CHP leader Özgür Özel's first response to Bahçeli's 'Öcalan' call: 'I offer the Kurds a state'

CHP leader Özgür Özel spoke at his party's parliamentary group meeting.

Özel also responded to the 'Öcalan' call made by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli at his own party's group meeting.

NEWBORN GANG

Highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

Last week, we received news that made us ashamed on behalf of humanity; a network emerged that preyed on newborn babies for money. The actions of this gang, which took babies into incubators before they could reach their mothers' arms and toyed with the babies' health during that process, made us all ashamed of our humanity.

This gang did something truly terrible; think of the trust placed in healthcare workers during the pandemic. These rotten apples have cast suspicion on physicians, neonatal nurses, and healthcare workers, and created trauma for families who have lost children in the past. We will not overcome this easily. We are all very saddened.

As trust in the state diminishes, reports are being made to the CHP. The part of the issue revealed so far shows that, unfortunately, we were right again. While we were saying 'do not commercialize healthcare, do not open up so much space for private hospitals, do not withdraw the state from this field and open it to capital,' it has once again become clear how right we were.

We are at a point where 2 of the last 3 health ministers already own private hospitals. One of them was the provincial health director while these events were taking place, and he is the current minister.

CHP TO FILE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

If the prosecutor had not been threatened, babies would still be lying in the neonatal units of those hospitals. Babies continued to die from September and October of last year, and babies would have continued to die. Those who do not see that the health policies of this government are what enabled those trying to profit by making newborn babies sick should not be surprised by anything in this country.

The first thing that needs to be done is for the current Minister of Health to leave his post so as not to defy society. I invite him to resign, not for personal reasons, but on a matter of principle. The position he currently occupies is an obstacle to justice and a tremendous obstacle before the conscience of the nation.

Our colleagues will make the necessary applications today. We are filing criminal complaints, and we will continue to follow this matter legally.

DEATH OF FETÖ LEADER FETHULLAH GÜLEN

The leader of FETÖ, an armed terrorist organization, died in Pennsylvania on July 15. I do not know how many people have gone to the other world with a heavier burden than the one he carried.

The fact that he could not be brought to Turkey, despite the young people he had dismissed in interviews because they were not from his own gang and the people he harassed in institutions, is proof of how the so-called ally, the USA, acted as his protector without him having to face justice in this world.

Those who remained silent about not being able to get the leader of a gang that attempted a coup in the country and crushed the children of this nation with the tanks given to them from the USA are now coming out and speaking behind his back.

This Fethullah Gülen has died and gone; the door of sin is open, friends. As long as the grievances of those whose rights were violated continue, the doors of sin are open. These are also being recorded in the book of sins of those who gave him whatever he wanted.

They took the authority under the guise of fighting FETÖ, and they dismissed every leftist they could find via Decree-Law (KHK). Regardless of their views, while the Parliament's authority was being used by Erdoğan under the State of Emergency (OHAL) via KHK, if judges are saying 'you are innocent, my brother' to people who are not reasonably related to terrorism—such as those who had no means while educating their children, or those whose children were sent to their prep schools—and you are not reinstating any of them to their jobs for even one more day, you are also taking on the same burden.

BUDGET ISSUE IN THE TBMM

We will watch the effective opposition in the budget. Budget negotiations in our group start today. We know that the most democratic right is the right to the budget.

INDEPENDENT MINE WORKERS' UNION REACTION TO FERHAT NASIROĞLU

I thank the Fernas workers from the bottom of my heart. They showed this nation something very important. Those working in inhumane conditions left Soma and walked to Ankara. They stood barefoot, they slept in parks. The Independent Mine Workers' Union (Bağımsız Maden-İş) is the honor of Soma, the honor of Manisa. Someone heard from somewhere, some chatterbox, saying, 'Mr. Özgür doesn't like that union either.' That union is the honor and pride of Manisa.

