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Özgür Özel Responds to CHP Group Meeting and Congress Debate
After being removed from the CHP Chairmanship by court order, Özgür Özel criticized the planned group meeting within the party. He stated that the parliamentary platform should not be exploited for this debate before the congress process is completed.
Özgür Özel, CHP Group Chairman who was removed from the CHP Chairmanship by court order, made statements following today's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting.
Özel expressed his hope that this week would continue and conclude in a manner befitting the Parliament and their party, saying, "Because on May 21, with a nullification decision that resonated worldwide and left a deep stain on Turkey's political and legal history, the party management and the Chairman who officially received the mandate from the Supreme Election Council in the last four CHP congresses and won all valid votes in the last three congresses, and whose key list was elected without disruption for the first time in party history, were removed from office. We are facing a palace mentality and plan that tries to govern the party with the results of the 2020 congress held without an audience during the pandemic."
Özel continued: At this point, what is expected is, of course, to reject this decision and immediately support the party to go to congress in unity and solidarity. However, on the other hand, the impossibility of holding the congress was expressed. Apart from the lawyer newly appointed by the General Headquarters, no one in Turkey shares this view.
All public law and election law professors say and write that the congress should be held immediately. Their articles are published in international and legal journals, and they agree on the same texts. Yet, one lawyer says, 'We cannot hold a congress,' and they try to govern the party. For example, why do we criticize the Esenyurt trustee?
As a trustee, he decorates buses, prints billboards and pens. He does what elected politicians can do. Today, we face a similar situation. Buses are being decorated, posters prepared in the party. And an unelected Chairman, on the 24th at 7:00 AM, when we were defending our party, a group of deputies in front and people who wouldn't even pass through the party's street behind came to the party and attacked. We were forcibly removed from the party, our home, by the police.
"I follow with regret" At this point, where 96 deputies were able to attend and vote, 106-107 deputies supported the Group Chairmanship, and 111 deputies urgently requested a congress, it is clear that the one-third number required for a group meeting, 46 deputies, cannot be found in the hall. Although the group meeting decision is clearly written in the internal group regulations and, as appreciated by the Parliament Presidency, should be announced by the Group Chair or Group Executive Board, there is an intention to hold a group meeting. There is an intention to hold a so-called group meeting or a pirate meeting. And here is my regret, friends. This process started and progressed with full transparency.
Last week, when nearly 40 journalist friends requested interviews with both 'Get well soon' and condolences for my uncle, we held a group interview in this hall. I answered questions. One friend asked, 'You held a grand group meeting. Will you hold one next week?' I said, 'On the 9th, the anniversary of Ferdi Zeyrek's death, I will not hold a group meeting and will be in Manisa. We can hold the group meeting on the 16th.' Then it was said that Kemal Bey would hold a group meeting on the 9th. No numbers, no authority, no legitimacy, and the public reaction on the street is immense. But this was seen as an opportunity because I would be in Manisa on Ferdi Zeyrek's death anniversary, and they said, 'We will hold a group meeting here.'
Later, as at the holiday gathering, an organic crowd could not be gathered because those who come here every week from all districts of Ankara like Çankaya and Mamak would not come, so a forced crowd from across Turkey was brought. I follow with regret the intention to come to a group meeting with the 7:00 AM crowd behind them. Let me say this here.
Three of our mayors who worked with goodwill to resolve this issue and mediated. When this issue first arose, I suggested, 'They should not do such a thing. Neither should we, nor should they. We will discuss this later.' This was rejected. Even this morning, 'Let them meet at the General Headquarters and hold it. We will not schedule a group meeting at the same time. I want to be in Manisa.' This was also rejected.
When asked 'Why this meeting?' the answer given is, 'Özgür Özel told the press he would go to Manisa. So we decided to hold a group meeting.' They say this openly. Kemal Bey expressed, 'Özgür Özel said he would do it, so I said I would do it too. I want to hold this meeting.' Our Deputy Group Chair applied to the Parliament Presidency accordingly. We were not going to hold it.
But tomorrow, the group meeting that our Deputy Group Chairs will open and where I will speak will take place. I will commemorate Ferdi Zeyrek at the podium. I invite our party members to tomorrow's group meeting both to remember Ferdi Zeyrek and to support their party. They may hold an alternative group meeting elsewhere or at another time, for which they need 46 deputies. I leave those evaluations to them.
But I call on them to act with common sense, to cleanse themselves first from those individuals who do not even suit our party's streets, whom they call 'cleansing,' and to never pit CHP members against each other. "We cannot leave that podium to an appointee." If a group meeting is to be held and Kemal Bey wants to hold such a meeting, the way is clear.
First, they must immediately process the congress application we will submit next week with nearly 1,000 signatures. They must convene the congress. They must be candidates at the congress. When elected at the congress and coming here, all deputies of this party will stand to welcome the elected Chairman to the group. There is no problem or objection here.
But here, after the last four elections were accepted by the AK Party judiciary as invalid, after losing the congress in 2020 as Chairman, while 110 deputies elected Özgür Özel as Group Chair and all powers are assigned to the Group Chair, it is not possible to come here and say, 'I am the Chairman since 2020 and will hold a group meeting. I will bring my crowd by bus from Antalya and Izmir and ask for support from the 7:00 AM team.' This cannot happen. What must be done is to immediately decide to hold a congress.
Without a congress decision, during this period, it is impossible to leave that podium to an appointed person instead of the elected Group Chair chosen by the deputies entrusted with our party and nation's authority. If we do this, those who trust us, believe in us, and stand behind us, you see the street, the crowd, and how the party acts as a whole.
They will never allow this. Legally and politically, legitimacy must be sought on legal and political grounds. We do not want the parliamentary platform to be exploited opportunistically with uncontrollable numbers, nor do we want CHP members to be part of such an image here.
What is expected from Kemal Bey is not to repeat the mistake made on the morning of April 24 but to show common sense. At least, not to cause further heartbreak to millions who once trusted, respected, and voted for him, and not to create such an image again; at least this time, to do what is appropriate. We invite our party members to tomorrow's group meeting.
I especially prefer that the idea of attempting such a thing on Ferdi Zeyrek's death anniversary be removed from minds and records as soon as possible, also from a humane perspective. I must also say this: I thought a lot about what I should do. I heard Ferdi's voice. When I couldn't go there, he would say to me, 'Brother, you are needed there, we will handle it here.'
That's why I am needed here tomorrow, friends. Thank you all, much appreciated.
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