YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel's 'New Constitution' statement and 'pickle' response to İnce

The YENİ Party's headquarters opened its doors in Ankara. At the headquarters, which held its opening on August 30, Özgür Özel answered questions on Halk TV.

Here are the highlights from the statements made by Özgür Özel, Chairman of the YENİ Party, which has gained more than 600 thousand members in a short time:

Özgür Özel stated that the YENİ Party's headquarters and bus were rented with money from 152 thousand donors.

Özel noted that the amount collected in the donation campaign exceeded 539 million liras.

"WILL VOTE"

Stating that more than 600 thousand citizens have joined the YENİ Party in 18 days, Özel pointed out that this figure is many times higher than the number of members the AKP achieved in its first year.

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel stated that members will have a direct influence on determining the party's headquarters.

WILL THERE BE A RETURN TO THE CHP?

While the Supreme Court of Appeals' decision regarding the appeal against the Ankara Regional Court of Justice's "absolute nullity" ruling concerning the CHP is expected to be announced in September, Özgür Özel responded to the question, "Will there be a return to the CHP?"

While expressing that he is hopeful about the Supreme Court of Appeals' decision, Özgür Özel emphasized that they will not return to the CHP. Özel stated that a possible cancellation decision would pave the way for the party to be managed in a democratic manner.

Speaking about CHP figures who are close to his own administration but did not join the YENİ Party, Özgür Özel said, "We had left them there so that they could call for a party congress if the injunction is lifted."

RESPONSE TO Muharrem İnce

Speaking about Muharrem İnce's remarks, "I founded a party myself. Founding a party is not like making pickles; it is a difficult job. It is a difficult job if you are going to found it with clean money," YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel said, "I was taken aback when I first heard İnce's words."

Explaining that İnce contacted him via message, Özgür Özel relayed that İnce said, "My dear Chairman, my emphasis was on the fact that we founded the Memleket Party with clean money. There is nothing directed at you."

Özgür Özel's statement on the subject is as follows:

"Mr. İnce sent a message to my mobile phone during the Party Assembly meeting and said, 'My dear Chairman, my emphasis was on the fact that I founded the Memleket Party with clean money and the difficulties I experienced there.' You know, in the past, they used to say, 'The quintet gang is financing the Memleket Party' and so on. 'It was about the fact that we founded it with clean money and our Memleket Party adventure. There is nothing directed at you.' He sent a polite message like that. Now, after he said that, I cannot say that Muharrem İnce meant this.

It is an important thing. It is clear that he will make this statement when a microphone is extended to him as well. He did it to me in a polite language... Other than that, it is his own choice, meaning staying in the CHP is his own choice. Other than that, we have a goal of coming to power, and we need to fight against the government and try to come to power. Anyway, while the party is being stirred up by the judiciary on one hand, there is no need for another preoccupation, another discussion, etc. I look ahead, and I also look at it like this, I mean, normally. An old friend does not become an enemy, and I mean, sometimes old friends become enemies, there is nothing we can do about that, but after he explained that message that way, I just let it go."

STATEMENT REGARDING REACTIONS TO THE DECISION ON THE 'FRAMEWORK LAW'

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel made statements regarding the reactions to his "yes" vote for the "framework law" prepared for PKK/KCK members within the scope of the İmralı Process and submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

Saying "We could not say no on principle," Özgür Özel said the following:

"A terrorist organization says, 'I will dissolve myself,' it says, 'I will lay down my arms,' and even, for example, the YPG in Syria has now dissolved itself, etc. And it says; 'We are abandoning terrorism. From now on, there are no bullets, no weapons. From now on, there are no martyrs, no blood, no tears.' Now, a party that says 'Let these issues be solved in parliament' cannot oppose this in parliament. I took all the responsibility as a matter of principle and said 'Yes.' However, I spoke with my friends in the YENİ Party today as well. I have my own political perspective."

