CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: “You can’t tell a microbe why it carries disease.”

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met with citizens in Susurluk. Criticizing the People’s Alliance, Özel compared HÜDA PAR, which wants to abolish Article 4 of the Constitution, to a germ. Özel stated, “Alliances with this and that. The best alliance is our alliance. The alliance we have with the people. The Turkey Alliance. But on one side, there is the People’s Alliance. One of the components of the People’s Alliance is HÜDA PAR. Who is HÜDA PAR? HÜDA PAR is the one that says not to leave women homeless like street animals but to let someone adopt them. They were silent during the election, but now they are speaking. They say, ‘We are against Article 4 of the Constitution.’ What does Article 4 say? ‘The characteristics of the Republic of Turkey, its flag, the National Anthem, and its capital.’ Atatürk made Ankara the capital; they are against Ankara being the capital. They are against the flag soaked in the blood of martyrs. We recite the National Anthem in unison. They are against the National Anthem. We say the Republic of Turkey. They are against the Republic. I have no words for HÜDA PAR. You cannot ask a germ why it causes disease. A germ is a germ.”

Özel also targeted MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, saying, “On Tayyip’s right side is HÜDA PAR, and on his other side is Devlet Bahçeli. I ask Devlet Bahçeli, what do you say about HÜDA PAR? Who is with whom? That is why those who exploit national feelings, religious sentiments while collecting votes by mentioning the homeland, the nation, the flag, the call to prayer are giving a nod to those who are against the people’s flag, the National Anthem, and Ankara being the capital where Anıtkabir is located. They are patting them on the back. The hat has fallen; the baldness has appeared. If Aleppo is there, the yardstick is here. The guarantee of this nation’s unity, togetherness, the flag, and the call to prayer is the Republican People’s Party.”

Criticizing the state terrorism perpetrated by Israel for a year, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel claimed that the government was silent for months with great political negligence and shamelessness against state terrorism and continued trade with Israel. Özel said, “They denied this many times but were caught. In the end, they barely stopped it. They are still trying to open a path from behind.”

Özel also referred to the speech made by the Speaker of the Parliament at the funeral of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was martyred in Israel, saying, “Recently, I attended the funeral of a leftist girl, a socialist girl, in Didim. Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi went there to support the Palestinian cause. The murderers shot Ayşenur in the back of her neck with a bullet. We were in contact with the family for days, concerned with the funeral. The next day, we went to the funeral. Those who had not seen this until that moment came to the funeral with five ministers. May God bless them all. They came with the Vice President and the Speaker of the Parliament. We were pleased. We said let there be unity and solidarity. Let us all stand together for Palestine. Suddenly, we saw that they had set up a podium. Who would speak, the Vice President or the Speaker of the Parliament? There was no one else. Our child has become a part of Turkey, our struggle has become Turkey’s struggle. While we value this unity, they attempted to politicize it. Greetings to our organization through our district organization. They did not allow that political acrobatics at that place, they did not let them set up that podium there. But can these games end? We sat down, prayed, and made our supplications. Just as we were about to send off the funeral, the religious official did it as a fait accompli, took the microphone, and pretended to be neutral. If he were neutral, he would be neutral in the Parliament. The Speaker of the Parliament was supposed to speak neutrally on behalf of all of us at the funeral, but when he goes to Ankara, he will not step out of Tayyip’s orders. Such neutrality should not exist. I told them they did wrong and should be ashamed. I said that what you are doing is not standing up for the Palestinian cause. And I told them not to involve the religious official in this. Everyone is reproaching the Speaker of the Parliament; they are condemning what has been done. Therefore, no matter how much injustice we suffer, we will do confident politics without leaving the ground of righteousness, without leaving the field to them, but also not letting them get away with what they have done.”

Özel stated that with the establishment of the Republican People’s Party, the calls to prayer were recited again, saying, “Despite all its difficulties, the nation gave one last vote to some by being deceived by them. They were saying they would silence the call to prayer, while the municipalities of the Republican People’s Party are building the mosque that was lacking in the village. I go to the openings of some, I go to the groundbreakings of others. Our MPs did not give the promotional rights of the muezzins and imams. I was struggling; now our MPs are struggling. The Diyanet-Sen union is coming to submit files from the Directorate of Religious Affairs. They say, ‘Our voice is heard when you speak our grievances.’ Defending the rights of the muezzin and imam of this blessed mosque is also the duty of the Republican People’s Party. They say they will silence the call to prayer. Oh, those who do not know themselves, the Greeks, the French, the Italians, and the occupying forces had silenced the call to prayer. Those who established this party had the call to prayer recited again.”

Continuing his speech, Özel said:

“Those who do not prevent unemployment, cannot lower the dollar, and cannot reduce prices will go to the ballot box. You cannot escape. If there is no livelihood, there is an election. Now none of them is around. Who has emerged? Bilal Erdoğan. Bilal Erdoğan worked over the weekend. He went around, talked. Look, if Bilal Erdoğan is on the ground, there are two possibilities: One, things are not going well in the AK Party, two, the results will be worse than they expect, believe me. How do I know? The 2019 local elections. Ekrem İmamoğlu won the first election; they could not digest it. They took the country to the second election. Bilal Erdoğan is wandering in Fatih. Bilal Erdoğan is wandering in Bakırköy. Bilal Erdoğan is wandering in Eyüpsultan. Bilal Erdoğan will win the election for Binali Bey. I swear, on election night, they sent Binali Bey away in a car at 7:05, together with Süleyman Soylu, early. That is why if Bilal Erdoğan is on the ground, it means things are bad.”