CHP Chairman Özel calls on President Erdoğan regarding ‘refugees’.

CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chairman Özgür Özel stated, “I am addressing Erdoğan from here; now that Assad has also issued an amnesty, you must withdraw these decrees and regulations you have issued. It is necessary for the Syrians to return to their country and not consume the resources of this country anymore.”

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met with citizens in Kırıkkale as part of the “People’s Meetings”. He first visited the provincial headquarters of his party and then moved to the office of the Mayor, Av. Ahmet Önal. Here, Özel held a closed meeting with representatives of civil society organizations, and then addressed the citizens in front of the municipal building.

Özel stated that he has raised the issues of retirees in every one of the 105 rallies he has held so far, saying, “The adjustment law applied before the year 2000, which was not applied in subsequent years, the expectations regarding tax refunds, and the high deductions from their salaries in the health sector, as well as the transportation issues faced by those over 65 years old are all problems. But the most significant challenge is the state of retirement pensions. We all know that when the AK Party came to power, on November 3, 2002, the lowest pension was at the level of 1.5 minimum wages. Tayyip Bey said, ‘I will not let you be crushed by inflation. I will raise salaries according to inflation.’ What did he do? He calculated based on TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute). What does TÜİK mean? It stands for the initials of the statistical institute that does not upset Tayyip. It did not upset Tayyip, but it upset the retirees. Over the years, retirees have suffered greatly. If they had not interfered, the lowest pension would have remained at the level of 1.5 minimum wages.”

“In Turkey, the gold account is infallible”

Özel also touched on the issue of minimum wage, stating, “According to today’s minimum wage, it would have been exactly 26,000 TL even compared to the minimum wage we do not like. But today it is 12,500 lira. Every calculation can be wrong, but the gold account in Turkey is infallible. When Tayyip Bey came to power, the lowest pension could buy 8 quarter gold coins. Today, with the lowest pension of 12,500 lira, one can buy 2.5 quarter gold coins. Let’s put our hands on our conscience, let’s talk together; where is that 2.5 quarter gold you buy with 12,500 lira, and where is the 8 quarter gold that was bought 20 years ago? There is a jeweler across the street; if a retiree buys a quarter gold from there and puts it in his pocket, when he gets home and sees that the gold is lost, he will immediately look back at the road he passed. Not just one retiree, but every retiree is losing 5.5 gold coins, not once, but every month from their pockets. Where is something searched? It is found where it is lost. The loss of going from 8 quarter gold to 2.5 quarter gold is what you lost in the ballot box established on November 3, 2002. Now, are you going to the new ballot box to find what you have lost?”

“I thank all democrats in Turkey”

Stating that CHP must come to power to solve Turkey’s problems, Özel said, “Then the struggles of retirees will be resolved, the struggles of minimum wage earners will be resolved, the problems of shopkeepers who have lowered their shutters without a first sale will be resolved, the issues of those selling their products below cost because they cannot receive support will be resolved, and the problems of those who cannot produce milk and are forced to sell their animals with tears in their eyes will be resolved. For those days to come, this government must go. I mentioned an important coalition for both Kırıkkale and Turkey in the March 31 elections. I said that we cannot solve these problems alone, and we cannot win this election alone. But if you believe, if you trust, if we establish a great coalition, we will win together. The name of that coalition was the Turkey Coalition. That coalition included social democrats, conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, and Kurdish democrats. As long as they respect their nation, their flag, and Atatürk. All democrats participated in the Turkey Coalition, and together on March 31, they made Atatürk’s party the first party with 38% of the votes after 47 years. I thank all democrats in Turkey.”

“On October 1, they came to the parliament and said, ‘Israel will attack Turkey'”

Özel also spoke about the special session held in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and the additional tax on credit cards, saying, “There is an understanding that calculates to distract attention with ‘Look at the magician,’ to prevent discussions on poverty, unemployment, and helplessness, and even to steal money from your pocket while you are looking at the magician. On October 1, they came to the parliament and said, ‘Israel will attack Turkey.’ We said, ‘Who is Israel, and who is attacking Turkey? With this powerful army, with 83 million people who would not hesitate to die if necessary, and with the descendants of those who lie unburied in Conkbayırı and Anafartalar, how could this Israel, Netanyahu, attack us?’

“Unfortunately, we were right”

Özel also reacted to the privatization of the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), continuing his speech as follows: “According to the 2022 activity report, it has dropped to 2,952. The Mechanical and Chemical Institute they privatized that day was the 90th company in Turkey according to the Istanbul Chamber of Industry’s (ISO) annually announced ISO Top 500 List; it fell to 121 in the following year, to 137 in 2022, and to 181 in 2023. This year, it is at risk of staying outside the top 200. According to the statement of the Petrol-İş union, which resisted with us that day, after the company structure was established, occupational health and safety measures at MKE decreased, and accidents and occupational diseases increased. Currently, there are not only occupational health and safety issues at the Mechanical and Chemical Industry but also low wage problems. Unfortunately, we were right. I wish it had turned out as they said; that privatization would benefit this city.”

Özel said that the refugee issue in Turkey is a result of poor foreign policy, stating, “I am addressing Erdoğan from here; now that Assad has also issued an amnesty, you must withdraw these decrees and regulations you have issued. It is necessary for the Syrians to return to their country and not consume the resources of this country anymore. Our call from here is once again to Erdoğan. Every home is beautiful, every homeland is beautiful. Our poor are sufficient for us, our unemployed are sufficient for us; this matter must end now.”

“If there is no livelihood from now on, there will be elections”

At the end of his statements, Özel emphasized that the Turkey Coalition must be re-established in the upcoming elections and called on voters. Highlighting the economic difficulties, Özel said, “I ask retirees in the upcoming elections; is there a livelihood in Kırıkkale? I ask workers and shopkeepers; is there a livelihood? Well, if there is no livelihood from now on, there will be elections.”