Özgür Özel responds to Kılıçdaroğlu with 'It wouldn't fit my party discipline': 'We only stand up for the people'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel gave a notable response when asked about the remarks of the 7th CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had stated, "We CHP members only stand up for the people."

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Özgür Özel responds to Kılıçdaroğlu with 'It wouldn't fit my party discipline': 'We only stand up for the people'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel attended the reception held for the opening of the new legislative year of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

CHP Chairman Özel answered questions from journalists there.

When asked about the remarks of the 7th CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who said, "We CHP members only stand up for the people," Özel gave the following response:

"There is a part of this statement that requires a response, but this is not the place for it, under this supreme roof. I will not answer an intra-party matter here, but there is a part that needs to be addressed. The part I agree with is this: The CHP truly only stands up for the people. When you look back at the past after the March 31 elections, and ask when the first rally was held after a local election, we stood up for retirees in Ankara at a time when rallies hadn't been held for years.

We stood up for laborers in Gebze. We heard the problems in agriculture and stood up for tea producers in Rize. We stood up for pistachio producers in Gaziantep, wheat producers in Hayrabolu, and hazelnut producers in Giresun. We stood up for all the problems of agriculture in Manisa. We stood up for teachers who have not been appointed.

So, in fact, we have hardly sat down for the people since the local election victory and success. As I head toward the November 5 process and come to today, there is not a millimeter of deviation in our line. We don't do things differently the next day than what we said the day before. I spoke of strong foreign relations. I have had 11 foreign contacts in 10 months. You see what they bring and what is being discussed. And the word 'normalization' belongs to me. Some were saying 'softening'; what happened, is there anyone saying softening now?

Has everyone seen Mr. Bahçeli's normalization with the DEM today? Does Turkey need this or not? That is why we know what we are saying and what we are doing. The nation appreciated this, made us the first party after 47 years, and put us ahead of the Justice and Development Party for the first time in its 22-year process in Turkey. And it didn't just put us ahead in any way.

There are CHP mayors in areas that represent 65 percent of Turkey's population and 80 percent of its economy. We know what we are doing, and it has an incredible social response. If it didn't, would this group be behind me like this? Would it be like it is today? Are we doing something easy? That is why my conscience is very clear, but it would not fit my party discipline for me to respond here to the other part of the tweet you mentioned. So let that remain for later."

News Source: 12punto