First response from AKP to Özgür Özel's early election call! 'I hope that when that day comes...'

Following the dawn operations targeting CHP-run municipalities yesterday morning, CHP leader Özgür Özel delivered a harsh speech, addressing AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and reiterating his call for early elections.

The first response to Özel's early election call has come from the AKP. Leaving the door open for an early election, Bozdağ signaled his approval by stating, "When the time comes, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) will decide to renew the elections and bring the ballot box before the nation."

In the remainder of his speech, Bozdağ showered praise on Erdoğan.

Bozdağ's speech is as follows:

"Under the leadership of our President and Chairman Mr. Erdoğan, Turkey and the AK Party have repelled many attacks and thwarted many plots against our country, our democracy, and the national will. Would such a strong, powerful, and courageous leader fear a threat? Of course not. Anyone who dares to threaten such a strong and courageous leader only makes themselves look ridiculous.

Many countries, including the USA, some EU countries, and genocidal Israel, have made many secret and open efforts to remove our President and Chairman from power; but the result is in vain. Thank God, our President and Chairman is still standing tall and continues to lead our country; while those who want to remove him from power are trying to forget their sorrow by solving puzzles in the sadness of having lost.

Our President and Chairman Mr. Erdoğan has been elected to every office he has held by the national will reflected in the ballot box in free, general, competitive, democratic, and fair elections. To say that our President and Chairman Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has put the ballot box before the nation in a total of 18 elections so far—including 3 presidential, 7 parliamentary, 5 local government, and 3 referendums—and who has abided by the national will that emerged from the ballot box in every election, will 'remove the ballot box' is indisputably a great slander. The results of the elections held indisputably refute the slanderers.

It is a pipe dream for those who have not been able to defeat our President and Chairman Mr. Erdoğan in 3 presidential and 7 parliamentary elections to date to be able to defeat him in a 4th presidential and 8th parliamentary election.

When the time comes, the TBMM will decide to renew the elections and bring the ballot box before the nation. I hope that Mr. Özel, who is calling for the 'ballot box to be brought' today, will not say at that time: 'If the election is renewed, Mr. Erdoğan can be a presidential candidate again. If he becomes a candidate, we might lose the presidential election. Therefore, we must say "no" to the TBMM's decision to renew the election to prevent Mr. Erdoğan's candidacy.' I hope that Mr. Özel, who is challenging us today to bring the ballot box, will not attempt to prevent the ballot box from coming that day out of fear that our President might be a candidate."

News Source: 12punto