Kılıçdaroğlu at the CHP group podium after 3 years: 'This Kemal will not bow before any power'

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was brought to the Chairmanship following the appellate court's ruling of absolute nullity regarding the CHP convention where Özgür Özel was elected chairman, spoke at the CHP's TBMM group meeting for the first time after an interval of nearly 3 years.

Before Kılıçdaroğlu, Özgür Özel, the leader of the new main opposition party and General Chairman of the New Party who resigned from the CHP, spoke at his party's first group meeting.

Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, took the podium in Parliament for the first time since the ruling of absolute nullity and 3 years after his speech where he said, "This is my last meeting in this group."

Here are the highlights from Kılıçdaroğlu's speech:

"This Kemal will not bow before any power. We need to take to the field again with a strong will.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has a very beautiful sentence. The Republic is, above all, the protector of the unprotected. Members of the Republican People's Party must be the protectors of those unprotected. We must be together, with women, men, the elderly, and the youth. We must be together. We are with those whom society has forgotten, whom the media has forgotten, and whom those who do politics with whiskey glasses in their homes have forgotten. Do those people have problems regarding Turkey? Yes, they do. Do they have problems regarding themselves? Yes, they do. But we are by their side to solve those problems. We will not leave anyone alone. Because we are the Republican People's Party. Because we are the party of the people whom politics has forgotten. We are the party of the people whom politics has forgotten.

Just recently, I went to see seasonal agricultural workers in Ankara. There are one and a half million agricultural workers. One and a half million. They come with their children, the elderly, and the young. They are the main actors of agriculture. If they do not harvest the products, they cannot bring products to the market. I listened to their troubles. I was with them. I was with their children. They have left their schools. I am calling out to the Minister of National Education from here. Let them go and take care of those children's education. I am calling out to the Minister of Health. Let them take care of the health problems of those there. Look, no one can do this except the CHP. No one goes. They are not even aware of them. But we are in communication with every segment of society. When they have a problem, they definitely call the CHP.

The party is the people's party. We are the CHP. We are a deep-rooted party. We do not know how to steal or embezzle. We have nothing to do with such things. Our only concern is the people, the people. We are the Republican People's Party. We are the People's Party. We do not make anyone's identity a subject of politics. We do not make anyone's belief a subject of politics. We do not make anyone's lifestyle a subject of politics. Every citizen has a place on my head. We said we would crown our Republic with democracy.

I also held a press conference about this yesterday. How is Turkey's fundamental problem solved, how should it be solved? We also explained our thoughts on this. We will remove all obstacles in front of thought and freedom of expression. Let no one worry. Under a CHP government, neither Selahattin Demirtaş will remain in prison, nor will Can Atalay, nor will Tayfun Kahraman, nor will Osman Kavala. Neither will Selçuk Mızraklı, nor will lawyers remain in prisons. If there is no right, no law, no justice in this country, where will the country go?

News Source: 12punto