Breaking News... Özgür Özel lashes out at those waiting for absolute nullity! 'I am telling those who hope for help from the Palace...'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made statements at his party's group meeting.

Özel began his speech by addressing the May inflation figures, reminding that the Central Bank's year-end target was 16 percent. Özel stated that the government has failed to meet any of its economic targets.

Our Chairman Özgür Özel is speaking at our party's TBMM group meeting. https://t.co/DTPWsqI8vg

— CHP ???? (@herkesicinCHP) May 5, 2026

The highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

"WE WILL BE IN TAKSIM ON MAY 1ST NEXT YEAR"

"Dear citizens, we greet you all with respect as the Republican People's Party. Welcome, all of you.

We are together after a busy week of work. As Labor Day approached on May 1st, we first visited Türk-İş. Then, due to the Hak-İş visit and the funeral of the esteemed Chairman's sister—I wish him condolences once again—it was postponed to this week.

The next day, on May 1st, we came together with tens and hundreds of thousands at Kadıköy Rıhtım Square upon the call of DİSK, KESK, TMMOB, and the Turkish Medical Association, showed our solidarity, and together we made a pact for May 1st next year. We will all be in Taksim on May 1st next year.

Since it coincided with our group meeting last week, we could not attend the Constitutional Court's anniversary ceremony. On Wednesday, we visited our Constitutional Court President, Mr. Kadir Özkaya, and our court members, and conveyed our congratulations.

On Saturday, we held our 107th action in Karabük, which made a great impact, could not fit into the squares, and became a source of hope for all of Turkey. Yesterday, in the early hours, we started our work at our Presidential candidacy office, and then with the press conference we held at 12:00, we took to the field in 81 provinces and 973 districts with all our elected officials, our organization, and our ballot box observers, and launched a great mobilization.

Today, our Yenimahalle district organization was announced. I assume they were tired from the work before noon and came here to catch their breath. Let us continue to see the Yenimahalle organization in the field in the afternoon. These days, instead of hosting provincial and district organizations in Ankara, we want to see how our organizations are hosted by the doors they knock on in provinces, districts, towns, and villages, and how they explain our march to power. Good luck to our entire organization.

"EVEN TÜİK ANNOUNCED INFLATION AT 4.8 PERCENT"

On the day we launched the mobilization with all our staff, new inflation data was announced. Monthly inflation in April was announced by TÜİK as 4.8%. Even TÜİK announced monthly inflation as 4.8%. Annual inflation rose from 30 to 32.4. In other words, according to even TÜİK, a good or service that cost 100 liras this time last year has risen to an average of 132 liras. Of course, this is much higher in food, much higher in certain products; but it shows that for goods and services that cost 100 liras last year, the average of TÜİK's basket is 132 liras today.

Let us remember, the Central Bank's year-end inflation target was 16%. In other words, while calculating for the retiree, the laborer, the state civil servant, and the public worker, the state was saying inflation would be 16%. We have almost reached 16% inflation in 4 months; it became 14.6. We are at such a point that the government, which cannot meet any of its targets, has been dragged to a point where it crushes the nation under inflation, cannot manage the economy, and no longer has any hope of managing it.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, HAVE SOME FEAR"

Our nation is being crushed under the cost of living, but someone who says 'I know everything,' who says 'I am an economist,' and who waged a war on interest rates while the whole world pulled the short-term interest rate trigger to stop inflation during the pandemic, leading inflation up to 87%, made a statement yesterday. I really couldn't believe it, I turned and read it again and again. It says: 'The critical data announced—5% monthly inflation was announced yesterday—has once again confirmed the Turkish economy's capacity to manage global crises.'

For God's sake, what management capacity are you talking about? The monthly inflation, the monthly inflation announced yesterday, is higher than the annual inflation of 100 countries in the world. Inflation in the world has ceased to be a problem in the sense understood in Turkey. With the pandemic, inflation rates that were 3 became 5, they turned the interest rate to 7 and it is now stuck at 3 or 3.5. Inflation that was 2 became 4, they turned it and it is now stuck at 2. There are 100 countries in the world with annual inflation below 5%. Turkey has hit 5% in one month of inflation. He has come out and says 'our capacity to manage global crises has been confirmed.' And he is at such a point that either he is truly unaware of the nation's situation and the figures...

"WHAT I WILL SAY TO ERDOĞAN IS THIS..."

Or it is the image of a government disconnected from reality, imprisoned in palaces, seeing the citizen like an ant from its ivory towers. It belittles the citizen; it mocks the citizen's mind, conscience, and experiences. What I will say to Erdoğan from here is this: That ant has a sibling, and we will not let you crush that ant. That ant's sibling is the Republican People's Party!

As a result of 4 months of inflation, the minimum wage has eroded by 4,100 liras. A simple calculation, 4,100 liras. In other words, the minimum wage, which was called 28,000 liras in January, is now 23,900 liras in terms of the money at that time. The laborer still has a year ahead, a year. The lowest pension has eroded by 3,000 liras, falling to 17,000 liras. The lowest civil servant salary has eroded by 9,000 liras.

What was Erdoğan saying? What was he saying? 'If you are buying less bread than you were 3 years ago, curse me,' he was saying. Is he saying it? He is. Look here, date 30.11.2005: 'If you are buying less bread than you were 3 years ago, curse me,' he says.

I'll skip the 3 years, Mr. Erdoğan; 3 months, 3 months! 3 months ago, a minimum wage earner was buying 1,870 loaves of bread. The calculation is clear. As you say, 'put down that machine, put down the gold account, take that machine in your hand, do the loaf bread calculation.' While the minimum wage was buying 1,870 loaves of bread 3 months ago, it is currently buying 1,605 loaves. There is a loss of 265 loaves of bread in the minimum wage in 3 months.