"We used to talk about this in closed groups from time to time. Today, there was an opportunity for a sincere discussion, an opportunity to talk. Now, for example, we are doing something. What are we doing? The members of the YENİ Party will elect the district head, the provincial head. What does this mean? A strong district head, a strong provincial head. How? It receives legitimacy directly from the member. That is, not from a designated delegate, but from the member. Or the chairman has not appointed them, they receive it from the member," the YENİ Party Chairman said, continuing his words as follows:

This means a strong district head. Whenever I say that politics needs to be strong at the local level, it is always interpreted as; local administrations need to be strong, municipalities need to be strong... No, essentially, the local organizations of political parties need to be strong. A strong district head, a strong provincial head, a strong member of parliament, and instead of rigid group discipline, a member of parliament who has group discipline but few group decisions, and who, if they are a representative of the nation, acts according to the expectations, objections, and hesitations of their region, and even, for example, feels responsible directly to the voter. This is a very important issue.

In the YENİ Party, I am doing everything by strengthening the locals, strengthening the elected officials, and by taking power directly from the member, that is, from the election, and by experiencing the democracy we promise to the country ourselves in our own house. Now, we have come to such a process in the YENİ Party; if we say 'Yes,' a significant number of people are also showing regional things. This is not just that; we have to see the sensitivities of the Black Sea, Thrace, Western Anatolia, or some parts of Central Anatolia. But besides this, we also need to see the approaches of Kurdish voters in metropolitan cities or social democratic voters in the metropolis, voters who are further to the left than the party's center. Furthermore, we are aspiring to govern this country. That is, we want votes in Diyarbakır, we want votes in Batman, in Mardin. Just saying 'Yes' or just saying 'No' and forcing this, both makes it difficult for members of parliament to explain themselves in their provinces, and while the party is under such attack, that is, while it is the party that has the most right to say 'No,' not just saying 'Yes' but also not keeping itself outside of the country's issue just by putting its own issue forward, like the eclectic view in law.

That is, extracting a correct view from two opposing views or extracting a common view, or as a hybrid solution, I read the opinions of my 90 members of parliament, 74 provincial heads, and 7 former provincial administrators in places where there is no provincial head, on my own. On the night connecting Sunday to Monday, my members of parliament brought the written opinions of 90 members of parliament, and our group deputy chairmen conducted interviews. Our friend responsible for the organization spoke to the provincial heads, the provincial heads were instructed to at least get opinions from the WhatsApp group of the district heads' meeting. I poured them out in front of me and said that there is no absolute 'Yes' or 'No.' I will represent the party's principled stance, and we will leave the rest free. And it happened automatically. We did not decide who would vote for what. I and the party administrators, even if the member of parliament of their own province says 'No,' we did not force them to say 'Yes,' but rather said, 'Since your province's orientation is different, you go and say no.' For example, the two members of parliament in my province voted 'No'."

Özgür Özel also stated that the decision they made did not reflect negatively on the polls.

IS THE GREAT SUPPORT A HARBINGER OF A NEW CONSTITUTION?

To the question, "Do you see this framework law now in the voting in Parliament as 488- yes, the People's Alliance, that is, the framework law was brought and received very good support. Do you see this support, the support received, as a morale, motivation, or a rehearsal preparation for a new constitution?" Özel responded as follows:

"Now, it is like this there, I mean, I do not want to say very provocative things, but you know, a hungry chicken should not think it is in a grain silo. Why? First of all, we are not part of such a thing. In such a thing, even if they signed without seeing the framework law, how many of the fellow members of parliament we were elected with in the last election, that is, there is a group that surrendered for this nullity, maybe we do not know what will happen to them, but the other friends, that is, those who remained in the CHP emotionally, saying 'I cannot leave my party,' will they say 'Yes' to a constitutional amendment that paves the way for Erdoğan... The DEM Party, the DEM Party members of parliament, the other small and large left-socialist party members of parliament... That is, now this is something else.

