New statement from Özgür Özel regarding his party's presidential candidate: 'It is not me'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel answered questions from Medyascope Editor-in-Chief Ruşen Çakır and Medyascope News Manager Göksel Göksu. 

Özgür Özel stated the following:

“I am not the presidential candidate for the future election. There is no reason for voters to be angry with me and withhold their votes just because I stood up against Erdoğan. However, voters who previously voted for the AK Party and are now able to hear our party's message are at least not closing their ears anymore. All indicators show this. That is why I am ready to pay any price. If necessary, I will sacrifice myself, but I will ensure our party wins this election.”

“As if we didn't stand up until 2017; I will have a survey conducted regarding standing up for Erdoğan in Parliament”

Özel said they would conduct a survey regarding the CHP standing up for Erdoğan in Parliament. Özel said, “There might be a decrease in the support of CHP voters. It is being portrayed very poorly. As if we didn't stand up until 2017. As if we hadn't stood up for Abdullah Gül before, as if we hadn't stood up for Erdoğan before, as if we hadn't stood up in 2021.”

"Those who say 'We do not stand up before anyone' are taking the protest votes that left us"

Saying that he wants to save the CHP from the opposition, Özel criticized Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Chairman Erkan Baş, saying, “One of them comes out and says, ‘We do not stand up before anyone.’ The party's vote share is 1.5 percent. You are taking the protest votes that left us. We transferred every one of your speeches in Parliament in the past.”

"Normalization has not ended; if I deem it necessary, I will talk to Erdoğan again"

Speaking about the “normalization” debate, which reignited when Erdoğan was welcomed standing by the CHP group at the reopening of the legislative year, Özel said, “They say normalization is over; it is not over. If I deem it necessary, I will go and talk to Erdoğan again. I asked for the February 28 generals, and they handled it; I thanked them.”

News Source: 12punto