Özgür Özel's harsh reaction to the 'hand-kissing' incident: 'You have grabbed the hand of the wrong state...'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke at his party's TBMM Group Meeting.

JULY 15 STATEMENT

Highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

"Those who aimed at the will of the people on July 15 struck at democracy and were repelled. The CHP is undoubtedly a structure that has a historical hostility toward the mentioned terrorist organization and the mentioned community. For years, we fought against them and pointed out the dangers. The records of this parliament exist, starting with the late Kamer Genç, with warning speeches pointing out the mistakes made. The things we heard in return are full of expressions that are of no use to anyone today, but which embrace that distorted structure, that treacherous structure. At the point we have reached today, I would like to remind you that in the coup attempt on July 15, which by its nature is always directed against the government, the whole country and the whole world turned to look at the opposition and looked into the eyes of the main opposition.

'WE STAND WITH DEMOCRACY'

That night, we gathered at the headquarters with 16 of our friends and said, "The Parliament is closed today, let's demand that it be opened. Let's go and protect it." We were the ones who proposed the opening of the Parliament, and Mr. İsmail Kahraman was the one who opened it; we met here. We were the group that showed the clearest stance against the coup with the attitude of our Chairman, Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who entered the Parliament together, resisted the coup, and when we reached him after he landed in Istanbul very late and with difficulty. Bülent Tezcan connected to CNN's live broadcast and said, 'It is time to protect democracy, it is time to get on top of the tanks.' Levent Gök and Tekin Bingöl called for resistance against the coup. All our deputies who were there that day and all our deputies in their provinces protected democracy, the Parliament, and the will of the people. Because we know that if someone was going to be a one-man ruler in this country, if they were going to use all the powers, there was only one person who could deserve it, who could be excused; they asked Mustafa Kemal, who first convinced Anatolia to salvation during the invasion of 7 countries, then risked death to save it himself, and then rebuilt this country, 'Will you continue with the sultanate, from the Yıldız Palace, or will you declare a kingdom, or will you adopt a US-style presidency?' He referred to the parliament he established before the salvation, to April 23, 1920, and brought to this country not a one-man regime, but democracy, the will of the people, which we are trying to protect today despite all its flaws. No one in this country could covet anything that Atatürk did not covet. It does not matter if the person doing this is Fethullah Gülen, it does not matter who wants to be a one-man ruler; we are against it, we are behind democracy.

'WE NEVER ACCEPT THE KISSING OF HANDS OR HEMS'

Sometimes they say; 'Doesn't the CHP still talk about a strengthened parliamentary system?' I say it clearly, this party has proposals for how to manage this country on every issue, for workers, laborers, journalists, freedom of the press, to support the struggle for rights at the highest levels of democratic standards, for agriculture, national education, foreign policy, and the defense industry; it will emphasize how it will manage this country with all transparency, step by step, towards the upcoming election. For the management system of this country, the CHP's unwavering preference is a strong parliament, a parliamentary system. Let no one have any doubts about this.

We see that those who hung Atatürk pictures on buildings that were never hung on July 15, and those who said we made a mistake and looked at loyalty, not merit, are now repeating the same mistakes. That is why I underline the importance of well-trained, qualified staff and loyalty to the state, not to communities, parties, or individuals. I say this to a confused person I saw yesterday; you have misunderstood being a state police officer, you have grabbed the hand of the wrong state. Showing respect to a politician is fine. How that politician responds to this and how much they allow is their own choice. But we never accept that someone who receives a salary from this state, who should serve for the entirety of this nation, with their uniform and authority on them, should bow down to the representation of a part of politics, a small part of it, in this country, or kiss hands or hems, period."

'THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY BELONGS TO ALL OF US'

I find it correct to remind a civil servant of the requirements of the duty they have undertaken when they grab the hand of a political leader, regardless of which one of us is the interlocutor. Any other approach is to put dynamite at the foundation of this state, which you sanctify so much and in which you are actually far behind us in terms of respect and commitment. No one has the right to do this. The police are our police, the soldiers are our soldiers. The Republic of Turkey belongs to all of us. It is no one's private property.

THE DISASTER IN IZMIR

Regarding the incident in Izmir where two people lost their lives, we gave the following instruction to our Izmir Metropolitan Mayor in the first minute; we will be in a firm stance to ensure that those responsible are identified and punished in full cooperation with the prosecutors, and we will do whatever falls to us. We are following the matter with this self-confidence, this belief, and this approach. Whoever is at fault in this matter will be punished. We will not be among those who hinder the search for justice, but among those who seek justice alongside the families. As the CHP Chairman, I promise you all in front of everyone.

'ESTABLISH THIS COMMISSION'

We will submit a proposal for the establishment of a Parliamentary Research Commission on this issue. I am calling out to those who say no to everything when an accident happens, for fear that it might touch us, to the AKP and MHP. Maybe it will touch us. Raise your hands, let's prevent deaths. Establish this commission.

'THERE IS NO OTHER COUNTRY WHERE LIFE IS SO CHEAP'

We are number one in the world in work accidents. Behind us is neither Eritrea, nor Morocco, nor Mozambique. We are number one. We are also second after Malaysia in deaths from work accidents. In no other country in the world is life so cheap and death so easy. No one dies to cool off in the summer or to warm up in the winter. Death is rampant in traffic, on the street, on the sidewalk, on the balcony. In no other country in the world do people die from stove gas poisoning. There is no other country where 800 people die by drowning each year. It is impossible to explain this situation in a country where 500 people die each year from gas leaking from a water heater or from fake alcohol. In no other country in the world do people drown in minibuses on viaducts. There is no other country where life is so cheap and death is so easy.

News Source: 12punto