chosen. Therefore, when we look at the identity and backgrounds of these men, we witness that they are apparatuses suitable for being used, and all of this stems from impunity. These attacks are made on politics, they are made on democracy, but trials are carried out as if they were common crimes. This is not an ordinary attack. It is an attack on the right and freedom of a person, a chairman of a political party, to engage in politics. In other words, this is not a direct assault case. This is an act aimed at the extortion of a constitutional right. It is also a sign of provocation showing that it is possible for these things to be done to others as well."

"IT MUST ABSOLUTELY BE INVESTIGATED AND RESEARCHED"

Saying "We also receive threats," Dervişoğlu continued his speech as follows:

"We also face the risk of being attacked at various times. This does not turn us back from the journey we have set out on, but politics needs to give the right messages here. If a chairman is attacked, if a chairman is threatened, it is the personalities who govern the state who need to take a stance. I said when I was threatened, 'I will not complain about anyone. It is the state that is obliged to protect my rights and law. If a threat is directed at a political party or the chairman of a party, I said that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, by virtue of being the President, Numan Kurtulmuş, by virtue of being a member of parliament, and the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Justice, by virtue of being citizens of the Republic of Turkey, need to take action.' But if all of this is watched as a spectator and all these events are evaluated as ordinary events, judicial events, and the provocative purpose and target they contain are ignored, this is the result that will be reached.

The answer to the question 'Sir, what do you think?' cannot be brushed off by just saying 'We are sorry.' For that reason, I am calling out to those who govern the Republic of Turkey from here. Look, this is not an ordinary event. This is not happening for the first time either. As the İYİ Party, we have experienced this. In the past periods, these and similar attacks were made on our founding Chairman, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, our provincial and district chairmen, our advisors, and people who have devoted themselves to our party. Therefore, when the state does not do its duty, some circles in society, depending on polarization, see themselves as having the privilege to commit crimes. A person who sees themselves as having the privilege to commit crimes also believes that they can ensure and establish justice on their own behalf and account. The end of this is chaos, turmoil, and anarchy. For that reason, everyone needs to come to their senses. Whatever is behind this event must be pursued to the end. The instigating elements behind the threats made to date must absolutely be investigated, researched, and prosecuted."

"WE HAVE A FUNERAL IN AFYON TODAY TOO"

Dervişoğlu responded to journalist İsmail Küçükkaya's question, "What would you like to say while saying goodbye to Sırrı Süreyya Önder?" as follows:

"Sırrı Süreyya Önder is my colleague, and also someone I knew from the period when I was not a member of parliament. May his soul rest in peace, Mr. Sırrı Süreyya Önder. The Almighty God has granted us a prophet who has made us responsible for remembering our deceased correctly. Therefore, I never intend to make negative statements about those who have passed away. Therefore, my ideas clashed with Mr. Sırrı, but we would talk, argue, and exchange ideas on a human level, on the point of human values. In my opinion, he was an important personality who had educated himself very well. He was serving his own cause. We are also continuing a journey to serve our own cause. His cause and my cause are separate.

He says different things, I say different things, but I have one more thing in common with Mr. Sırrı. Our memories are the same. That is, we suffered the same pains during the September 12 period, we faced the same difficulties. Therefore, we had many common topics to talk about and reason over. For this reason, we had the opportunity to keep the friendship that was formed alive. Especially regarding this so-called 'Peace Process,' which we also see as impossible under these conditions, and which has been included in the process today by calling it 'Turkey without Terror' after saying 'let mothers not cry' in the past, I personally do not agree with his views and thoughts.

Therefore, I do not believe that the steps taken will yield results in favor of Turkey. We bid farewell to Sırrı Süreyya Bey to eternity yesterday, and today we have a funeral in Afyon. We have a child who was martyred as a result of being attacked by PKK murderers in northern Iraq. From here, I wish God's mercy upon my brother, Specialist Sergeant Önder Özen. Now we are bidding farewell to Sırrı Bey here, that is what needs to be done. I do not oppose such ceremonies. I also both offered my condolences, called the Chairman of the DEM Party, and spoke with Sırrı Bey's brother to express my sadness. But today, there are also our children in Afyon who are saying goodbye to their father with his teddy bear. These must not be forgotten either."

