Özgür Özel: I Will Die but Never Bow Down

CHP Group Leader Özgür Özel claimed that the ruling party is pressuring CHP during his speech in Tokat’s Erbaa district, commenting on Ekrem İmamoğlu and the ballot process...

Scraper SystemJune 05, 2026, 11:09 PM

Özgür Özel: I Will Die but Never Bow Down

CHP Group Leader Özgür Özel, speaking at a public meeting in Tokat’s Erbaa district, accused the ruling party of applying political pressure on CHP, stating, "First they took our presidential candidate, now they are trying to take our party. They are attacking the party’s chairman. You can remove us from office on paper with judicial coups.

You can send the state police after us, throw us out of buildings. But as long as this nation embraces us, you will never get rid of us. I swear I will not stop; I will die but never bow down. I will not stop until this system changes, until we bring our party to power, until this government changes," he said.

Özel addressed a large crowd at the public meeting held in Tokat’s Erbaa district. He shared examples from his visits to the Black Sea and Central Anatolia regions, mentioning the strong interest from citizens. "In Trabzon, a crowd, a heartfelt embrace, a strong support... From there we went to Gümüşhane, supported our candidate in Tekke town, and embraced the people of Tekke.

We set out from Gümüşhane, planning to hold a rally in Çevrecik, Tokat, and everywhere we went, people blocked the roads, greeted us, supported us. On the way to Amasya, they said, ‘There is such a large crowd in Erbaa, please give a greeting.’ Where did this crowd come from? How wonderful you all are. I embrace each of you individually. My mother is here; I kiss her hands.

I warmly embrace my brothers and the youth. I am glad you exist," he said. "We lost the elections because we did not nominate the winner of Istanbul" Özel referred to the May 14, 2023 elections and commented on Ekrem İmamoğlu: "If we came here for a rally, this Erbaa would not make us miss Kadıköy, Çankaya, Konak, or Bornova. Today, we are all standing in the right place in history.

We protect the ballot box, the greatest achievement of the republic entrusted by Atatürk, the right to vote and be elected, and those you elect. The Justice and Development Party entered the ballot box for years, got elected, and governed. Everything was fine when they won elections; the national will was always honored. Unfortunately, we could never be the first party in 47 years. We had never defeated the Justice and Development Party in 23 years.

But after the last defeat, when we set out, I made a promise to the women’s branches, to those inside and outside the party who cried on election nights, to those who were upset, to those who fell ill after the election, to the youth who were too discouraged to go outside. I said, ‘CHP will change, Turkey will change.’

I promised that just as Bülent Ecevit made his party the first party in the elections he entered in the 1970s, we will either be first in the elections we enter or we will leave this duty. I entered an election as the party leader. On March 31, 2024, after 47 years, we made CHP the first party. Everything happened after that. Because Tayyip Erdoğan knew one thing: whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey.

We won Istanbul in 2019, but we did not nominate the winner of Istanbul, and unfortunately, we lost the elections. I never said I would be the candidate myself. Whoever will win will be the candidate, and CHP will come to power," he said.

"First they took our presidential candidate, now they are trying to take our party" Özel also addressed allegations regarding Ekrem İmamoğlu’s arrest and diploma cancellation: "We said our candidate would be determined by our 2 million members, we would set up a ballot box. Four days before setting up that ballot box, they both arrested Mayor Ekrem and canceled his diploma. We set up the ballot box, and there were queues.

We determined the presidential candidate with 15.5 million people. Erdoğan is staging a coup against the president who will succeed him. Erdoğan is staging a coup to get rid of the party that defeated his party, and a coup in Turkish politics to get rid of the chairman who defeated him. First they took our presidential candidate, now they are trying to take our party. They are attacking the party’s chairman.

We must turn anger into energy, energy into struggle. Something is happening, don’t you see? Erbaa has risen, Tokat has risen, Gümüşhane, Trabzon have risen, Turkey has risen, resisting this coup. They are protecting their party, the ballot box, democracy. So it is not time to be angry or express anger at anyone. Turkey has risen; it is time to embrace Gazi’s party and march to power.

"Turkey is moving toward a great change" "We are Republican People’s Party members. We are walking within our party. We are in a march.

But this march goes beyond the party, spills into the streets, and becomes something else with all political parties, opposition parties standing with us against this coup, with unions, professional organizations, civil society, and with those who love the ballot box regardless of their views, those who protect the ballot box entrusted by Atatürk in this country. We feel it, and Turkey is moving toward a great change.

This march started the first day when we were forcibly removed by police from Atatürk’s house, our ancestral home. We walked step by step under that rain and reached our Parliament. The next day, we marched from Güvenpark to Atatürk with hundreds of thousands. This march calls us every day from all corners of Turkey.

The nation, which has served this state all its life, is witnessing what may be the greatest ingratitude in history: minimum wages below the hunger threshold, pensions, or a farmer’s monthly income dropping to 19,000 TL. This nation now sees hope in a great change. It is preparing to close one era and open another.

"I will die but never bow down" "The hope of retirees, minimum wage earners, civil servants, farmers, and tradespeople is the same. Hope lies in change. Hope is now salvation. There is no salvation alone; either all together or none of us. Last year, the price of urea fertilizer was 19 TL; now it is 34 TL. DAP fertilizer increased by 56%. Diesel rose by 50%. Everything has become more expensive.

They are trying to deal us a heavy blow by targeting us, who are raising the struggle in every square, who are the leading party in all polls, by staging a coup against the chairman who won the last four congresses and trying to remove us from office. Erdoğan should know this: you can remove us on paper with judicial coups. You can send the state police after us, throw us out of buildings.

But as long as this nation embraces us, you will never get rid of us. I swear I will not stop; I will die but never bow down. I will not stop until this system changes, until we bring our party to power, until this government changes. Are you ready to close one era and open another with me? Will we succeed together? Will we establish the Turkey Alliance?

" After the speech, Özel was presented with the number 60 Erbaaspor jersey. He also greeted the citizens together with a child who came on stage. ANKA For more details: CHP ÖZGÜR ÖZEL READ MORE Politics Ümit Özdağ: A hegemonic party system is being established in Turkey.

Özgür Özel: I Will Die but Never Bow Down

CHP Group Leader Özgür Özel claimed that the ruling party is pressuring CHP during his speech in Tokat’s Erbaa district, commenting on Ekrem İmamoğlu and the ballot process...