I state here that if there are those who say 'we will not give these people their rights' on January 1st, the Turkish public, which has learned a lot from this party and the Fernas workers, is on their side. Do not even attempt this.

GAVE A FIGURE FOR MINIMUM WAGE

We are with you in every struggle you give for the minimum wage. We will not be able to establish a bond of affection with anyone who accepts a minimum wage below 30 thousand liras. A minimum wage below 30 thousand liras is unacceptable.

LEBANESE REFUGEES

Today, Assad declared a general amnesty in Syria. It is the perfect time to shake hands with Assad and send those in Turkey back to Syria. Instead of talking to Assad, he (Erdoğan) is telling Germany, 'Don't worry, even if they come from Lebanon, they cannot pass to you.' Mr. Erdoğan, our own unemployed are enough for us, our own poor are enough for us. Our children are being crushed by unemployment. The agreement to be made after this is not to keep Europe's refugees in Turkey and get a 'well done,' but to solve the refugee problem in Turkey. If you are going to do it, do it; otherwise, step aside. Otherwise, we will come and we will do it.

RESPONSE TO BAHÇELİ REGARDING ÖCALAN

Some describe it as a day when a change will occur that will alter the course of history. We followed the speech Mr. Bahçeli made in the TBMM. A number of negotiations are being conducted behind closed doors. We are faced with a language that says, 'Let the isolation be lifted, let Öcalan come to the Parliament,' without needing anything else, in Bahçeli's own words, regarding an amnesty that is under the authority of the TBMM. 'You called for the organization to lay down its arms. All problems are over.'

If no more martyrs are to come in Turkey, if blood is not to be shed, if mothers' tears are to stop, if the tears flowing from the eyes of both Turks and Kurds are to stop, if barrels are not to be pointed at soldiers, at the Mehmetçik, then every word spoken is valuable.

Despite everything we have experienced in the past, we value it; as the CHP, we say that we will give full support to the end of terrorism. However, I would like to say this to the person who does this, to the person who attributes a power and strength that does not exist to him as if he will do it alone.

In the past, we were establishing a relationship with that party just like you did, we were chatting, or we were getting support from Kurdish voters for our candidates in elections, and you had no shortage of fake videos or insults.

But there was no end to you calling this party terrorists or other insults.

You have seen how empty and false every word Bahçeli said in the past was. I leave these to the consciences of all of you. Mr. Bahçeli turns around very often anyway; just because he turned around, we will not refrain from saying what we know to be true. It is a repetition of his past words; he is excluding the Parliament again. Whatever is to be done will be done in the TBMM, it will be done with transparency, no promise that cannot be kept will be made, and it will be carried out with sincerity. Without a full consensus, there will be no result, and there will not be. What follows will start worse, and we will be more saddened.

KURDISH ISSUE

We will never say a contradictory word against peace and brotherhood. While advocating for the laying down of arms, while advocating for the embrace of 86 million, our voices do not tremble. We are advocating for a process that is transparent, in front of everyone's eyes, with Turks and Kurds. We have stood against every move that would make the nation enemies with each other.

The Kurdish issue does not end with Mr. Bahçeli and Erdoğan saying 'there is no Kurdish issue.' You cannot solve this issue by offering freedom to one person and house arrest to one person without solving the equal citizenship issues that Kurds demand, which are in accordance with a peaceful constitution.

'LET'S MAKE KURDS THE OWNERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY'

I say once again that the TBMM is the focus, it is involved, and we are saying to 86 million, 'we are together, we are determined to do what is best for you.' I care about every step taken to reconcile 86 million.

Mr. Bahçeli, I also offer the Kurds a state. I offer the Kurds, who do not fully feel they belong to the state, the opportunity to become the owners of the Republic of Turkey. Let's make it a country where they do not feel like the 'other,' where all democratic political channels are kept open, where students' rights are not violated in universities, and where democratic rights are at world standards; let's make the Kurds the owners of the Republic of Turkey. As the founding party, we are here, and we offer to do everything together. I challenge you.

News Source: 12punto