As you say, 'let those who buy less bread than 3 years ago curse me.' In this nation's wisdom and culture, there is no cursing anyone. This nation is not cursing you; this nation is praying to God to get rid of you!

With 32.5% inflation, we are by far the first in Europe. Look, it is such a thing that the country with the highest inflation in Europe after us is Romania, which has 9.9% inflation. What does this mean? There is no one in Europe other than us with double-digit inflation. There is no one exceeding 9%, exceeding 10%; ours is 32.5%. We have the 5th highest inflation in the world, both in food and general inflation.

"THERE ARE 4 COUNTRIES WORSE THAN US"

There are 4 countries worse than us: Venezuela, South Sudan, Iran, Argentina.

Argentina, Venezuela, the instabilities they experienced—just in recent months, they went and took their heads of state and paraded them in a cage in New York. The other is South Sudan, civil war has been going on for years. Iran, the world's largest navy has come right next to it and is raining bombs together with Israel. There is no country other than these four that has higher inflation than us. These four countries.

There are countries better than us where a man wakes up in the morning and goes hunting with a spear in his hand; inflation in such countries is lower than ours. We are at such a point that food inflation in the post-war world... Because he always emphasizes that; there is a war in Iran, inflation is rising all over the world. Food inflation in the world as of April is 2.4%. In Turkey, it is 35%, 35%. That is why economists call this 'vulnerability,' 'being caught unprepared,' 'not taking precautions.' It says that the resources necessary to take precautions against inflation were consumed in wrong ways before, and very high costs are being incurred to replace them. This is what we are facing, but a country suffers difficulties; of course, in the hands of such an incompetent administration, 32% inflation while the world has gotten rid of inflation is not something we all have to endure together.

The worst part is, there is another incredible indicator in the AK Party's chaotic order. According to the AK Party's chaotic order, the world wealth report was announced, and in the AK Party's chaotic order, the number of those with a wealth of 30 million dollars or more in the last 5 years in Turkey has increased from 2174 to 4208 people. In other words, while we were getting poorer in the last 5 years, while unemployment was increasing, while there was so much difficulty in living, while all young people and their families were more worried about their future, 4208 people in Turkey reached a wealth of over 30 million dollars.

Let me summarize it like this: These people have 250 apartments based on the price of an affordable apartment in places like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. This money buys 500 apartments in Anatolia. It buys 500 apartments. You cannot buy one apartment, you cannot get rid of rent, and the number of those who have 500 apartments has increased from 2174 to 4208. Go and examine each one; each of them are the favored merchants of this period, those who get business from the state, those to whom the state gives business, those fattened by the AK Party. I swear we will end this chaotic order of the AK Party. I swear!

Everything from needles to thread is getting a price hike. Hike on diesel, hike on electricity, hike on natural gas, hike on vegetables, hike on fruit. There is a record-breaking place for these hikes. An apple is 3 liras and 75 kuruş in the field, it has become 40 liras in the market. 40 liras. While coming from 3.75 to 40 liras, there are such exorbitant intermediary costs; of course, there are intermediaries, there are mistakes, there is the Wholesale Market Law that is stubbornly not enacted.

But the most important cost while bringing it from here to there is; there is diesel, there is labor, there are all the increasing costs. The price difference has become 886 percent between the field and the market. You have been managing this country for 24 years. Not İsmet Paşa, you have been managing this country for 24 years. And the inflation champion, you know the average is 32 percent, the inflation of tomatoes... Tomatoes, which were 40 liras a kilo this time last year, are now 200 liras, 400 percent inflation. It has increased 5 times from 40 liras, the inflation of tomatoes that rose to 200 liras.

There is a Medium-Term Program. According to the Medium-Term Program, we will pay 48 trillion liras in taxes in 3 years, in the next 3 years. 48 trillion liras. In other words, when you divide it by the 86 million population—that is, including a one-month-old baby, including my 90-year-old grandfather—we will pay 558 thousand liras in taxes per person. 558 thousand liras in taxes per person. But this tax is on the back of the poor, this tax is on the back of the middle class, on the back of the former middle class, the current poor.

In this country, someone earning a 40 thousand lira salary receives 12 salaries a year, and gives two of them to taxes. Someone earning a 60 thousand lira salary gives 2 and a half months of their salary to taxes. Someone earning a 70 thousand lira salary gives 3 salaries to taxes in this country. They receive 12 salaries, and give three to taxes. There is such a tax system.

There is such a tax system in this country: The most unfair tax in the world is indirect tax. Almost 65 percent of total taxes in Turkey. What does that mean? The tax that the richest and the poorest pay equally, the most unfair tax in the world. The billionaire and the minimum wage earner burn electricity, they pay the same tax. All of the indirect taxes taken from water, public transport, clothing... The richest and the poorest pay the same tax when they buy milk for their child, when they buy diapers in this country, and the share of these taxes in total taxes is 65 percent.

"THERE IS A ROBBERY SYSTEM UNDER THE NAME OF TAX"

On top of this, there is a 23-24 percent income tax. What is that? You know you withdraw your salary from the ATM, the tax deducted from it before you withdraw it. And if you have a deposit in the bank, the tax deducted from that deposit at the end of the month before you withdraw it. This also comes to 23-24 percent; it comes to 88-89 percent. The remaining 11 percent is corporate tax. In other words, the one who really earns, the one who has made a profit... Corporate tax is paid from profit. The tax they will pay from the profit they make is 11 percent, the tax we all pay is 89 percent. This is the AK Party's chaotic order in taxation. Without overthrowing this, neither the retiree will be saved, nor the laborer, nor the tradesman, nor the villager.

