CHP's Karabat responds to Erdoğan on November 10: 'Angry rich people always have a problem with the Republic'

Speaking at the November 10 Atatürk Commemoration Ceremony, President Erdoğan said, "If the Gazi's life and health had allowed him to lead the country for at least another 10 years, we would undoubtedly have seen a completely different Turkey after World War II." CHP Deputy Chairman Özgür Karabat responded to these remarks in an interview with 12 Punto. Karabat stated that Erdoğan has created a government with those who intend to settle scores with the Republic.

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CHP's Karabat responds to Erdoğan on November 10: 'Angry rich people always have a problem with the Republic'

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the new campus of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History in Ankara. Continuing his speech at the opening without saying 'Atatürk', Erdoğan said, "If the Gazi's life and health had allowed him to lead the country for at least another 10 years, we would undoubtedly have seen a completely different Turkey after World War II." CHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat responded to Erdoğan in his interview with 12 Punto, calling him 'insincere'.

“HE CREATED A GOVERNMENT WITH THE INTENTION OF SETTLING SCORES WITH THE REPUBLIC”

Starting his remarks by defining the 'New Turkey' of President Erdoğan, who says, "There will no longer be an Old Turkey, we will now build a New Turkey," Karabat said, “First of all, let's look at what Erdoğan symbolizes. When did Erdoğan and his party grow? They grew by taking advantage of a fault line in Anatolia, where people migrated from villages to cities in the 1990s, and in the process, they created angry rich people. What Erdoğan understands by 'New Turkey' is the rule of the angry rich he created. They sugarcoated this with a democracy story for a long time, but it is clear that it is no longer the case. The fundamental characteristic of these angry rich people is their intention to settle scores with the Republic. The term 'New Turkey' is not a representative of a more developed understanding that represents progress, but rather an understanding that settles scores with the past under the rule of the angry rich. Even if he tries to talk about it in a different sense today, this is Erdoğan's 'New Turkey' discourse.”

“HE WANTS TO MAINTAIN THE RULE OF THE ANGRY RICH”

Pointing out the difference between the Turkey in Erdoğan's 'we would have seen a completely different Turkey' statement and his 'New Turkey', Karabat continued:

“If Atatürk had lived, Turkey would certainly have reached the level of contemporary civilizations, which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk aimed for, integrated with science and the world, much faster. We see that all of today's rhetoric is insincere and shaped around certain symbols. Tayyip Erdoğan saying 'democracy' when it suits him and 'Republic' when it suits him is actually a discourse aimed at creating a share for his own power, not a sincere one. Erdoğan uses symbols. For example, democracy when it suits his business, peace when it suits his business. He can display all kinds of pragmatic attitudes to add power to his own power. He can also use important values by turning them into symbols. I don't think Erdoğan is saying this sincerely. But of course, if Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had lived, Turkey's development move, enrichment move, and revolutions would have continued more strongly. The transition to democracy would have been based on more solid foundations. The main reason for Tayyip Erdoğan's government is to maintain the rule of the angry rich they created, who would not even find 1 percent support in society. And the angry rich always have problems with the Republic.”