CHP's Çelik: The struggle we are in is the second war of independence for these lands

During the holiday program, Çelik stated, “The hope for change in this country is being targeted, but no one should fall into despair. Despite imperialist powers and their local collaborators, we will bring democracy to these lands and make a Turkey where everyone can live in peace and brotherhood prevail.”

Addressing party members at the holiday celebration program, CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik stated that the party has been subjected to various attacks and said the following:

“We are in a bittersweet holiday, but this bitterness is not only related to the fact that the CHP and the social opposition in Turkey are under attack. Today, retirees are experiencing the bitterness of not being able to give their grandchildren holiday pocket money when they visit. Retirees, who have to live on a minimum pension of 20 thousand liras, are having a bittersweet holiday. Because we are facing a dark order that makes retirees dependent on their children not just on holidays, but 365 days a year. Today, workers and civil servants are experiencing the bitterness of not being able to buy holiday clothes for their children. Today, women, youth, and children are experiencing a bittersweet holiday while struggling with a security crisis on streets where gangs roam. Of course, Turkish democracy is also experiencing a bittersweet holiday. These attacks on the CHP did not happen today. They appointed trustees to the Istanbul provincial building and the provincial congress. They are in an effort to appoint a trustee in place of our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel, but we must remember. We must remember a truth.

"We are talking about a change of government"

That truth is this. These attacks did not start with the headquarters a week ago or with the provincial building 6 months ago. On March 31, the CHP became Turkey's 1st party, and a change took place in Turkey. When we say change, we were not describing one person getting up from a seat and another person sitting in that seat. Not in Ankara, not in Istanbul, nor in any of our districts... When we say change, we are talking about a change of government. Even on that day, the change will not have been fully realized. When we say change, we are talking about the process of rebuilding the institutions of the republic following a change of government. We are talking about a Turkey where peace prevails in these lands. We are talking about a Turkey where democracy is institutionalized. The target is not the office of Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel. The target is not the Istanbul provincial building. The target is the hope for change in this country, but no one should fall into despair. Despite imperialist powers and their local collaborators, we will bring democracy to these lands and make a Turkey where everyone can live in peace and brotherhood prevail.

"There are those who want a monarchy"

Everyone needs to know and understand the period we are in very well. The struggle we are in today is the second war of independence for these lands. Today, imperialist countries again want to turn our beautiful Turkey, the Anatolian lands, into a colonial state, and the local collaborators of those imperialists here are becoming tools for their ambitions. A few months ago, when the minority government in Ankara that rules Turkey went to America, Trump's friends said something there. They said, ‘They came to give them the legitimacy they wanted. They came to take legitimacy from us.’ The same circles, Trump's friends, said at a meeting held in Antalya, ‘These are the Middle East, Anatolia; democracy does not work here. These places need benevolent monarchies.’ In other words, there are those who want to suspend democracy here and turn this place into a monarchy. There are those who want to make Turkey a colony of imperialist powers. That is why our struggle is the second war of independence for these lands.”

İmamoğlu: A coup against the future of Turkey

Çelik also read the message sent by the CHP's presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently detained at the Marmara Closed Prison in Silivri.

Conveying his greetings, İmamoğlu noted the following:

“We are those who serve during the most critical periods of Turkey. In Turkey, the republic, democracy, and justice are under threat. In this process of threat, we and the CHP have inevitably been the target of the ruling mentality and the one-man regime. And we will continue to be. We are aware of the danger. All our fellow party members must also be aware of the danger. We must all increase the awareness of the entire opposition and especially our people in this process. It should never be forgotten that the May 21 coup carried out against our CHP Headquarters is not a coup against the CHP, but against the future of Turkey. It should not be forgotten that the coup-plotting judiciary branches, including internal ill-wishers, are all in the same place. We must continue our struggle with greater faith, greater perseverance, and greater determination than before the coup. The trustee process appointed to the CHP is a trustee process appointed to Turkish politics and all parties. Therefore, we are aware of our responsibility. Our faith in you, our great family, is complete. By protecting the ballot box, the national will, and ballot security, we will together win the time period we deserve in the second century for the future of Turkey, by erasing this tyrannical order and its handful of cronies from history.”

News Source: 12punto