CHP Chairperson Özgür Özel: “Our Party Leads the Struggle for Democracy, Rule of Law, and Justice”

“VON DER LEYEN’S ATTITUDE IS CONTRADICTORY”

“EKREM İMAMOĞLU WILL OFFICIALLY EARN THE TITLE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON MARCH 23 WHEN OUR MEMBERS GO TO THE POLLS”

“OUR PARTY ENVISIONS A DEMOCRATIC, SECULAR TURKEY THAT RESPECTS HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Leader Özgür Özel attended the meeting of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament in Brussels. Addressing the participants, Özel began his speech by saying:

“Dear Chair, esteemed fellow deputies, comrades, I wholeheartedly thank you on behalf of my party for your hospitality. I owe special thanks to Iratxe for her kind invitation, for bringing us together, and for her warm opening remarks. I would also like to extend my gratitude to our Rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor. He performs a crucial role with fairness,he does not see Turkey as being limited to one person, one name, or one party; he hears the voice of the opposition and considers relations with the opposition as important as those with the government.”

“FIRST PARTY AFTER 47 YEARS”

“European Commission President Von der Leyen’s attitude, however, was entirely contradictory. She prefers to wait for our party to win the general elections before meeting with the leader of a party that emerged as the winner of the last local elections in Türkiye, having secured all the municipalities representing 65% of the population and 80% of the economy. This is, of course, her own choice; however, I must note that this approach carries a significant institutional risk. I am grateful to this Group for granting me this opportunity.

Today, I speak to you not only as the leader of one of Europe’s oldest and strongest social democratic parties, but also as the leader of Türkiye’s largest party, which, on March 31, 2024,just 11 months ago,achieved first place in elections with a very high turnout of 78.4%. We won the municipalities representing 65% of Türkiye’s population and 80% of its economy.

These elections had two critical consequences for Turkish politics. First, our party became the leading party again after 47 years. Second, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), for the first time since its founding, suffered a heavy defeat and fell to second place. This trend has continued consistently in all subsequent national polls.”

“WE ARE IN A PERIOD THAT DEMANDS DIALOGUE AND SOLIDARITY”

“All over the world, including across Europe, we are in a period in which every political actor, movement, and party committed to full democracy must engage in dialogue and solidarity. Under the leadership of our founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, our party not only established the modern Republic, but also transitioned the country to a multi-party democratic system in 1950.

We represent the political tradition that, as early as the 1920s, declared sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation. Sadly, 100 years later, we are living in an era where authoritarian populist leaders systematically target democratic rules and institutions worldwide. They support and learn from one another, undermining the rule of law and the separation of powers, replacing collective wisdom with the illusion of strongman leadership.

In Türkiye, our party leads the fight for democracy, law, and justice against this trend. This struggle aligns not only with our founding principles but also with the core values of the European Union. It is fair to say that we share common risks and threats as well as common goals and values.”

“TÜRKİYE’S CHOICE FOR EUROPE IS NOT JUST STRATEGIC”

“Unlike the ruling party’s contradictory, short-term approaches to EU membership, our party’s historical and principled stance forms the foundation of our unwavering commitment to full EU membership.

For us, Europe is not just a geographic reality. For the past two centuries, Türkiye has oriented itself toward the West. Our first constitution marked the start of modernization, and with the 1856 Paris Congress after the Crimean War, Türkiye was recognized as part of the European public order and alignment.

From then to now, despite ups and downs, Türkiye and Europe have always required a multidimensional relationship and mutual solidarity. Türkiye’s choice for Europe is not merely historical, political, or strategic, it is also a social choice. Public opinion in Türkiye directly reflects how governments position the EU relationship.”

“72% OF YOUNG PEOPLE SUPPORT EU MEMBERSHIP”

“In the past, crises and mutual mistakes in Türkiye–EU relations reduced support for EU membership to as low as 25%. However, thanks to our party’s consistent EU policy, close cooperation with sister parties in Europe, and our framing of the next general elections as a de facto referendum on EU membership, public support has steadily increased, reaching 66% in recent surveys. Among young people, support for EU membership stands at 72%.

Yet this must not be an EU that confines its relationship with Türkiye to migration deals or sees our country as a refugee buffer zone. Türkiye should not be perceived merely as a country that absorbs migration pressure from the East due to wars and climate crises, in exchange for Western financial aid and political concessions.”

“MULTIDIMENSIONAL RELATIONS SEEK MUTUAL STABILITY AND DEMOCRACY”

“Turkey–EU relations are multidimensional. Such multidimensional relations, of course, seek mutual stability and democracy. Within this framework lie human contacts and connections, trade, investment, tourism, education, regional security, and strategic issues. Alongside all this, current global conditions have made the defense cooperation pillar of EU–Turkey relations more important than ever.

Although the challenges of today’s global politics force us to adopt a defense-oriented perspective, the supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic five years ago gave another dimension of importance to EU–Turkey relations. It is clear that the strong and high-potential countries of the same continent, pregnant with both known and unknown crises, will have to confront many of these crises together.