That is why there is no tax system in the country, there is a robbery system under the name of tax. A system that robs the poor, robs the laborer, exploits sweat, leaves those who have been retired with years of labor in the lurch, saying 'look after yourself'; saying 'here is 20 thousand liras for you, here is 23 thousand liras for you, here is 25 thousand liras for you, either pay the rent or feed yourself'; a system that leaves you hungry if you pay the rent, and leaves you on the street if you feed yourself, exists in Turkey.

On the other hand, there are those who add billions to billions. If some people in a neighborhood cannot pass by the grocer because they couldn't pay off their debt, if they haven't been able to stop by the butcher for months, how can someone else have money for 500 apartments? How can they have money for 500 apartments and sit inside it and say 'we are in this country in justice, we are all in the same boat.' You are in the captain's bridge, the nation is in that basement where the rats are. Such a system cannot be, this ship will not sail like this from now on, brother. The captain will change, the captain!

ANNOUNCED AKPDEN.COM

Dear friends, they have started a new service. I recommend you follow it from now on. We even got its name right: akpden.com.

Follow akpden.com closely from now on. When they try to sell bridges, highways, those lovely profitable businesses inherited from father and grandfather, we will announce them all on akpden.com.

But now akpden.com is a brand new car; a brand new car with a price of 1.2 million liras. You know, you say add to cart on this .com. Look, 1.2 million liras, add to cart, click.

There is no such thing as just buying and leaving. akpden.com; 1 million 88 thousand SCT for a 1 million 200 thousand lira vehicle. Not enough; 460 thousand liras VAT on the SCT-included price. Not enough; maybe you will turn on the radio of this car, you will come across TRT name, you will listen to two tunes from TRT; 9 thousand liras registration fee. Total tax 1 million 557. The car is 1 200, total taxes are almost 1 600... The price of the car became 2.7 million TL for you.

From now on, we will see all together why young people's computers, young people's mobile phones, game consoles cannot be bought: akpden.com. Keep watching us.

Dear guests, precious friends; those who put the economy into an unending crisis, those who ignore justice, democracy, and human rights for their own interests; they think they can deceive the nation with perceptions, that they can manage it, and by managing the situation until the ballot box, there with some election games, election economies...

"THE NATION IS FED UP WITH PERCEPTION OPERATIONS"

They think they can deceive the nation and continue the AK Party's chaotic order. There is no such thing. This nation is now fed up with perception operations. The nation showed its preference in the local elections. Since that day, it has embraced the Republican People's Party despite all attacks, all slanders, all injustices, all devilry, and is keeping it standing tall.

The Republican People's Party, just as it was on the day it was founded, is Turkey's first party in all polls today.

However, they are causing permanent damage to the country. They are doing things in the economy that are difficult to fix, difficult to correct. They are widening the gap significantly.

They are indebting the country heavily. They are selling assets for next to nothing. They give the revenue of a 25-year bridge to someone who pays 3 years in advance for 25 years. They do not think about tomorrow.

On the other hand, they are doing terrible things in foreign policy, pushing Turkey into loneliness, being pushed aside, into a dead end, and causing damage that is difficult to repair.

And on the other hand, with a perception operation; "Sir, the nation has become poor but we are good in foreign policy, Erdoğan keeps us safe, no sir, he keeps us out of war," like when it was said in the history of the Republican People's Party how important it was not to enter the Second World War, those who said "Sir, there is rationing for bread" even though they knew about the wheat set aside as war stock for the army in those days, those who have done this politics for years; now you are hungry, poor, unemployed, insecure, but they are trying to do a perception operation with "Look, there is a war in Iran, things are not going well there."

Not just in Iran; it is the same in Syria, it is the same with Russia, it is the same with China, it is the same with the world. Now they are having foreign policy broadcasts 24 hours a day on television and trying to make the nation forget its hunger with that. First, everyone should know this: This government has no principles in foreign policy, it has no principles. Their only goal is a matter of personal interest and a matter of getting support from someone for the continuation of the government.

"WE HAVE A COUPLE OF WORDS"

Those who manage the country today think of themselves first, their family, then their party, and lastly Turkey. Today, while the king has no clothes on, we will say a few words against those who say "My King, what beautiful silk clothes you have" throughout the broadcasts on those channels in the evening. We will tell the truth of the matter. Both to make a note in history and to say to everyone who watches these things with a sound mind, "If whatever is happening is different from this, tell us, let us know we are mistaken." No, if things are like this, we have a couple of words against those who appear before this nation and compose praises to that naked king, "You have a beautiful robe." The world is changing in our region. The balances of the global system are laying the foundations for new crises, and these crises are shaking the system in the world from its roots. Countries are attempting to set a new direction for themselves in new conditions, to establish new alliance relations. We are acting with the responsibility of being Turkey's first party in this process we are going through. We think of our country first, then our party, and lastly ourselves. Because as the founding party of the country, we know very well how we founded our free and independent Republic 100 years ago, at what costs we founded it, and the foreign policy experience, the deep-rooted diplomatic tradition that will bring it to these days.

We both keep the foreign policy understanding inherited from Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Republican staff in our memory and shed light on our path with that approach. For this reason, we think that we need to share these with our nation with great responsibility at the point of speaking the truth to our nation. Unfortunately, our country is being excluded from the new global system today.

