CHP leader Özel sends 'new roadmap' message at reception: Did not shake hands with Erdoğan

Speaking at the reception, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel gave a message regarding a 'new roadmap'.

Speaking about Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who has been granted permission for an investigation, Özel stated, "On the other side, Süleyman Soylu took the ninety-six criminal complaints against Melih Gökçek, sat on them, did not advance the process, and effectively destroyed them. I am not saying this. The founders of the AK Party are saying it. In a place where Melih Gökçek is not being tried, no one can even be asked a single question."

Answering a question about why they did not attend the parliamentary reception last year, Özel said, "Last year was right after the March 19 coup attempt. And we were in Istanbul. That's why we weren't there. Otherwise, we are hosts here." Having held various contacts at the reception, Özel left the Parliament without meeting President Erdoğan. 

Özel spoke as follows at the April 23 reception in Parliament:

"Think about it in Turkey; the Minister of Interior says it. He says we have granted investigation permission for 560 AK Party municipalities and 320 CHP municipalities. In other words, he says the investigation requests by inspectors regarding AK Party municipalities are more than those for CHP ones.

Well, I am asking this as a member of the press, answer it. Have you ever seen an AK Party mayor whose door was knocked on in the morning? Have you ever seen a mayor whose images were served to the public while being taken away by police and gendarmerie holding his arms? Have you ever seen an AK Party member who was kept in custody for four days without food or water, then referred for arrest in the middle of the night, and then arrested and put in prison at the crack of dawn? So, if there is no justice here, it means they are applying an enemy law to AK Party members.

Let's think about it, Mr. Erdoğan is here. While he was performing the same duty, he was accused of bribery, extortion, rigging tenders, and supporting a terrorist organization. He was being tried for all of these, and his immunity stopped most of these trials when he became a member of parliament.

He was not taken into custody for a single day. He was not kept in a detention cell for a single day. He was not put in prison for a single day.

When his sentence was finalized, they called him by phone. He went smiling and playing. He chose his cellmate.

While in prison, he released a poetry cassette. And later he got out, founded his party, and came to power. Of course, this similarity also heralds a government for us.

But the persecution that was not done to him is currently being done to today's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor."

"We are hosts here"

Responding to the question about why they did not attend the reception last year, Özel said:

"We are already hosts here. Last year was right after the March 19 coup attempt. And we were in Istanbul. That's why we weren't there. Otherwise, we are hosts here. So, there is no such thing as not attending the reception."

Özel's "new roadmap" message

Stating that they will create a new roadmap, Özel said:

"We spoke with Mr. Mansur on the phone on Sunday. He then went to Kosovo. And he returned with very good news. He became the European champion for the thirteenth time. Our wrestler, Mr. Mansur, was also there supporting him.

Last night, we chatted with Mr. Mansur at the headquarters for probably 1-1.5 hours. In general, when there are such unfair, such unlawful, and such heartless attacks against municipalities, none of us can endure this anymore. Today is April 23, and as I was heading to Anıtkabir at 8:15 this morning, the wife and daughter of Onursal Adıgüzel were entering Silivri Prison.

And on the April 23 Children's Day, Onursal's daughter was going to visit her father in prison. This is, of course, not a psychology that any of us can handle. That's why we are really struggling this much.

What else should we do? We evaluated those. We are also in agreement on this. I said it yesterday too.

If the nation has put a flag in your hand, you will not let it go. Since Ulubatlı Hasan, the one who does not let go of the flag wins. Perhaps he loses his life, but those for whom he carries that flag win.

Therefore, we are at our post in the Parliament and in local governments, out of respect for those who gave us the flag, out of respect for the voters. We can protest, we can hold actions, we can choose different struggles, but we will not let go of the flag the nation has put in our hands.

So, we don't have such an option. Mr. Mansur also said himself that he has no such thought. But we evaluated doing some in-depth legal work, making the injustices and inequalities committed from now on more visible, and using every platform that can explain this to the nation in a more accurate and better way.

On Saturday, we will discuss what to do from now on in five separate sessions: Metropolitan Mayors, district mayors, provincial mayors, town mayors, and districts of metropolitan cities. Then, a roadmap will be determined in a higher session where representatives and rapporteurs meet. Then we will have a part open to the press. We will also evaluate the general situation at the party assembly on Monday.

But the party is marching to power. The nation is behind us. The torment they cause our friends with these injustices and lawlessness is one thing, but the nation expects us to stand tall, be resilient, bring the ballot box, and take over the government.

For that, we will continue to fight with all our might."

"In a place where Melih Gökçek is not being tried, no one can even be asked a single question"

He made the following statement regarding the permission granted for an investigation into Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş:

"Mr. Mansur has already had the Court of Accounts management go through all of these files. He has given the answers to the questions he needed to give on this matter.

As he always says, he is ready to answer every question that will be asked about the actions of the huge Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in accordance with the relevant laws.

The main issue is this. On the other side, Süleyman Soylu took the ninety-six criminal complaints against Melih Gökçek, sat on them, did not advance the process, and effectively destroyed them.

I am not saying this. The founders of the AK Party are saying it. In a place where Melih Gökçek is not being tried, no one can even be asked a single question. Melih Gökçek's municipalism is obvious.

Mansur Yavaş's honest, accountable municipalism, which the nation holds in high esteem, is obvious."

News Source: 12punto