Özgür Özel's proposal to Erdoğan: 'Let's hold an early election; if we lose, I will quit politics'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel has reiterated his call for an early election to AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Özel presented a proposal to Erdoğan to repeat the Istanbul elections, stating, "If we lose, I will quit politics, but if we win, let an early election be held."

Özel visited Müsavat Dervişoğlu, who was re-elected as Chairman at the IYI Party's 4th Ordinary Congress, at the IYI Party Headquarters.

Following the meeting, Dervişoğlu and Özel made statements.

Müsavat Dervişoğlu said, "I hope that our sensitivities regarding the Republic will be taken seriously by everyone."

Özel said the following:

"The CHP has gone through difficult days over the last year. During our worst days, we saw all the staff and the chairman of the IYI Party among those who were the first to share our pain.

On the other hand, society has continued to be crushed by every decision made or not made. As those who fight against a 20,000 lira pension, we feel the shame of this. While we feel shame, some are trying to maintain their power without any shame or embarrassment.

One should fear the commission we are not part of, not the one we are in.

We have stated that as the Republican People's Party, the pensioner, the worker, and the farmer have no hope left in this government in the coming period. We have once again expressed that the only hope is an early election."

"WHILE WE FEEL SHAME, THEY ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR POWER WITHOUT EMBARRASSMENT"

“Of course, within this difficult one-year process, while the judicial coup against the Republican People's Party and the character assassinations against our friends are being discussed, society has continued to be crushed a little more with every decision made or not made. I spoke about this upstairs as well. As those who stand against a 20,000 lira pension, who strive for its improvement, and who fight for it to be raised at least to the level of a minimum wage, we feel the shame of this 20,000 lira. But some continue to defend this without any shame or embarrassment. While we know how difficult it is to raise children, educate children, support a household, and find housing with a 28,000 lira minimum wage, and in these days when even four minimum wages cannot exceed the poverty line, while we feel shame, some are trying to maintain their power without any shame or embarrassment, as if nothing is wrong. We focused on these issues. We had the opportunity to discuss the struggle we are waging in Parliament, how deep the divergence is between us as opposition parties and the government, how different the country we dream of is from the country the AK Party imposes, and how our dreams keep us together.

"WE ARE WALKING IN DIFFERENT LANES WITH THE SAME GOOD INTENTIONS"

Besides this, regarding the solution process that the Chairman expressed his views on a moment ago, we had the opportunity to once again underline how the presence of the Republican People's Party is a guarantee for all segments that approach this process with concern, with our approach of 'One should fear the commission we are not part of, not the one we are in.' We also had the opportunity to evaluate and exchange views on all the risks in the picture that has emerged regarding America, Israel, what might happen in Iran in the coming period, the situation in Syria, and the dependency relationship Mr. Erdoğan has established with Trump, through which he seeks legitimacy there, in a situation where America and Britain are trying to make Turkey lose so that they can win. As the Republican People's Party, we have once again expressed our approach that the pensioner, the worker, the farmer, and the tradesman have no hope left in this government, and that the only hope is now an early election ballot box. As always, we were welcomed here with extreme warmth and exemplary hospitality. Our political journeys have passed through similar places. I hope that we will walk together in different lanes but with the same purpose and the same good intentions on the path that will ensure the change of government in Turkey and make everyone smile. May the path of Müsavat Chairman, his team, and the IYI Party be clear on this journey. I thank them once again. With the belief that their successes to date will continue, I wish them success in their duties."