While strong countries are turning to multi-polar foreign policy, our country has become single-polar, dependent on a single pole due to Erdoğan's mistakes, hopes, and preferences. That single pole consists of the Trump administration. That Trump is the Trump of whom the ambassador he sent to Turkey said, "He is a very smart man, he gives what Erdoğan doesn't have, he gets everything he wants from him." The person who said this is not a madman or a spoiled columnist in America, but the official representative of the United States in Turkey, the ambassador. While saying "He gives what he doesn't have," it underlines in thick lines that even though he came out of an election in Turkey, he does not govern democratically, that 65% of the population (the regions where the municipalities are) won in the first local elections held, that he avoids early elections, and that the world does not see Erdoğan as legitimate, alongside the legitimacy debates in Turkey. And looking him in the eye, saying "You are not in Europe, you are not in China, you are not in Russia, you are not in America without us, you are dependent on us, we prefer you," we said from this podium the negotiations made with an American President's son first in Istanbul, the content of the meeting, what concessions would be given when the meeting took place. We said everything from here, the 250 planes to be bought, the expensive liquefied natural gas, or those concessions to be given to Trump, who makes his mouth water regarding rare earth elements, "the first thing he does is to wrap around wherever there is a rare earth element in the world." They stayed silent, they denied it by staying silent, they couldn't hide it after Trump's tweet.

Now, that Trump, I am not talking about America as an ally, I am talking about the only pole this government is tied to; I am talking about Erdoğan, who has pinned all his hopes on Trump, who has no reputation left in his own country, whose votes have fallen to 30%, who is sure to be a lame duck in America before this year ends, and who will not even be able to finish the term by losing the majority on the other wing. The Trump administration, which has plunged the world into crisis, prefers to work with authoritarian leaders in the world, clear. He supports Orban in Hungary, he says he has been preparing for Shara in Syria for years, he puts a tie on him. Even in Iran, in the early days, he says "he will be successful, you will ask me when determining the religious leader, I will say." He supports every authoritarian wherever he is in the world. Is it just himself? No. In the world order he tries to impose on the world in his own way, technooligarchs, that is, the wealthy billionaires of technology companies in the world, also choose every authoritarian wherever they are in the world.

"TURKEY IS NOT EVALUATING THE EUROPEAN OPPORTUNITY"

But if you look at who you are standing side by side with, Europe sees, the world sees that those who are supported together with Orban in Hungary, whose name is mentioned together with Modi in India, who support the political extensions of those who burn our kinsmen alive in the German elections, say Erdoğan in Turkey while saying Shara in Syria. We are at such a point that the Trump administration is diverging from Europe, trying to leave NATO, turning to its own areas of competition. In such a situation, everyone, because Turkey has the largest army after America in NATO, was expecting, the whole world was saying that Turkey's weight would increase, that Europe could open new areas for Turkey due to rising security concerns, that a new opportunity would emerge for Turkey.

But it is not happening. Because this government cannot see this opportunity that Europe can offer it, and cannot evaluate it because it cannot get out of the line drawn for it by Trump.

In Europe, in Germany, or in other democracies of Europe, those who support the far-right are keeping their distance from Erdoğan, whom they support, and they are constantly reminding him of democracy, European values, respect for human rights, and consistency, which I will remind those who didn't care at all when we said it before, in a little while.

Because of this government, which has been made arbitrary, personalized, and indexed only to Trump in foreign policy, our country is being excluded from the European system. Europe is turning to increase its own defense power within itself. After France, Germany is also giving open support to Greece.

Greece is being declared a strategic partner in the field of defense. Russia is supposedly following a neutral policy towards us today, but everyone knows how Putin's grudge and ambition have accumulated.

China, on the other hand, has pulled itself to a place extraordinarily distant from Turkey. In other words, this government has lost its legitimacy in the world, it cannot find it. That is why that insolent ambassador of the US, while defining legitimacy that day, had crossed his legs showing his socks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, saying democracy doesn't work here. He says legitimacy is needed here. It is enough that they don't commit massacres. We used to call these places human rights, democracy, we were wrong. He says strong single men are needed here. The place where he said this here, he has put Turkey in his own mind in CENTCOM, is he talking to the Middle East, is he abandoning the traditional approach where America sees Turkey in Europe, positions Turkey in Europe, maps Turkey in Europe.

He has put it in the same place as Syria, Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, these places are like this. Now they get angry at me, he says. He says it knowingly, he says it emphatically. And no servant of God is teaching him a lesson against this. He doesn't even tweet. Let alone summoning him to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning him, expressing discomfort to his country if necessary, they cannot even make a reminder with a single word. Now let me tell you more concrete examples of this difficult process we are going through. Missiles were fired at our country in the Iran war. Because the S400s bought from Russia could not be used...

