CHP Chairman Özel: The 12-24 and 12-36 police shift systems must end

Özel spoke at his party's parliamentary group meeting. Beginning his speech by congratulating the National Football Team for qualifying for the World Cup after a 24-year hiatus, Özel said, "We were going to be in Kosovo to accompany the national team on their World Cup journey at the invitation of our Turkish Football Federation President. We woke up to the day with that intention."

We did not have a group meeting scheduled. However, we woke up to a new political coup—this time a coup against the will of Bursa—by those who want to poison the anniversary of March 31, the greatest local election victory in the history of the Republican People's Party and indeed the history of democracy in the Republic of Turkey, two years ago; those who could not take Bursa at the ballot box two years ago and now want to take it with a judge's gavel and a prosecutor's robe.

Unfortunately, they subsequently carried out an assassination of character against Mustafa Bozbey and his family, relying solely on the statements of a lying witness and slanderer who had defrauded 500 people, despite the fact that Bozbey had no issues during this period, had only been a candidate for five years, and had found nothing amiss in the municipality during his previous term as a district mayor," he said.

Stating that they are in a period of intense work and resistance, Özel said, "We have not taken a single step back against the attacks, and we have no excuses regarding our work. Our mayors continue to work in their respective jurisdictions despite all the pressure, the 40 percent cut in funding, and the repayment of debts with interest that the previous AKP administration left to the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the tax office. We were in Çanakkale, Kuşadası, Bursa, and Kütahya. Republican People's Party mayors managed our provinces of Çanakkale, Bursa, and Kütahya, as well as our district of Kuşadası. I spoke to some while they were in custody, and to others while they were imprisoned. Two were on duty; Çanakkale and Kütahya. I saw what they did, and we have spoken about it at length."

"They have turned Turkey into an open-air prison"

Stating that everyone the government perceives as a threat in Turkey is imprisoned, Özel said, "In 2026, they have turned Turkey into an open-air prison and a detention center for those who are seen as a threat to the regime. Ekrem İmamoğlu, our mayors, elected politicians, and esteemed bureaucrats are all imprisoned. Can Atalay, the deputy sent by the people of Hatay with their final vote, is imprisoned. Lawyers from Selçuk Kozağaçlı to Mehmet Pehlivan are imprisoned.

Trade unionist Mehmet Türkmen, who defends workers' rights, is imprisoned. Journalists Merdan Yanardağ, Alican Uludağ, İsmail Arı, and 17 other journalists are imprisoned in Turkey. Esra Işık, who defends her village, nature, and olive trees—the Esra who stood up for her trees alongside the grandmother of the village headwoman of İkizköy—is imprisoned."

After the March 19 coup, 301 students were arrested. Yesterday, they received an award at the Contemporary Journalists Association. There is a documentary about the torture at the Vatan Police Headquarters. It shows how medical reports of battery were subsequently altered. There are instances, unseen even during military coup periods, where the initial battery report was replaced in the file with a clean bill of health. We watched it, we were shocked, and we were devastated," he expressed.

"The police 12-24 and 12-36 shift systems must end. We must transition to a system that pays for overtime."

Noting that this week is Police Week, Özel said, "First of all, there was an attempted armed attack on the Israeli Consulate today. We condemn all kinds of armed attacks and violence. Regardless of the justification or the target, we condemn it. Our hearts were in our mouths. Our heroic police neutralized them. One was apparently killed, and two are wounded. Two of our police officers are slightly injured, that is the information I received."

Thank God we have no martyrs. Once again, as the Republican People's Party, we salute the heroic Turkish police with love and respect during Police Week. There is a match, the police work. There is a protest, the police work. There is a concert, the police work. There is a pandemic, the nation struggles for its life, the police work. There is a rally, the police work. There is a curfew, the police work on the streets to ensure the nation stays home. No one else works, the police work."

But they do not receive the compensation they deserve. They are performing an incredibly difficult duty. 260 hours of overtime, mobbing, economic dead ends. All of these must be put to an end. The police 12-24 and 12-36 shift systems must end. We must transition to a system that pays for overtime."

Night shifts should not exceed eight hours. Union rights must be granted. Interviews for promotion should be abolished, and merit must prevail. The most important issues are housing and daycare rights. Especially in metropolitan areas and tourism cities where rents are very expensive, and even in tourism districts and towns, these issues must be resolved through the provision of housing," he said.

"Turkey keeps burning through its reserves"

Stating that Turkey was the country least prepared for the war between the US-Israel and Iran, Özel said, "It is very clear, and no one disputes it. Because Turkey keeps burning through its reserves. Then it tries to replace these reserves at the cost of impoverishment, at the cost of placing a burden on the poor, and at the cost of massive income transfers. That was the case with the 128 billion dollars, and it was the case after the operation on the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality that cost 60 billion dollars last year. As a result, interest rates could not fall when they should have. Inflation could not decrease when it should have. Unfortunately, when the Iran war arrived, because the reserves spent last year by March 19 were replaced at a very high cost, there was no room for maneuver or intervention. We were caught with our hands tied," he expressed.

"Foreclosure proceedings applied to farmers must be stopped. Appropriate credit opportunities must be urgently provided to farmers."

Stating that they advocate for the lowest pension to be equal to the minimum wage and for the minimum wage to be 39,000 liras, Özel said, "We will continue to advocate for this from now on. We also stand behind the demand that the holiday bonus for retirees should be equal to one minimum wage. Our parliamentary group will do whatever is necessary for retirees this week. To put it briefly: the sliding scale system must continue, and the 20 percent VAT should be reduced to 1 percent."

Interest on farmers' loan debts should be erased, and the principal amounts should be restructured. Foreclosure proceedings against farmers must be halted, and appropriate credit opportunities must be urgently provided to farmers.

An interim raise should be applied to all wages, including the minimum wage and pensions. It is no longer possible for wages to bear this inflationary burden. Electricity and natural gas support should be provided to tradespeople, producers, and the poor, and a cash support system that changes gradually based on household income should be implemented immediately in social assistance," he said.

"We are in a period where a by-election is inevitable"

Evaluating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks that "there is no by-election or early election on our agenda," Özel said, "We went to the DEM Party, we talked, we explained our position there, and now it will continue. There is a clear situation; let's first see whether a by-election will be held or not. The need for 30 parliamentary seats to be vacant—that is, 5 percent—to hold a by-election was only for the first 30 months. That period of debate is over. Now we are in a period where a by-election is inevitable. If it is the last year, we cannot hold one. This by-election has been held since 1960. Since 1960, İnönü did not run from it, Demirel did not run from it, Ecevit did not run from it, Özal did not run from it, and Erbakan did not run from it. Do I want the by-election to be held in the widest possible geography? I do. Will I take steps? I will," he said.

News Source: 12punto