CHP leader Özgür Özel speaks in Kocaeli: 'We believe in the Turkey Alliance'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel attended the candidate introduction meeting for the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities.

Speaking at the meeting, Özgür Özel said the following:

"We know the history of these two cities from the perspective of the Republican People's Party, we are living their present, and there is very important work we must do for their futures. One of these cities is Gaziantep. One of them is Kocaeli. With its potential, the very important work we have done in municipal governance in the past, and the fact that despite being a city of labor, the unions are not in the expected state at the point we have reached today, there are shortcomings and weaknesses in terms of the labor struggle, but on the other hand, it is suitable for organizing or for solidarity with existing organizations. In Kocaeli, where I believe there is much work to be done regarding labor receiving its due and thus the rights of this city, left-wing social democratic values will come to the fore. It will be in solidarity with labor and labor organizations. While doing this, I have very serious hopes for Atasoy Bilgin, who draws the profile of a metropolitan mayoral candidate who will engage in real social leadership on the point of demanding rights and fighting for the city together, with good dialogue and good interaction, not hostility toward wealth or fighting with the business world, and for this city. I am behind him with all my strength and all my support."

CRITICISM OF EARTHQUAKE HOUSING

Özel continued his words as follows:

"They said they would build 650 thousand houses 3 days after the earthquake. 45 days after the earthquake, they revised this statement and said that 319 thousand houses would be delivered within one year. Today, the number of houses they have delivered in the earthquake zone so far is 45 thousand 977. They have been able to deliver only 15 percent of the promise they revised themselves, and only 7 percent of the 650 thousand houses they stated were needed. We see that those who govern this country no longer have a city vision, no longer have a disaster vision, or in fact never had one, and that in the election held after the earthquake, by scaring and deceiving people, saying 'If we are not here, they cannot build the houses. They cannot finish them in a year,' they got their votes, but only 46 thousand of them are in their homes, while 604 thousand people are in misery. As the Republican People's Party, with all our being, with our entire organization, with all our strength, we will first win the March 31 elections, and then we will hold them accountable one by one."

"THE DOORS OF THE TURKEY ALLIANCE ARE OPEN TO KURDS, TURKS, LAZS, AND CIRCASSIANS"

We exist against them with a much larger alliance. We exist with the Turkey Alliance, which embraces all of Turkey, which says 'An old friend does not become an enemy,' and which embraces Turkey together with all the democrats of this country—not just social democrats, but conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, Turks, Kurds, Lazs, and Circassians. We believe in the Turkey Alliance. The Turkey Alliance is an alliance of hope, love, and brotherhood, not of fear, blackmail, and threats like the People's Alliance. The color of the Turkey Alliance is not the dark, gray color of the People's Alliance's rain clouds, but red and white, the colors of the crescent and star flag. The doors of the Turkey Alliance's mayoral candidates are wide open to Kurds, Turks, Lazs, and Circassians. The Turkey Alliance rejects discrimination. The Turkey Alliance embraces all of Turkey together.

TURKEY WILL WIN

We will not be afraid, but we will not be among those who cause fear. However, against this understanding that covers up murders and alliances so they are not shaken, arm in arm with these criminal organizations, and against that alliance of fear that tries to stay afloat by holding onto each other with one hand on illegal organizations and the other on foreign connections, those who do not fear, do not remain silent, do not surrender, and do not lose hope will win Kocaeli and will also win Turkey. The colors of the Turkey Alliance are red and white. We have an alliance that upholds all 6 arrows but also embraces the entirety of Turkey, knows and sees the value of all colors in Turkey, sees this as a wealth, embraces all colors, draws strength from here, and speaks with hope about Turkey's story from a century ago, taking it as an example, against fake nationalists who learn nationalism and conservatism from each other and deceive the nation by saying they are a nationalist-conservative alliance."

"THEY HAVE NEITHER THE POWER NOR THE COURAGE TO DEFEAT THE TURKEY ALLIANCE"

Touching upon the March 31 elections, Özgür Özel continued his words as follows:

"Now, the Turkey Alliance needs to embrace this Turkey once again, save this homeland again, introduce this republic to democracy again, establish democracy, and make this country a livable place. We will achieve this with its step in Kocaeli, with the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and the municipalities you will win, by keeping the municipalities we have on March 31, by getting stronger and winning new municipalities. By balancing the power in the central government from the local level together, and then by raising the power and unity of the opposition arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, and by fending off all the threats we face together. The flag of the Turkey Alliance that will do this is here. Its colors are red and white. They have neither the power nor the courage to defeat the Turkey Alliance. We are not afraid of them. We are not taking a step back. We are not speaking a word less. We are right, we will win. I trust you, I believe in you. I expect you to win this election. Win this election, change Kocaeli's bad luck, and restore it to the social municipalism it deserves. The candidates are entrusted to you. We expect all of you to win this election."

News Source: İHA