"TRIALS HAVE BEGUN BUT THERE IS NO LIVE BROADCAST"

Responding to questions from members of the press after the statement, Chairman Özel said the following regarding the events at the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş" trial hearing and the issue of early elections:

“Dear friends, I was there yesterday. Identity checks were carried out on Tuesday, and the first trials began yesterday. Finally, our mayors have begun to make their defenses where they can put forward their own situations in the face of so many slanders and accusations. However, despite all this time that has passed, despite Mr. Bahçeli supporting it, despite Mr. Bahçeli supporting our initial demand for a live broadcast on one channel from TRT and all channels that wish to do so, and despite him expressing a positive opinion when this was asked to Mr. Erdoğan... I mean, the country's main opposition and the parties in power are saying this. No party in Parliament opposes their broadcast. But the trials have started here and there is no live broadcast. Unfortunately, slanders were thrown for nine months using all the means of the state, from TRT, the state television, to all the pro-government channels. We are deprived of a live broadcast to provide answers to the facts. First of all, this issue needs to be brought up and reminded to Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Erdoğan once again. You were saying 'live broadcast' in those days, why did you back down from this live broadcast these days? What did you think would be in the indictments? Did you think there was a bluff behind the Chairman of the great Republican People's Party trusting his mayors so much? Or did the blackmail fail? Here is the indictment. Questions are being asked, answers are being given. None of us would oppose the trial or punishment of anyone who has a fault or a mistake. But there is an indictment in front of us where none of the lies that they fanned for nine months, using the Anadolu Agency and TRT, these two distinguished institutions, these institutions of the Republic, as tools, are even included as allegations. Let alone proving any of the things they discussed on television day and night throughout the summer, they couldn't even allege them, let alone put forward the video recordings and audio recordings they mentioned to embarrass us. It is as if Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Erdoğan have withdrawn from behind the prosecutor and the indictment ever since they saw the indictments. They cannot find anything to defend.

"WOULD I ENTER THAT HALL IF THERE WAS ANYTHING TO EMBARRASS ME?"

What is my situation? My forehead is clear, my head is held high, just like on the first day. I am in that hall. If there were anything I heard in that hall that would embarrass me, could I enter that hall? Would they let me walk that path? Where are the microphones of A Haber, ATV, TGRT; those who trampled and fanned the flames of a slander for four magnificent hours? Where are their cameras? If those allegations were true, if there were images of the meetings where Ekrem Chairman and our friends entered with empty suitcases and left with dollars, could I walk on the street? If there were images of 2 million Euros coming out from under the floorboards at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality—I suppose it wouldn't fit under the floorboards here—could I go to that court? If those indictments existed, if these videos were in their attachments, if 1,200 mobile phones were bought and distributed to delegates as they said, if there was 560 billion in corruption, could I go to the end of this? Come on, let an AK Party deputy enter that hall. Let them listen to those allegations and say, 'Did you see what happened?' None of it exists, friends. That's why we won't be surprised by anything we see from today on.

"15 STATE GUARDS WERE GIVEN TO THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION LEADER"

It became physically clear yesterday. The mayors elected by the nation and the Chairman of the CHP, which the nation made the first party in the last election, enter through the nation's door. Those appointed by Mr. Tayyip enter through the other door. Those who cannot even put these slanders into the indictment and their confessor enter and exit through the same door. The doors are clear. Yesterday, deputies and representatives of the IYI Party, the Future Party, the DEVA Party, and various political parties came through the same door as us and sat in the same places in the search for justice and resistance against character assassination. We greeted each other, we received the greetings of our chairmen. Aziz İhsan Aktaş also entered through the 'door of the Erdoğans.' They entered through the door of those appointed by Mr. Erdoğan. They sat in the same place, they left through that door. The car I went there in belongs to my party. We all know who the car Aziz İhsan Aktaş arrived in belongs to. And they have given more guards around Aziz İhsan Aktaş than the state gives to the chairman of the main opposition party, they are protecting Aziz İhsan Aktaş. Who are you protecting from whom? Who are you letting in through which door? What is the business of 15 state guards around a person who is being tried for 770 years and is defined as a 'criminal organization leader' in the indictment? What is the justification for this person entering through the judge-prosecutor door? The justification is this: we are the side that Erdoğan sees as an adversary. He sees us as an enemy because we will remove him from power, and he is attacking us. Those he sees as friends enter through that door. Erdoğan's door is there, the nation's door is here.

