Joint statement from CHP provincial chairs: It is not independent of the 'bigger fish' process

The 81 provincial chairs of the Republican People's Party (CHP) issued a joint press statement against the allegations and investigations targeting the CHP. The statement emphasized the party's deep-rooted history and underscored the CHP's commitment to democratic values.

The statement noted that the party's 38th Ordinary Congress was completed through a democratic process, emphasizing that attempts at character assassination regarding this process are unacceptable. It was stated that the congress was an important turning point demonstrating the functioning of intra-party democracy, adding, "No power can place a mortgage on the will of the CHP organization."

"THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT ACCEPT THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE"

The CHP provincial chairs stated that instead of accepting the results of the March 31, 2024 local elections, the government is attempting to pressure the opposition. The statement included the following: "The indictments against our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, the attacks on our mayors, and the attempts to cut off the resources of our municipalities are part of this goal."

Furthermore, it was argued that the investigation launched into the CHP congress is an attempt to design politics in court corridors, and it was claimed that these processes bear similarities to the methods of structures that have been trying to steer Turkish politics since 2010.

"OUR PLACE IS WITH THE PEOPLE"

The CHP provincial chairs stated that they will continue to bring the people's fundamental problems to the agenda, expressing their determination to fight against economic difficulties, unemployment, and poverty. The statement said, "We will continue to talk about the palace's luxury spending, the people's cost-of-living crisis, and injustices. Our path is the path of the people, and our place is with the people."

The following statements were included in the continuation of the statement:

The Republican People's Party is Turkey's most deep-rooted political force with a hundred-year history of struggle. Knowing this, evil centers are making unlawful, unscrupulous attacks on our party, the main opposition, and are trying to organize character assassinations. These attacks are against our party's founding values and the millions of fellow travelers we represent. These attacks are against the reason for the existence of a democratic society, the rule of law, and the free will of our citizens. These attacks are being made to besiege the opposition and narrow its room for maneuver.

We evaluate the indictments against our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, the attacks on our mayors, and the attempts to cut off our municipalities' resources in this context.

The latest link in these attacks is the baseless attempts aimed at smearing our recent congress, which are destined to remain fruitless.

Our congress was a great festival of democracy that proved that the administration can change as a result of an intra-party democratic competition, in a way that will be remembered as a milestone in Turkish political history. We are the owners of a great historical legacy that founded the Republic of Turkey, transitioned to multi-party democracy, and handed over power to its political rival in peace and as required by democracy following elections.

In the light of this historical legacy and our strong belief in democracy, we would like to express that, as in all our congresses, the free will of our congress delegates was manifested in our 38th Ordinary Congress in a way that leaves no room for doubt. No smear attempt can change this truth. Anything else is nothing but an insult to the history and identity of the Republican People's Party. Attacking and smearing this historical legacy for short-term political interests only diminishes the attacker.

In the first elections we entered after the congress, we became Turkey's leading party after 47 years, with a result that revealed that the hope we gave to the people had become socialized.

We know that the reason for all the attacks we face today is our local election success on March 31, 2024. We know very well that the attacks stem from the fact that we continue to be the leading party. Unlike the government, we have seen and continue to see being the leading party not as a success, but as an important responsibility to serve our citizens.

The government, on the other hand, insists on a political understanding that fights against the people's preferences, aims to usurp the people's will, and declares war on the people, instead of accepting the people's preferences and learning lessons from them.

The mentality that is settling scores with the will of our delegates and the people in prosecutors' offices today is precisely this mentality.

The file in the investigation stage regarding our congress is nothing but the desperation of a mentality trying to design politics in court corridors, hoping for help from a madman. We know that this file is not independent of the process being carried out in Istanbul, which is referred to as the 'bigger fish is in the bag'.

The government, which has no chance of pulling the country out of the multiple crises it has dragged it into, is becoming more aggressive by the day.

We know that the purpose of these attacks is primarily to prevent our party's rise and to create an environment of fear and insecurity among the people. This style of attack is exactly the same as the methods of FETÖ, which has been trying to direct Turkish politics since 2010!

We have seen this game before!

Let no one have any doubt that we have the power, strength, and political will to render these attacks fruitless! Our organization will never allow this. The 81 provincial chairs will never allow this.

No power can place a mortgage on the will of the CHP organization! The Congress is the highest body of the Republican People's Party and is the honor and pride of every party member.

Some of the 81 provincial chairs present here supported our former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and some supported our Chairman Özgür Özel in a democratic manner.

Even though we made different choices in the intra-party democratic competition, from the moment the congress results were announced, as 81 provincial chairs, we have been walking shoulder to shoulder on the journey to power, as one body and one heart. Under the leadership of our Chairman Özgür Özel, all our organizations, youth branches, and women's branches have continued to keep our party standing tall as the leading party, all together.

In this process, we are aware of the political front being attempted to be established to weaken our party. We call on our organization to be of one voice against the powers trying to design politics in the courts!

Let our great organization and our people know that our struggle is for Turkey's bright future. It is for the end of unemployment, poverty, and injustices.

We will continue to talk about the real agenda of the people on the streets and in the squares. We will change the broken order of the palace, where 6 thousand people's worth of food waste is produced daily, together with mothers who go to evening markets for cheap food, with laborers who take the fruit they saved from their lunch at the factory to their child at home, and with retirees who are excluded from life. We will destroy the order of those who go abroad in plane convoys with fathers whose shoes let in water. Our path is the path of the people. Our place is with the people. We will continue to be side by side with our people on the street. There is no salvation alone, either all together or none of us.

News Source: 12punto