Özgür Özel comments on mayoral candidate's 'DEM Party' remarks

Visiting the provincial headquarters before a rally held in Bilecik, Özgür Özel responded to questions from members of the press. 

Addressing the remarks made yesterday by mayoral candidate Burcu Köksal in Afyonkarahisar, where she stated, 'Our doors are open to everyone except the DEM Party,' Özel characterized the issue as unfortunate. In the continuation of his remarks on the subject, Özel stated the following:

“There is a commitment document that all of our mayoral candidates in 81 provinces across Turkey and in over 1,150 electoral districts where we are participating in the elections will sign. It is the Republican People's Party's equality policy document for local governments. 

An unfortunate process took place in Afyon yesterday. While our mayoral candidate was trying to answer a question about who she would manage the municipality with locally, the situation drifted into an expression as if discrimination would be practiced against a portion of the voters. Of course, a number of opportunists also trampled on this for a long time. 

But this is not something that happened overnight; it is a preparation that has been going on for months. It shows how sensitive, how prepared, and how confident the Republican People's Party is on these issues. We have the Republican People's Party equality policy in local governments in our hands. There is a commitment document that states that Republican People's Party mayors will fight primarily for gender equality and lists this in 9 articles. 

This document is a commitment that each of our mayors will stand against all forms of inequality, primarily intervening in discrimination between men and women and gender inequality, and that they will not discriminate in any way against citizens who apply to them for municipal services, pledging equal services to be provided to everyone regardless of race, sect, belief, or political preference.

With this document, Republican People's Party mayors are declaring their will today by signing the commitment regarding the point of gender equality and the fight against inequalities and gender inequalities.”

News Source: İHA