Response from CHP leader Özel to Akşener: I will not fight with the Chairwoman

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel attended the opening of the Atatürkist Thought Association's Cem Eren Cultural Center and the Commemoration Ceremony for Prof. Dr. Muammer Aksoy in Ankara this evening, where he answered questions from journalists.

Özel first stated, "We are here today both on the anniversary of the assassination of the association's founder, Muammer Aksoy, and for the opening of a renovation made in his name at the association's headquarters."

When asked about İYİ Party Chairwoman Meral Akşener's statement, "Özgür Özel made a very interesting speech in Eskişehir. He made a speech implying that we have some strange dealings with the AK Party that go beyond mere suggestion. In my opinion, it is a very grave slander," Özel replied as follows:

"I WILL NOT FIGHT WITH THE CHAIRWOMAN"

"I was truly surprised by this speech. There are two possibilities; one is that our Chairwoman has been seriously misled. The second is that the Chairwoman wants to fight with us. I will not fight with the Chairwoman; there is no benefit to anyone in that. Let me say once again, we have no intention of opposing the opposition. The issue I mentioned in my Eskişehir speech is this: the candidate I was referring to, whom I believe was misrepresented to Ms. Akşener, is the current AK Party candidate. When I said, 'The palace is putting forward those we were once together with,' I was referring to the person who was elected as a deputy from the İYİ Party, elected with the votes of the Nation Alliance, who then, through a political pickpocketing, a political fraud, asked for votes from the people of Eskişehir to oppose Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and then went and joined the Justice and Development Party. When I said, 'The palace is putting forward those we were once together with by creating certain opportunities,' I meant the AK Party candidate in Eskişehir. I have no need to ask Kemal Bey or anyone else. I vouch for Ms. Meral's honor and resilience, both personally and regarding her party, on the issues mentioned; there is nothing there. For me, the matter is at the level of correcting a misunderstanding. I am criticizing the İYİ Party member I mentioned, the thief of the national will in Eskişehir who was elected from the İYİ Party and switched to the AK Party. Otherwise, why would I criticize İYİ Party candidates? I call them 'good people' and say nothing else."

Regarding Akşener's statement that they could not rent billboards in Istanbul and Izmir, Özel said, "I heard about the billboard issue, I was surprised, I will ask and learn; if there is anything I can do, I will intervene immediately if it is something I need to resolve, I don't think such a thing is happening."

Özel also commented on the developments in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) yesterday regarding the stripping of TİP Hatay Deputy Can Atalay's parliamentary status, and the fact that these developments occurred while Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş was abroad:

"There is no error in the analogy; there is nothing better to explain it. His action while a crime against the Constitution is being committed is that of a political ostrich... Just because you bury your head in the sand does not mean that what is happening in the environment your body is in is not happening. You go abroad, leave the authority to Bekir Bozdağ, Bekir Bozdağ reads it out, and you are not responsible for this constitutional neglect; there is no such thing. This is like an ostrich burying its head; it does not escape responsibility. In fact, if he had come out and read it himself, it would have been a much more honest stance. This needs to be seen."

"IF THEY HAD READ A VANILLA CAKE RECIPE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONSTITUTIONAL"

"The act performed is completely unconstitutional and there is a great negligence and error. The error itself is this: what does the constitution say? If a finalized decision is read... Was a finalized decision read, friends? The decision read was the Court of Cassation's decision that ignores the Constitutional Court; does parliamentary status fall with the reading of a Court of Cassation decision that ignores the Constitutional Court? They have completely lost their senses. They don't even know what they are doing. If the decision of the 1st instance court were read, the finalized decision, it would fall, but they cannot read that because it has not been finalized. The Constitutional Court overturned the decision and said there was a violation of rights. Because it is a decision directed at an individual, you will stop the trial, you will release him, he will come and perform his parliamentary duties. But they have become so uncontrolled and lawless... They are stripping parliamentary status by reading a decision where the Court of Cassation told the 1st instance court, which does not recognize the Constitutional Court's decision, that it 'did the right thing.' It is unimaginable. If they had read a cake recipe, it would have been more constitutional. If they had come out and read a vanilla cake recipe, it would have been more constitutional. The great Parliament, the manifestation of the national will, has been left in whose hands, oh my, oh my... In the hands of Bekir Bozdağ. What was done yesterday is a constitutional massacre. After this point, it is something unimaginable. Various methods, oh, there will be a re-application... Are you kidding children? Can it really go this far?"