"SHEPHERDS FOUND THE 'VIYK VIYK' BEEPING UAVS"

Because they were branding anyone who put a question mark on the S400 while buying them as a traitor. Oh, you buy these but you will be kicked out of the F35, let it be, we will build our own system, we will do this, we will do that... They couldn't take the S400 out of its box on such a critical day. Russia's reminder UAVs fell on Sakarya above us, fell on Ankara, fell there, fell here. So much so that shepherds found the 'viyk viyk' beeping UAVs. Russia is reminding itself. On the other side, Iran is reminding itself, it is firing missiles. Thank God, America is still in NATO as a NATO country and as bases that need to be protected, missiles fired at Turkey are being shot down with defense missiles fired from American ships. When we said there is a need for a steel dome, Israel handled it, everyone handled it, when we said what about our situation, those who didn't listen, those who left the first steps until 2024, they wouldn't be able to protect Turkey from Iran's missiles if it weren't for America. And that America says we will leave NATO. Now our country is also being excluded from the European security architecture. Turkey was not included in Europe's SAFE program. We poured a lot of words on this issue but they didn't listen. SAFE, which is a security action for Europe, offered Turkey both to take part in a general security structure and to catch an important opportunity with defense projects between 2028-2034, we were thrown out of SAFE. All of Europe is there, we are not. European Commission President Von der Leyen comes and puts Turkey in the same scale, the same pool as Russia and China and excludes it with European language. She puts it on the same side as China and Russia with the back of her hand. We are neither a remedy for Europe's security concern nor at a point of solution for our security concern together with Europe. Turkey is counted among countries outside Europe's coverage area like China and Russia. They are holding the Antalya Diplomacy Forum with pride. Not a single country from the European Union participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, not a single country.

Look at those who come, they love each other, they host each other, they praise each other and they mention Turkey together with that category. Yesterday, Mr. Erdoğan came out, yesterday for the first time he is signaling to the European Union, for the first time. When we emphasized the importance of Europe, what were they saying? These don't know the job. Is there any Europe left? Those who say Europe is dead, Europe is miserable, Europe has no benefit to itself, are saying Mr. Erdoğan's words yesterday like 'we are part of Europe, take us into the European Union' as a new opening.

3 months ago, 6 months ago, 8 months ago in Strasbourg, Brussels, Germany Berlin, Spain Madrid, while we were saying these, those who said CHP doesn't know how to read politics, there is no such thing as Europe, if there is, there is only America, if there is, there is only Trump, if there is, there is only the Middle East, are now reminding Europe of Turkey yesterday, saying the importance of Europe. That is why no one should be offended, but those who applaud Erdoğan's mistake, when they put Turkey in this disastrous situation, when it comes to this difficult situation, those who will come out regarding how to get out of this business from now on, will first make a self-criticism themselves. Let the pro-government media shout world leader slogans, how will you hide these facts?

We clearly say that we want to be a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, we invite them to Turkey. Let alone coming, they don't even answer. Where are the peace talks held? In Saudi Arabia. There is an America-Iran war, they say let's be a mediator, the talks are held in Pakistan. In Iran, in America, they don't even mention Turkey's name.

"THEY SIGNED UNDER A GREAT HELPLESSNESS IN THE BLUE HOMELAND ISSUE"

No one sees this government as a strategic partner anymore. The Eastern Mediterranean has strategic importance for us. Isn't it the Blue Homeland? Those who take, detain, threaten with prison, do not let into military guesthouses, threaten to strip ranks—based on a declaration—those admirals who named it, who have spent their lives on this—based on a declaration in a national stance established on a sensitivity regarding our dominance in the seas—have now signed under a great helplessness in the Blue Homeland issue. Those who follow see how we are excluded from the Eastern Mediterranean. America, England, France, Egypt... All of them are against us. There was a move, Libya, Greece is working 24 hours a day to waste that too, to waste the Libya issue too. America, England, France, Egypt are against us. Erdoğan's friend the United Arab Emirates is against us. Saudi Arabia, for whom he declared mourning when its king died, is against us. Qatar, whom he trusts so much, is doing drilling operations for the Greeks in the Eastern Mediterranean. They are looking for natural gas, looking for oil, looking for hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean with the Greeks. Qatar is doing this. And Greece, seeing this weakness, is arming the islands contrary to all agreements.

It continues to arm the islands while looking into our eyes, and all of Europe stands behind it. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is our national cause. Our biggest goal in the medium term is to introduce the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the world, to ensure its recognition so that we can get rid of this disadvantaged asymmetric situation consisting of the Greek Cypriot side and gain achievements through diplomacy. The Turkic Republics closest to us... First they need to recognize it. There is not one that recognizes it. First they went and recognized Southern Cyprus, now they sent ambassadors one by one to the Greek administration and there is a term presidency in the European Union, they are holding meetings. Shara, Syria, Shara, to whom the British state put a tie and said 'this will be', Shara whom ours recognized, Shara to whom he provided legitimacy, goes with the invitation of the Greek Cypriot Administration.

"SHARA DID NOT DRINK A COFFEE OF THE TRNC PRESIDENT"

Let alone going, he stays there and does not cross to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus side in the city divided into two and drink a coffee of our President. He doesn't drink a coffee! In other words, he recognizes the Greek Cypriot Administration. Shara, who found himself with a tie suddenly yesterday, Shara whom Turkey made applaud last year in December saying 'we have set up big games', goes and certifies the existence of the Greek Cypriot Administration. He says to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus like the others 'You don't exist, I don't recognize you.' They brought Turkey to this state.

Let's turn to Palestine, to Gaza. Why do I say there is a government in Turkey that has no foreign policy principle, no principle? Because they, at the so-called Gaza Peace Board table where Palestinians are not present... I will remind you, that table was set up like this: Trump said; 'I saw Gaza, it was very beautiful, seaside. I will build high hotels there, I will build casinos. What business do Palestinians have there? I will distribute them to five countries. There is hydrocarbon in front of it, I want Gaza,' he said. He also called the murderer of 71 thousand people a 'war hero.' Then he set up a Peace Board for Gaza. Our people went and sat at that board, which no sane world leader attended.

We said, 'Hey, what business do you have where Palestine is not?' He said, 'Israel is not there either.' Two days before the first meeting, Netanyahu is in the White House, Netanyahu is at the table, Hakan Fidan is at the table. They sat at that table and became part of that plan, that casino, hotel, and the plan to seize the hydrocarbons in front of it, which wants Gaza to be emptied of Palestinians.