This is about whether the members of parliament, as a parliament, give a chance to this issue before history in terms of 'should the guns fall silent,' that is, it says 'I will lay down my arms.' Are you going to say 'Don't lay them down?' We said 'Go ahead and lay them down,' after all. In the continuation, democratization steps will be taken, they are also very important. Being a follower of them, being demanding on that issue is important. But 'oh, we are here 460- let this change the constitution for us'... There is no such thing."

"THEY BANNED HIS BOOK BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF İMAMOĞLU"

Despite the democratization articles in the Framework Law, touching upon the obstruction of Ekrem İmamoğlu's defense in the IMM case and the confiscation of his book that has not yet been printed, Özgür Özel argued that the process will eventually result in an acquittal.

Furthermore, expressing his distrust in the judicial system through the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case, Özel claimed that illegal agreements were made between the prosecution and people presented as leaders of criminal organizations.

AIHM DISCUSSIONS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT

Touching upon the discussion that started between Chief Advisor to the President Mehmet Uçum and AKP member Tuğrul Türkeş following the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling on human rights violations regarding Osman Kavala, Özgür Özel said, "Uçum's perspective is a problematic perspective."

While emphasizing that one cannot withdraw from the ECHR with a single decision, Özel stated that ECHR decisions must be implemented.

Reacting harshly to Mehmet Uçum's statements, Özgür Özel said, "You cannot lecture anyone by writing a column once a week, you cannot disconnect the country from the world."

"THERE IS A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE PRETENDING REGARDING GÖKÇEK"

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel touched upon the investigation launched into the assets of former Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek and the allegations that followed.

Pointing out that no steps have been taken regarding the complaints made by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş about Melih Gökçek, Özgür Özel said, "Now there is a situation where they are pretending."

"OPERATIONS AGAINST SECTS ARE TACTICAL"

Touching upon the operations recently carried out against Alihan Kuriş, the leader of the Süleymancılar, and the Kuytulcular, Özgür Özel emphasized that the government aims to change the sects that are opposed to it.

Özel said, "There is a tactical, not a principled, situation in the operations."

RESPONSE TO BAHÇELİ'S DEMAND FOR CHANGE REGARDING THE POLITICAL PARTIES SYSTEM

Touching upon MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli's proposals for changes to the Law on Political Parties, Özgür Özel stated that he understood from Bahçeli's text that there will be no elections for a year.

"What I see in Bahçeli's statement is; an election regulation through legal amendments without a constitutional amendment."

"TELLING MAYORS TO COME CREATES AN OPERATION RISK"

YENİ Party Leader Özgür Özel touched upon the fact that despite the "absolute nullity" administration in the CHP making statements in the direction of "They will stay in the party" regarding Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, both names did not confirm these expressions.

Reiterating that he did not invite any mayor to the YENİ Party, Özgür Özel said, "Inviting mayors to the party can make them open to operations," while stating that the mayors who remained in the CHP are aware of their situations.

RESPONSE TO ASSESSMENTS THAT "TRANSFERS TO THE AKP ARE SHRINKING THE OPPOSITION"

YENİ Party Leader Özel responded to the assessments that the recent transfer of mayors and members of parliament to the AKP strengthens the government while making the opposition weak.

Stating that he does not agree with these assessments, Özgür Özel emphasized that the real decision-maker is the nation. Özel said, "When mayors change parties, the nation does not change its opinion either."

Expressing that the public stands by those who are treated unfairly, Özel gave an example, saying, "If İmamoğlu gets out of prison, he will win the first municipal elections with a margin of 2 and a half million votes."

"WE WENT TO THE İYİ PARTY FOR AN ALLIANCE IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS"

Stating that they met to form an alliance with the İYİ Party in the local elections, Özgür Özel spoke as follows:

"We proposed to the then-Chairman of the İYİ Party, 'Let's have a poll conducted across the country, whoever is ahead, the mayoral candidate should be from that party; let's distribute the municipal council member candidates fairly according to the vote share of the other party.' It was not accepted, we entered the elections on our own."

News Source: 12punto