"THEY ARE AT THE STATE'S DOOR, WE ARE AT THE NATION'S DOOR"

Let them continue to wear out the nation's door, and let them continue to shame the state's door. Let them continue to protect and shield Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is being tried for 770 years and is the person he allegedly bribed the most, and let them continue to bring him in through the judge-prosecutor door because the Aydın Metropolitan Mayor switched to the AK Party. The nation sees who uses its own door and who uses the door of betrayal, the door of slander, and the door of blackmail. If we had bowed down, if we had turned back as they said, if we had come to Ankara, if we had sat at the head of the party, if we had been on an opposition line they wanted, they would have been comfortable. We will continue to be in the squares, in the hearts of the nation, and to come and go through the nation's door. Let them bring the slanderers through the door they know.

"THEY SAY THEY ARE SEEKING JUSTICE WITH THIS TRIAL"

My answer to your other question is clear, I said it yesterday too. There is a judge, there is a panel. It has been designed by Erdoğan's 'AK Toroslar' gang. There is no principle of a natural judge. They were already giving two court numbers, it would fall to one of them. Imagine that it could fall to 40 courts, they have arranged two of them. Just like in the method I called the 'mobile guillotine' in the past, whichever court Akın Gürlek was placed in, critical cases would fall to that court. There were two courts, they made it fall to the one they said. They had already arranged the panel in advance. The prosecutor is already in their hands. They are conducting a trial from here. The indictment is falling apart piece by piece. And they say they are seeking justice with this trial. I tell Erdoğan that 60 percent of the nation believes this case is political. You will try to judge Ekrem Chairman in some way, in this way.

CALL TO ERDOĞAN FOR ISTANBUL ELECTIONS

Let's do something like this... You know he says, 'They didn't manage Istanbul well,' they put it on billboards. He says to the nation, 'It's going from your life.' On the other hand, he says, 'Sir, they stole, they embezzled, but we can't find it, we can't prove it.' It has been revealed with official documents that there is not a single penny of public loss in all the subsidiaries of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and in the municipality itself. He still throws a lot of slander and accuses us. I say, 'Then the thing to do is simple. I want an early election, you don't want to go for it.' 360 deputies are needed. We don't have that number. Or he has to make the decision, he doesn't do that either. But I can do something. If Erdoğan is up for it, I am ready to have all my municipal council members in Istanbul resign simultaneously with Erdoğan and renew the Istanbul elections. If he has the courage, let the Istanbulites make the decision. If they believe Erdoğan, if they believe Ekrem Chairman is guilty, they will vote for the candidate Erdoğan will show. I will quit politics that day. My candidate for the Istanbul local election to be held on Sunday, March 29, is Ekrem İmamoğlu. If the Istanbulites think differently than they did two years ago, if they don't elect Ekrem Chairman, I will quit politics. Ekrem Chairman will quit politics. Let them come and play.

I claim that we will win that election not by 1 million, but by 1.5 million votes. Let them come, let's renew that election. I have one condition. If we win the Istanbul election, they will get off our backs. They will immediately bring the early election ballot box. We are ready to take over the administration in Turkey. Erdoğan was a politician who made claims. For years, before every election he would enter, he used to say, 'I will be the first party, if I don't, I will quit politics.' He would turn around and say, 'I am telling Devlet Bahçeli, who took over the duty from the late Türkeş and squatted there.' 'Will you quit if you don't become the first party?' He would turn and call out to the Chairman of the Republican People's Party. 'Will you quit?' Now I am saying: I am the first party. Let's renew the elections in Istanbul on Sunday, March 29. I am offering you the municipalities I have. Come, let's compete. If you win the election, I am out. If I win, let's go to an early election. Are you in? I want a clear answer from Erdoğan to such a clear question."

News Source: 12punto