Regarding why the Parliament went into a closed session yesterday... "I don't like to brag about this Parliament's Rules of Procedure, but if I were to brag, I would do it here. The work our friends did is extremely correct; the moment a closed session is requested in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, it moves to a closed session, and you explain your justification. If the decision had been read in a closed session, they say, 'Will the discussions be secret?' The decision would not have gained publicity, and since the minutes of a closed session cannot be disclosed for 10 years and no opinion can be expressed on this matter for 10 years, the decision would be read in a closed session, but because it did not gain publicity in the public eye, and because they could not tell the people of Hatay 'we stripped your deputy of his status,' and because they could not go and explain what they did inside after the closed session, this disgrace would have been postponed for 10 years. Of course, instead of reading the decision in a closed session, they ended the session and brought it back to an open session to read it, thinking they had fulfilled the formal requirements, but the decision they read this time is the wrong decision; as I said, it is null and void constitutionally, legally, and in good conscience."

"WE HAVE AN INTENTION TO HOLD THIS RALLY NEXT WEEKEND"

Özel gave the following response to the question of whether the cancelled "Constitution Rally" would be held again:

"It is not possible for me to give a day or date without making a decision at the MYK meeting to be held on Friday morning, but we have a preparation. We had invited everyone to a rally to protect the constitutional order, to stand together with all those who have been victimized and oppressed by the Justice and Development Party, by protecting the constitution against this lawlessness and injustice, but unfortunately, we cancelled our rally on that day when we were shaken by the news of martyrs. We have an intention to hold this rally next weekend. A final decision will be made on Friday, evaluating weather conditions, climate, and transportation conditions, and the day and time of the rally will be shared with the public."

Regarding the allegations that CHP Erzincan Deputy Mustafa Sarıgül will be the Ordu Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate, Özel said, "Metropolitan mayoral candidates for Kocaeli, Ordu, and Gaziantep have not been determined for Mr. Mustafa; he has had contact and conversations with those provincial chairs and provincial deputies regarding that process. He also told me that 'he would not shy away from the duties the party gives.' However, there is no decision made on that matter yet. If we make a decision, we will share it with you."

BAŞAK DEMİRTAŞ CANDIDACY DISCUSSIONS

Özel also gave the following response to the question regarding the possibility of Başak Demirtaş being the DEM Party's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate:

"Ms. Demirtaş is a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, and it is quite normal for her to put forward political claims that all citizens can put forward according to the laws. It would not be right to make any evaluation on this matter. Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu is a mayor who was elected with the Istanbul alliance in the 2019 elections and has satisfied those who elected him. It would be impolite to evaluate his success or failure through the candidacy of a respected lady. But Ekrem İmamoğlu has not made those who voted for him regret it; he has satisfied them. He is continuing his candidacy on this basis."

Özel gave the following response to the question asked about CHP's Izmir candidates:

"Every time you announce a candidate, candidates who are not announced or their relatives may feel uncomfortable; there may be reactions. Especially these days, when the Izmir candidates are announced, it is probably the list that has received the least negative reaction and the most positive reaction in our history. We have appointed nine female mayors to a place where six female mayors have served in the history of the Republic and where we currently have three female mayors. And not to three districts with a population of 20,000 on the periphery, but as CHP, we have put female candidates in nine districts in total, including CHP strongholds like Karşıyaka, Konak, and Karabağlar, with populations of 600,000-700,000. We were saying that we would involve women in politics not just in words, but in essence."

News Source: AA