The other day, against these, the Sumut fleet set sail again, 20 of them Turkish, 175 people were detained. Statements were made in support of the Sumut fleet. You expect them to condemn Israel, to support the Sumut fleet. Look, Peace Board... Board of Peace... The fleet setting sail towards Gaza; 'showy love boat activism of people who know nothing about the situation of the people of Gaza and care even less,' he mocks. He wrote 'it is disgusting to build your social media profiles using the misery of people' to those who risk death and go. Do you know who has the signature under this? It says 'Board of Peace', Netanyahu and Hakan Fidan have their signatures.

This is it! This is the Justice and Development Party! As long as you sit on this board, you are responsible for this statement. Now I appeal to the conscience of an AK Party member who supports us the least in Turkey, who doesn't like me at all as a politician: There will be such a statement, it will say 'you are disgusting' to those who support Sumut, it will say 'you are showy' to those who go... For example, this statement will come out of the Socialist International, of which we are a member, will all televisions, all newspapers in Turkey trample on this issue for an hour, not a day, a week, ten days after this article? There is no one who opens their mouth and speaks until we show it. This shows from here that this; there is no Palestinian sensitivity, there is no national stance. There is only and only an Erdoğan tied to Trump from the navel, who has pinned his hope on him. There is nothing else.

"I WISH THERE WAS A SUCCESS STORY IN FOREIGN POLICY"

I am speaking by appealing to the conscience of our nation. I am speaking independently of who is in power. I wish this perception operation done by the AK Party was not a perception operation but reflected the truth. I wish there was a success story in foreign policy. Because if Turkey wins, we all win. Turkey's failure in foreign policy, its loneliness is not in the favor of any of us. The country as a whole is losing.

Also, if this is a chessboard, when Greece advances in the Aegean, when the AK Party loses the election, the moves will not go back. What is taken, is taken. The captured castle, is captured. The approaching threat, is approached. No one will give back what the Greek Cypriots gained during the AK Party period when the AK Party leaves. You will start working from there, you will start negotiating from there, you will start working to gain something again from there.

Therefore, this Trump surrender in foreign policy right now, "No, Europe is a sick man, let it go," sir "Will Trump allow you?"... There is a balance policy inherited from Gazi Atatürk to Turkey, woven stitch by stitch by İsmet Paşa, and successfully carried out by our foreign policy makers. Erdoğan abandoned the balance. From a pendulum being in balance... Turkey has succeeded; while being a component of the Western Alliance, to be a neighbor of Russia throughout the Cold War... It has four bridges to Europe but a border to the Middle East. But now Erdoğan has gone to a pendulum policy. Either furthest from Putin with Trump, or furthest from America with Putin. Either somewhere else with China... But all these swings cost Turkey a very large cost in total.

Mr. Bahçeli saw this stuckness. He says TR-R-C Alliance for a way out of this; Turkey, Russia, China. And he presents this as a condition for the continuation of the People's Alliance. Erdoğan says "Trump", Bahçeli says "Russia-China". Whereas what we should all say here together is the interests of the Republic of Turkey and the multi-faceted relations of the Republic of Turkey.

"TURKEY IS NOT CONDEMNED TO STUCKNESS"

Turkey is not condemned to this stuckness. The Republican People's Party has the historical accumulation, the competent staff, and a foreign policy understanding locked on Turkey's interests to recover this decline. The strongest muscle of Turkish diplomacy is the balance policy. We are reminding this once again. A single-polar foreign policy tied only to Trump is not something that will work. The world is talking about multi-polarity. Also, besides multi-polarity, the world is re-understanding the value of the system that developed after the Second World War regarding the world's peace being protected by multilateralism and multilateral structures all together. That is why the period of horse trading, refugee trading, "don't see the injustices in us, give the euros, let me walk my way" trading is over.

From now on, the Republican People's Party; to be a full member of the European Union, to find common interests with Europe in values, in economy, in defense, to defend, to build and to protect... It is mandatory to maintain good relations with Russia, a correct alliance relationship with China, and good alliance relations coming from the past with America's institutional structure, not with the Trump administration, in a balance. There is no side left to polish of Erdoğan, who has put all his eggs in one basket, taken the bottom out of the basket, and lost everything, nor is there any side left to defend or maintain of this understanding.

In our own change congress, we described what we talked about today in foreign policy. We came out after the election we first won, where we were first after 47 years. We said; we are the main opposition party in Turkey. We are the first party of the last elections. We are the future ruling party. But when we went abroad, we are the main opposition in Turkey today, and the party of Turkey in Europe, abroad. We said, "Let your ministers give briefings to our ministers, to our shadow ministers."

We said let us explain the Eurofighter, and we did. The March 19 coup happened, Germany wrote an article saying "Turkey left the Eurofighter." We sent a letter from Chairman Ekrem. I went personally to the German Chancellor that day, then to the current Vice Chancellor Lars, dear Lars, to the German Minister of National Defense and said "Don't kick us out of the Eurofighter. That is another thing, this is another thing." In the F-35 issue, in the S-400 issue, we didn't say "Look, we were right." We said "Come, fix it like this, repair it like this." In the "Made in Europe" issue, we visited all the ambassadors in Turkey, sent our delegations to Strasbourg, and maintained intense contacts. In the SEIF issue, in the issue of security cooperation for Europe, we stood in the most correct place. In all the meetings we attended, we poured words saying "Turkey should be a part of SEIF." We explained the truth to those here too, but they said Europe "has no benefit to itself." Now they went to its door, they are signaling in front of the closed door, saying "open the door, see us."