"THERE CAN BE NO GREATER DISRESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF ALPARSLAN TÜRKEŞ"

Dervişoğlu also made evaluations regarding the attack carried out against the team of İYİ Party Adana Deputy Ayyüce Türkeş Taş at the grave of Alparslan Türkeş. Dervişoğlu stated the following:

"Alparslan Türkeş has a mausoleum, but this cemetery is not in the status of a mausoleum. That place does not have an official status either. So, does it belong to the family? It belongs to the family. Does it belong to the Turkish nation? It belongs to the Turkish nation. A greater trap than this cannot be set to break the bond of affection with Alparslan Türkeş. If you close Alparslan Türkeş's grave to those who love him and his children, how will you predict where this will lead? That place is a place where the child of the nation lies on the state's land. It is not an area under anyone's monopoly or protection. If some people go there and try to control the entry and exit of visitors, if they try to prevent the visit of some people, the work they do goes beyond trespassing. From here, I am especially calling out to state officials. They need to take steps without wasting time to make the legal arrangement that will give the place where that grave is located, which is in the nature of a mausoleum, the status of a mausoleum. These things being done are a direct effort and endeavor to disconnect Alparslan Türkeş from the nation. No one has the right or authority to do this. The work they are doing is separatism. Look, in this country, ensuring the unity of this country and this nation is not an easy task at all.

Have you ever heard of a place called a right-wing/left-wing cemetery? Have you heard of anything like an Alevi-Sunni cemetery? Have you heard of a Kurdish-Turkish cemetery? Our cemeteries are ours. Who is trying to extort whose grave here with what right? The answer to this question needs to be sought. This is a great injustice done to this nation. The place this business will go is separatism. No one can take away my freedom to visit the grave of an important personality who contributed greatly to the formation of my knowledge. But I do not represent a political personality who creates tension from such things by making sharp remarks and desires to be fed politically from it. I am trying to describe and define what is reasonable. Therefore, they need to take a share for themselves from these sentences I have formed. Think about it, you come to my father's grave. You try to decide who can enter there and who cannot. What kind of insolence is this, what kind of impudence is this, what kind of lawlessness is this? I mean, some young friends there... Look, I'm not blaming any of them. Now, I don't want to say anything to those friends of mine, but those who give that instruction, those who say 'these cannot enter there'... It was not just Ayyüce Hanım who was attacked. Because it was Turkishness Day that day, some impudent people who were assigned there tried to treat those who visited the grave of leader Alparslan Türkeş according to their badges."

"NOT A SINGLE DETENTION HAS BEEN MADE REGARDING THE EVENT IN QUESTION"

There can be no greater disrespect to the memory of Alparslan Türkeş. How can you try to disconnect Alparslan Türkeş from the nation, from me, from us? Who gave you that authority that you are occupying Alparslan Türkeş's grave? There is a direct trespassing there. Now, the state removing this occupation and gaining a legal status there is an indispensable necessity. Also, I spoke with the Minister of Interior several times on the day the incident happened. I got the feeling that he was extremely well-intentioned. Look, I am saying this clearly and plainly. I also thank him. But the police assigned there remained indifferent to the events while a person was being assaulted, while an attack was being made on one or several people right before their eyes.

Also, there is not even a single detention made during those events. There is still none. There is still none. Ayyüce Türkeş's advisor is being attacked, assaulted. Before that, they are attacking and assaulting visitors coming from the provinces. Now what should we do there? 100-150 of our young friends have gathered. We are not going to be 2-3 thousand people and get into a conflict saying 'We are going to visit the grave.' But there are those who try to take advantage of this. Those who do this are showing great disrespect to the cherished memory of Alparslan Türkeş, and since it is already impossible for them to commemorate Alparslan Türkeş in terms of ideas within themselves, they are trying to disconnect him from the nation. This is extremely dangerous. I am warning those who do this once again from here. Also, I repeat the call I made yesterday. Those who caused this, especially Devlet Bahçeli, must apologize to the Ayyüce Türkeş family and the Great Turkish nation."