Özgür Özel Targets Those Seeking to Seize CHP and Halt Its March to Power in Burdur

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, speaking in Çavdır, Burdur, claimed that after making his party the leading party, some circles want to take the CHP from them and stop its march to power.

Özgür Özel, the elected Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), met with citizens gathered in front of the party's Çavdır District Headquarters in Burdur. In his speech there, Özel said, "While traveling from Denizli to Burdur today, they told me, 'There is a great expectation in Çavdır. The people of Çavdır want to see you, express the support they have given, stand behind you, walk beside you.' We turned to Çavdır, we came.

This interest and support we see will leave its mark on history. When the day comes, we will look back and remember today—you are embracing us with a sense of ownership, you are supporting us. I thank each and every one of you. Thank you, may you be well." 'THEY WANT TO TAKE THE CHP FROM OUR HANDS' Touching on the absolute nullity process within his party, Özel said they want to take the CHP from our hands, stop our march to power, protect their own rule.

For this, we took to the road. The people said, 'Walk, the nation is behind you,' he stated.

WE MADE THE PARTY NUMBER ONE AS WE PROMISED

Özel said the following: "As you know, three years ago, by making a promise—what promise? By promising not to lose, by promising we would win, by making the bold promise that if we lost an election we entered, I would never continue as Chairman again—we first became Chairman within the party. We united with our young friends, our women friends, experienced party members of all ages.

Five months later, by winning 65% of Turkey and 85% of Turkey's economy, after 47 years, we made our party the number one party as we promised. For the first time since its founding, we defeated the Justice and Development Party in an election, they came second. From that day to this, we have been marching towards power."

WE ANNOUNCED AS A POPULIST PARTY

"But let everyone know that we are a populist party, a party that thinks of the nation. Just now we spoke with our women workers in the greenhouse. We are explaining to all of Turkey what we will do in agriculture, what we will do in milk production, how farmers will be supported, and we spoke about it here too.

For example, we have always said, always announced that we will change this system where agricultural loan interests are completely written off once, agricultural loan debts are divided interest-free over five years, diesel is given to farmers at 30 liras without VAT and Special Consumption Tax, fertilizer support is provided, and where fertilizer prices increased by 55-60% while product prices increased by 20%, and the product is 20 liras in the field and 80 liras on the shelf.

We said the lowest pension is a misery wage of 20,000 liras, that if that money goes to rent you starve, and if you fill your stomach you end up on the street. We said the minimum wage is insufficient. We announced to the youth what we will do to give them hope, that Turkey will be without bans, Europe without visas, that young people will dream not at the other end of the world but in their homeland."

A TURN TOWARDS THE PARTY BEGAN

"As a result of all this, just like the day we were founded, just like in the March 31 elections, as when you gave authority here to our young pharmacist colleague Ali Başkan, and as our party became the number one party all over Turkey, we will be the number one party in the upcoming elections, and when we win, not only the CHP but Turkey will win. Everyone saw that when the AK Party retiree, the MHP retiree, the worker, the farmer, or when animals whose parity is 1.4 and are in the slaughter queue for milk are saved, not only CHP members but the AK Party's milk producer will be saved, the MHP member will be relieved, and a turn towards the party began.

We are not in an understanding that separates people, that separates AK Party members from MHP members, from CHP members, that distances İYİ Party members or those from other parties, but in an understanding that embraces everyone as the Turkey Alliance. We have always thought like this: First, let's save the country as it was 100 years ago, first let's save it all together, then we can return to competition.

But we wanted all the poor, all retirees, all workers, all farmers, everyone involved in animal husbandry to see where their interest lies, where salvation lies." "HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS SAID 'WALK, THE NATION IS BEHIND YOU'" "Unfortunately, as a result of this, the party became the number one party, but some also targeted the party.

Now they want to take the Republican People's Party from our hands, that is, stop our march, stop the march to power, stop the great march that will carry retirees, workers, farmers, youth to power, get rid of us, protect their rule. For this, we set out on the road, we took to the road. We looked and saw tens of thousands in Ankara under rain, hundreds of thousands, millions towards Anıtkabir.

Last week in Trabzon, Gümüşhane, Tokat, Çorum, Amasya, Nevşehir, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and yesterday in Denizli after Friday prayers, the entire square in front of the mosque, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands followed us, saying 'Walk, march to power, the nation is behind you, do not fear those opposite you.'

While coming to Çavdır today, our valuable provincial chairman, our deputy, the Mayor of Burdur, the Mayor of Çavdır, the district chairman said, 'If you do not stop by Çavdır, you will miss the support and love a very, very important crowd will give you, this journey will be incomplete.' I thank you all, all of you."

FROM NOW ON, WE ARE ON THE STREETS, WITH OUR NATION

"Know this, they forcibly threw us out of the building using our state's police. They took the buses on which I held 265 rallies and said, 'We will silence this Özgür, we will stop these changemakers, stop the march to power.' Well, I am saying it from here. I am in Burdur, in Çavdır, on a chair in a café in Çavdır, but I am in the heart of the nation. We do not need big buildings, luxury buildings.

If necessary, we turn over an orange crate, stand on it and meet with the people. From now on, we have left behind the old, decrepit, aged politics accustomed to losing and from now on also the politics of 'the CHP should not win, the nation should not win.' We are looking ahead, from now on we are in the squares, on the streets, on chairs, shoulder to shoulder with our nation. I love you all very much, I believe in you all, I trust you all.

I kiss the hands of all of you from that opposite café, I kiss the hands of all of you. I greet you all with love. Thank goodness you exist. Will we walk together? Will we walk? Come on then, let's march to power, friends, let's march to power. I present my love and respect to all of you. Thank you, may you be well."