"CHP WILL NOT SURRENDER TO TRUMP'S ORDER"

That is why the Republican People's Party will not surrender to Trump's order in the international structure. It will never, ever be the implementer or part of Israel-American plans. But correct... It is mandatory to maintain correct relations with America, with Russia, with China, and to maintain good alliance relations coming from the past with America's institutional structure—not with the Trump administration—in a balance, as a modern Europe's not just a candidate member—but—as someone who has been accepted to the European Union's membership, who strengthens Europe; with this strong population, with this strong army, with its young population and determination, it will be the carrying column of Europe, it will be the most important actor of the European Union.

Regarding foreign policy—which is neither independent of security, nor internal politics, nor Turkey's common future—an important issue is a terror-free and democratic Turkey...

Let me say clearly regarding the subject: A terror-free Turkey, the PKK laying down arms, the taking of democratization steps, the sixth and seventh parts of the report we all signed together... This issue is not a competition area. It cannot be a hostility area. We do not see it as an opposition area either.

This issue is a historical responsibility area for all of us. Therefore, as the Republican People's Party; we once again confirm our approach that puts initiative for a tomorrow where all Kurds will live in the most equal way within the unity and solidarity of their countries, for Turkey, for Syria, for Iran, for Iraq, for Turkey, which solves the problems related to the judiciary, democratizes, defends the European Court of Human Rights decisions, AYM decisions, defends democracy, defends peace, and which we signed under, both the commission we participated in, and which disarms the PKK. We sign under it once again.

We are a party that knows both Turkey's relations with its neighbors, its relations with the world, and the place where Turkey's internal front should stand at the time it needs to be strongest.

No one should be offended; we were not founded with bargaining, nor were we founded with separation. We were not founded on the tops of residences in a law office. We didn't say 'we took off our shirt' and deny our past. Nor did we experience disgraces in the 1 March memorandum by coming here with commitments we made in the Oval Offices saying 'Sir, we are pro-American, we gave every word, we do whatever.'

We take every step we take with determination. In every step we take, we think of the Republic of Turkey state first, then our party, then ourselves. No one should confuse us with the opportunism of today's government! The place we stand is clear! This party is marching to power! We are ready for power! We are ready to take every responsibility!

The root cause of this state of ours in foreign policy and the heavy picture in the economy is the collapse in justice and democracy. Unfortunately, no one trusts a country where there is a government that imprisons its presidential candidate, denies the diploma it gave thirty years ago, politically usurps the mandate given by the nation, collapses on sixty-year, eighty-year family companies after the last three years of activity, collapses on opposition televisions without observing the principle of personality of crime or the principle of innocence, and sells them at a bargain price from the TMSF.

They will lose politically themselves, but they are causing Turkey to lose great reputation, great power. Unfortunately, it is our country and our nation that is harmed.

A dual legal system operates in Turkey. In this system, if you are an AK Party member, or even if you are from another party but went to the AK Party when you committed the crime; you are exempt from the judiciary, interrogation, prison. But if you are an opposition member, you are responsible for crimes you did not commit, for all kinds of slander. You are faced with every kind of slander thrown at you being treated as real.

37 corruption cases in IMM, 97 in Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, where the then Minister of Interior came, took and collapsed on them after criminal complaints were filed with the prosecutor's offices and forced them to statute of limitations, or where 97 major corruptions committed by Melih Gökçek during their own government were covered up, where Melih Gökçek could not be asked a question... But we are in a process where honest, honorable, clean, transparent, accountable politics is tried to be targeted with slanders.

Current... I would like to mention a few very current events. AK Party Kırıkkale Keskin Mayor... Look, you know last week the Minister of Interior came out and said "Sir, there are nearly six hundred AK Party municipalities, we have given investigation permissions for them too, more AK Party is being investigated than CHP," and when the nation said "Brother, you didn't go to anyone's door, you didn't make a detention, you didn't keep any of them in custody, you didn't arrest any of them"; immediately quickly, first the Minister of Justice came out and said, "It might happen to AK Party municipalities soon." Afterwards, they handcuffed and arrested the former Halfeti Mayor, who shows as today, and distributed it to the entire press from the Ministry of Justice as "Dawn operation to AK Party municipality."

Whereas that municipality was not AK Party. That person was a trustee when he was mayor. That person was the trustee of Halfeti Municipality. The trustee they appointed committed corruption. They didn't listen at all, they made him the AK Party candidate. DEM Party won Halfeti. It was not an AK Party municipality in Halfeti, they handcuffed the AK Party's lost mayor when the disgraces of his trusteeship days were revealed. Look at the name, they said "We are doing it to the AK Party too."

Now I said it wasn't that, and big columnists wrote this, put their pictures. "Dawn operation to AK Party." In other words, page 3 wasn't enough, page 1 wasn't enough, skirt, headline, sub-headline wasn't enough... Columnists put one from his picture. What a communication campaign... It was being done to the AK Party too. Whereas it has nothing to do with it.

Look, let me tell you what is being done to the AK Party. Let me tell you what is being done to the AK Party: Kırıkkale Keskin Mayor. Is he AK Party? He is AK Party. Is he in office? He is in office. Accusation: Taking a bribe. No one comes to the house. No dawn raid. No detention. No arrest. There is trial without arrest.

