CHP Chair Özel: The investigation launched into TÜSİAD confirms the statement made by the TÜSİAD President

Özel visited Saadet Party Chair Mahmut Arıkan at the party headquarters.

In a joint press conference following the meeting, Özel stated that they visited Arıkan to congratulate him on his successful party congress process and wished him success in his important new role.

Özgür Özel noted that they decided to remain in communication with Arıkan and to evaluate political conditions together.

Responding to a question regarding the investigation launched into Aras, Özel stated that TÜSİAD did not say anything new, and noted the following:

"TÜSİAD is not the first to say this. We are all saying it. Unions are saying it, workers' organizations are saying it. Now the bosses' organization has said it, the employers' organization has said it. Which of the things they said 'are happening' has not happened in Turkey? From the right to life—take the hotel fire where so many people lost their lives—to what they said about the right to life, to what they said about judicial independence and investigations, where is TÜSİAD wrong? 

The investigation launched into TÜSİAD today confirms the statement made by the TÜSİAD President yesterday. In which country in the world would such a statement result in an investigation? If the equivalent institution of TÜSİAD in Germany made this statement, criticized the government, or criticized the justice system, would such an investigation be launched? Is it launched in the UK, in France, in developed democracies? Well, what is the national income of those countries where it is not launched? Who do they arrest when such expressions are used? Take a look at which countries this happens in. In the countries where it happens, their national income is one-tenth of those countries where such investigations are not launched and everyone speaks freely. There, the rulers are modest and the people are wealthy; here, the rulers sit in palaces, and the people are afraid and poor."

"YOU CANNOT LAUNCH SUCH INVESTIGATIONS"

Stating that democracy means wealth, Özel said that oppression does not benefit anyone in Turkey.

Özel stated that the business world would be the one to demand the rule of law the most, adding, "From foreign investors coming to Turkey to the interest rates when Turkey is lent money. Wherever you are on the democracy index, the result affects this. That is why you cannot tell those who demand justice 'do not get involved in these matters,' and especially, you cannot launch such investigations."

When asked about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statement that "there is no early election," Özel said, "Mr. Erdoğan said, 'the country does not have such a demand or problem,' he must be referring to the countries he comes from. I guess there isn't one in Malaysia or somewhere. We have one here."

Regarding a question about the CHP's presidential candidacy process and steps to unite social opposition, Özel explained that they hold the understanding that if parties are going through processes within themselves that concern the public and could have consequences for the country in the future, it is correct for them to inform each other.

Pointing out that there have been examples of this before, Özel continued his speech as follows:

"When we determine our presidential candidate, the chair of a political party is a natural candidate. But since I am not a candidate, we are following a process while determining a candidate to replace me. We made a mistake in the last election by determining the candidate too late. But we also made a mistake by talking about alliances constantly and too early. The issue of alliances sometimes—I am expressing my own opinion—can cause difficulties for political parties when they start talking about these alliances too early, in terms of presenting their own unique, independent structures to our nation. 

If there is a need for an alliance, these will certainly be evaluated when the day comes. The process currently underway is the Republican People's Party's own process of determining its presidential candidate. We do not have an approach like 'we are determining the candidate of the social opposition, it will be like this.' But we care very much about all opposition parties. We do not have a demand for patronage to keep the social opposition together and to be with them, to be together as a whole. But as part of this whole, we are ready to work and struggle together with the entire opposition."

"HE WAS SENT TO ISTANBUL AS CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WITH A POLITICAL MISSION"

When reminded of President Erdoğan's words that "CHP mayors are fighting among themselves," Özgür Özel noted the following:

"I did not appoint Akın Gürlek to Istanbul. Akın Gürlek slaughtered justice in Istanbul by changing many courts and perhaps as the most mobilized judge in the history of world justice. Then he received his reward and came to the position of deputy minister, which Erdoğan described as a political office. I am not the one who says, 'Ministers used to be political, undersecretaries were technical; now ministers are technical, their deputies are political.' If a judge or prosecutor resigns to enter politics, they cannot return to their post. But since there was no deputy minister position when the law was written, he is now taking advantage of this and sent him to Istanbul as Chief Public Prosecutor with a political mission. Now that Chief Public Prosecutor is gone. There was nothing wrong until he left, but there has been no peace for anyone since he left. Finally, he came to TÜSİAD. If any association makes a statement tomorrow, it knows that what happened to TÜSİAD will happen to me tenfold."

Claiming that a political operation is being carried out that tries to intimidate and silence Istanbul and spreads fear across Turkey, Özel said, "A political party chair is either taken from where they reside or from that city for a crime allegedly committed in Antalya; they are being detained and brought from Istanbul or Ankara, it is not something that should happen. Then this allegation is abandoned, and they are arrested for a crime allegedly committed in Kayseri. Mr. Ümit Özdağ. All of these are being done in one place. Erdoğan's political rivals are being eliminated one by one."

Özel continued his words as follows:

"I would not be surprised if they eventually come to shut down the political parties that are his political rivals. Because they themselves were faced with a closure case. In the end, see, whoever he sees as dangerous, he will shut them down. He is trying to bring things to this point. We are in a very special process to not surrender to this. Against his attempt to trap the agenda here, we are coming to talk about the early election agenda, how this country will become wealthy, how these people will be fed, how this hunger and misery will end, how a raise will be given to retirees, where the minimum wage will go. We are coming to talk about these loudly. Let him not think that we will continue to talk about his judicial harassment. We will do what is necessary, we will go our own way, we will look ahead. Challenge accepted. Let him do whatever he wants."

"WE HOPE YOU WILL BE RID OF THESE TROUBLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"

Saadet Party Chair Mahmut Arıkan also thanked Özel and his delegation for their "well-wishes" visit.

Stating that it is important for political parties to come together, evaluate current issues, and negotiate regarding the country's direction, Arıkan announced that these meetings will continue in the coming period.

Arıkan stated, "We are following with sadness and concern the launch of an investigation into an institution that expresses its concerns regarding developments that express opinions. There is a freedom problem in Turkey that is increasing day by day. The justice mechanism is one of the places we need to liberate. Institutions should be able to express their opinions and make their criticisms very comfortably. We are following with concern that in 2025 Turkey, people do not have freedom of expression and are uneasy about making evaluations. We hope that we will be rid of these troubles as soon as possible."

Reminding of US President Donald Trump's declaration that he would bomb Gaza tomorrow at 12:00, Arıkan invited all citizens to gather at Istanbul Beyazıt Square tomorrow at 12:00 to both stand against Trump and to stand with humanity.

News Source: AA