CHP statement on 'Blue Homeland': 'We invite Ömer Çelik to apologize'

CHP Spokesperson Deniz Yücel, Deputy Chairmen Yankı Bağcıoğlu, İlhan Uzgel, Murat Bakan, and Istanbul Deputy Namık Tan made a statement at the Headquarters following the meeting on "Blue Homeland."

Yücel made the following remarks in his statement:

'CHP IS A FOLLOWER OF BLUE HOMELAND PRACTICES'

"Guided by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's words, 'We must consider maritime as the great ideal of the Turk and achieve it in a short time,' the CHP has always been a defender of protecting the Republic of Turkey's legitimate rights and interests in the seas within the framework of rights arising from international law. For us, the Blue Homeland means not taking a single step back from our legitimate interests in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean. The CHP is a follower of the Blue Homeland practices, which are based on decades of effort. In this context, we are sharing with the public important findings and warnings regarding the Blue Homeland concept—which the government only remembers during election periods and uses as domestic policy material—that we will share with you shortly.

'NO REACTION IS SHOWN TO THE SEIZURE OF ISLANDS AND ISLETS'

Our retired admirals, who made indescribable contributions to the creation of the Blue Homeland concept, the product of decades of effort, were unjustly detained and tried before the Russia-Ukraine war due to their justified warnings regarding the Montreux Convention, and it even went so far as to ban them from entering military social facilities. A great injustice and disloyalty have been done to them. No research and drilling activities have been carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean for four years. A decision has been made to send research vessels that cannot operate in the Mediterranean to Somalia, from which it is understood that these works will not be carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean. Silence is maintained regarding Greece's systematic harassment of our fishermen in the Aegean Sea. Fishing activities by fishing vessels belonging to third countries are permitted in our maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean. No reaction is shown to the arming of islands with non-military status in the Aegean Sea and the seizure of islands and islets with disputed sovereignty by Greece."

'INVITED TO APOLOGIZE'

Contrary to the common belief in the public, an exclusive economic zone has not yet been declared in the Eastern Mediterranean. The name of the Blue Homeland exercise, which was announced to be held annually starting from 2019, has been changed. Dear members of the press, the concept of homeland cannot be made into material for demagoguery. As we stated above, the Republican People's Party has always been a defender of protecting the Republic of Turkey's legitimate rights and interests in the seas within the framework of rights arising from international law, and for us, the Blue Homeland means not taking a single step back from our legitimate interests in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean. Instead of trying to create controversy over the General Assembly speech where our Istanbul Deputy Mr. Namık Tan criticized the government's demagoguery politics and inconsistent practices, AKP officials should take a stance and make a statement regarding the findings we have just shared with you. After this statement, we invite Mr. Ömer Çelik to apologize institutionally to the Republican People's Party and personally to Mr. Namık Tan."

News Source: 12punto