Evidence revealed in the trial: The contractor made a 1.2 million lira EFT to the mayor's account. The contractor who did it is clear. The mayor who received it is clear. Evidence like ice. There is no such evidence in the big IMM file. Is there, Mr. Chairman? There is no such evidence! The one who is alleged to have given the bribe gave the bribe, money entered the mayor's official, personal account. The prosecutor requested a sentence of six years and some months. This is expected. If a sentence is given, if a sentence is given, his crime will be proven.

There is no suspicion of escape. Where will the Keskin Mayor escape to? He continues to go from his house to the municipality every day these days. These days! There is no suspicion of escape, there is no evidence tampering, the principle of trial without arrest... This is what we call "dual law." I am not saying "Why don't you arrest the Keskin Mayor?" When there is so much evidence against him, he is without arrest, while you proceed with arrest by saying "arrest him anyway" with "I heard," with "I saw," and even leaving that, even the honorary name is beautiful but I couldn't find any evidence, "he might have hidden himself well." If there is one percent of this against Ekrem İmamoğlu, let's lie in prison for a hundred years! There is none, brother, there is none! There is none, there is none!

Their consciences are so darkened, especially that writer, that drawer... How will you defend these days, brother? He puts Halfeti in one corner, there is a raid on the AK Party too. In one corner...

Union of Municipalities of Turkey election was held. The president of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey elected two years ago, Ekrem İmamoğlu. Arrested unlawfully—otherwise he would be in the president's chair there—Majority is in CHP. Ekrem İmamoğlu a polite greeting... a polite greeting message will be read to the mayors who elected him two years ago and the mayors of other parties.

They attack the podium savagely. They don't let the message be read. Then the next day all together "Sir..." Then they see that the message is the most naive, most democratic message in the world. "Oh, it's also coming from prison, for God's sake." It's coming from prison, from prison... With a slander, with an injustice... The presidential candidate of fifteen and a half million people, the mayor whom Istanbul has given duty four times in a row, three times in a row, separated from his wife, friend, mother, father, children in twelve square meters... He sent a greeting, they didn't let it be read.

When they saw the letter, sir reaction, reaction, not to the content of the letter, but "Union of Municipalities of Turkey, like CHP's union..." How was he reading that message? For God's sake, for God's sake! We go to parliament in this country, a party's chairman has become President, he comes to parliament, a party's chairman makes the opening speech. He goes to the swearing-in ceremony of judges, prosecutors, does politics kütür kütür, hitting by saying "to CHP, to CHP" at the swearing-in ceremony of the judge, prosecutor! He goes on the other side, gathers governors, police chiefs, does concrete political party competition, says words to his political rivals. He lines up the generals, hits CHP, they laugh.

Those who are not disturbed by this at all, the last elected president of TBB, will have the message "I am inside but greetings to friends" read, they attack. Instead of condemning the attacker, the board in TBB should be managed fairly. They managed that TBB for years, for years! They distributed 98 and a half percent of TBB opportunities to AK Party municipalities, and the remaining one and a half percent to all other municipalities.

We came to TBB, while forming the committee, we even offered representation to AK Party and MHP as much as the mayoralties they won. They were ashamed, they didn't accept. There is New Welfare there, DEM, IYI Party. We are doing it all together. Whereas our vote is enough to manage by ourselves, to take the whole committee. They were taking the whole committee to AKP, bulldozers, vacuum trucks, whatever... We have come, we have put all parties, we have managed fairly, equally, we will read a letter, they attack.

I take refuge in the justice of one God from here, and I take refuge in the fairness and conscience of the great Turkish nation!

Law had never been trampled underfoot so much in the history of the Republic. They established a gang within the judiciary, the White Taurus gang. They are doing great injustices with political instructions. They received positions, ranks as rewards. They made fortunes. They set out from Istanbul and carry out operations to the other eighty provinces, unfairly, unlawfully.

"They are torturing. They make them be transferred handcuffed for eight hours just because 'he didn't sign the document he said,' from Istanbul to Afyon, 8 hours. They put dry bread as rations, she eats like this with her hand, they put dry bread. In the courtroom, they don't give water downstairs, they don't give food. They torture the detainees until they become slanderers.

There is such a corruption, corruption that... They make detentions for flimsy reasons, take advantage of the self-confidence of the people detained, grab the passwords of their mobile phones, and send the contents they obtain to the pro-government press. Oh, you are a Public Prosecutor, Public Prosecutor! The most intimate information in the world is entrusted to your honor, to the state through your honor there. Through the oath you took.

They detained Ali Mahir Başarır's childhood friend on a false charge. The child said, 'There is nothing on me,' he gave his mobile phone password. With a video they found from there, from among so many things, they exposed people, the environment where they are one with their wives, children, and also shamelessly 'oh, images of the world came out, images of something came out' by... You know the best of the world, you know the best of sin!

In those images, our forehead is clear, our head is high, there is not a single account we cannot give! Neither to our family, nor to our nation! The nation, not me, will measure the forehead of the one who tries to put a label of 'world' on the spouses with us! The nation will measure! The nation will see the account of the characterless, uncharacteristic, shameless ones at the ballot box, the nation will fold their book! It hasn't remained to me!

And I am telling those who appear in the pro-government press by receiving a salary, those who have their party discussed every evening for a fee, those who pin their hopes on nullity and dismissal. Hey! I am telling you all: If you want to reach the Divine, make it your profession to win hearts. Stop being marble for palaces, become soil so that roses may grow in your bosom! Become soil, let roses grow in your bosom

I am telling those who sit on the marble of the Palace! I am telling those who hope for help from the Palace! I am telling those who beg from the Palace for what the nation did not give, what the delegate did not give!

News Source: 12punto