The greatest assurance in both foreseeable and unforeseeable crises is this comprehensive partnership. The real test we all face is whether, in our search for solutions to crises, we will neglect inclusive and strong institutions, institutionalized relations, a multilateral world order, and democracy.

Sacrificing democracy in the pursuit of stability and security will not only mean inconsistency and lack of principle but will also result in complete vulnerability to the next crisis. The approach that ignored the need for such a comprehensive relationship and reduced our ties to a single priority, the refugee issue, must be abandoned without further delay.

What today requires is 360-degree diplomacy and robust cooperation: a relationship based on institutions rather than personal ties, that does not turn principles and universal values into bargaining chips, and that rests on full mutual trust. As a party, we reject the notion that democracy is an alternative to stability, or that human rights are an alternative to security concerns. We see them as complementary parts of an indivisible whole, one cannot exist without the other.

We must remember that actors committed to democratic values, principles, and norms negotiate; actors who embrace pure pragmatism bargain. We must also not forget that gains obtained through easy bargaining can be easily lost. The relationship between the EU and Turkey must urgently return to a foundation built on principles, norms, and values, and both sides must join hands in constructing democratic ideals and a genuine democratic culture.”

“DEMOCRACY CULTURE IS THE STEEL ARMOR OF THE RULE OF LAW”

“Here, I would like to particularly underline the concept of ‘democracy culture.’ Passing laws is a matter of numbers. In my country, for instance, 301 votes are enough to pass a law, 360 votes can send a constitutional amendment to a referendum, and 400 votes can amend the constitution without a referendum. The numbers required to pass legislation in the European Parliament are also well known.

As I noted, democracy culture goes far beyond the fingers pressing the approval button; it is something that can only be built through collective solidarity. Laws, legality, the rule of law, all require institutionalized mechanisms of oversight. Yet beyond those mechanisms, the fundamental element that sustains the law is democracy culture.

Those who erode democracy under the claim of ‘true representation’ also erode the rule of law by invoking the ‘law’ itself. The concept of lawfare, a fusion of the words law and warfare, points exactly to this phenomenon. Today, those who weaponize the law place the rule of law itself in the crosshairs of the very legal instruments they exploit. The steel armor of the law is democracy culture. It must be protected.”

“WE RECOGNIZE TURKEY’S GROWING STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE”

“Dear comrades, I share the observation that we have entered an age of uncertainty. I therefore fully understand the concerns of everyone in this hall and across the continent. The war in Ukraine, the horrific massacres in Gaza, the long-anticipated yet fragile change of control in Syria, and the swift decisions of the Trump administration in the U.S. undermining multilateral order and democratic institutions, these are just a few examples.

In this era of uncertainty, at a time when global balances are being reshaped, we are aware that Turkey’s strategic importance has increased. Turkey occupies a crucial geopolitical position. In an environment of global tension and uncertainty, a democratic, reliable, predictable, environmentally responsible, stable Turkey with strong institutions, integrated as an inseparable part of Europe, serves the interests of both Turkey and Europe.

With its dynamic economy, young population, and resilient, vibrant civil society, Turkey is a country with a deeper democratic tradition than many of the EU’s newer members.”

“IT EMPOWERS BOTH OUR PARTY AND OUR NATION”

“Turkey, a strong country of 86 million, suffers from unfair visa restrictions imposed by European partners, even on its youth, academics, businesspeople, and patients, despite being a key corridor for energy and trade routes from which Europe benefits. Turkey is not just a party or an individual.

Let me express candidly and sincerely: the Republican People’s Party regards Turkey as part of the European system and Western democracies. I wholeheartedly believe that a healthy, principled relationship between the EU and Turkey will benefit both sides, enhance democratization, and contribute to the prosperity and security of both.

The steadfast support expressed by our comrades in the Socialist International, including some present in this hall, for Turkey’s full EU membership in various declarations strengthens both our party and our nation.”

“WE ARE RISING WITH A CHALLENGING STAND”

“Lastly, each of you closely follows the pressures imposed on local democracy in Turkey through government-driven judicial harassment targeting our party and opposition-led municipalities. We respond not with passive resistance, but with an assertive, defiant stand.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of our treasured Istanbul which has served as the capital of three of history’s most renowned empires will officially secure the title of presidential candidate on March 23, 2025, through a primary election in which 1.7 million of our members will cast their votes. In this multi-candidate process, the trust placed in him and the protective societal solidarity against the attacks he has faced have made him the sole candidate in the primary. This places on him the responsibility of candidacy and on our party the responsibility of mobilizing millions behind him.

With the completion of this process, we will approach the next general elections with clearly defined candidates and with the conviction that the only remaining uncertainty is the election date itself.

Our party envisions a democratic, peaceful, secular Turkey that respects human rights and the rule of law. This is the Turkey we dream of and the Turkey for which we fight.

European politicians, what kind of Europe do you dream of? I believe that EU–Turkey relations cannot be conceived independently of that question.

Thank you all for giving me this opportunity, and my heartfelt thanks once again to dear Iratxe for her warm welcome and excellent introduction. I greet you all with respect.”