CHP Leader and Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke at the 'GNAT General Assembly Meeting with Special Agenda'

- "The Grand National Assembly of Turkey is under the shadow of a one-man regime in contrast to its historical background. The legislative power of our Gazi Parliament has been handed over to the domination of the one-man rule. In this framework, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of the press and all other freedoms and secular scientific education has been destroyed. Merit has been abolished in public employment, and favouritism and cronyism have become dominant in public administration. Corruption has been adopted as the sole method of public expenditure. Young people, women, farmers, labourers, business people and scientists have been dragged into a spiral of despair. As a result of the stubbornly wrong foreign policy, our country has become isolated in its region; our borders have not been protected against millions of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. And finally, the cost of living has spread like malignant cancer all over life; the livelihood of our citizens has been almost zero."

Mr President, Distinguished Members of Parliament;

I sincerely congratulate the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day of my dear citizens, especially our beloved children.

On the 103rd anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, I wish that this cherished holiday will bring happiness, peace and health not only to Turkish children but also to all children of the world, especially the children of all oppressed nations.

Mr President, Distinguished Members of Parliament,

I want to take you to the day before 23 April 1920, when the Grand National Assembly of Turkey began its work.

One day before, on 22 April 1920, Mustafa Kemal issued a declaration with the warning, "The minute will not be delayed".

The statement, which was delivered to his interlocutors via Telegraph, contains the following lines:

"Since God willing, the Grand National Assembly will be inaugurated on Friday, 23 April and start to work; the Grand National Assembly will be the supreme authority to which all civilian and military authorities and the whole nation will apply after that day. Therefore, it is submitted for your information.

On behalf of the Delegation, Mustafa Kemal."

As you will see in the Telegraph sent by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey started its work 103 years ago as the supreme authority to which the military and civilian authorities and, more importantly, the entire nation would appeal.

Mr President, Distinguished Members of Parliament,

Atatürk and his friends were convinced that "the only condition for the success of our national struggle was that a national parliament should start its work immediately".

Because they were aware that not any power or enemy could stand against the will of a nation that had unconditionally taken its sovereignty into its own hands.

The authority to represent this will was, of course, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

Atatürk and his friends were not mistaken in this belief.

This Parliament under whose roof we met led us to victory in the War of Independence.

As such, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is the main headquarters of our national struggle. Since it is the main headquarters, it is the Gazi parliament.

Moreover, the Gazi Assembly laid the foundations of a new state due to the legislative and executive responsibility it assumed when it opened.

As such, it is a state-building parliament. The name of this state is the Republic of Turkey, which will last forever.

In other words, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is not the Parliament of an established state; it is the Parliament of a state established with its own will and of which it is the founder.

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey has a distinguished place in world political history, world military history and world democratic history, both because it bears the title of the Gazi Assembly and because of its "state founder" status.

I am proud to be a member of a parliament with such essential qualities... Be proud...

On the other hand, this is the last time I have had the honour of addressing you and our dear citizens during this special session.

I wish success in advance to the new members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, who will take their seats in these seats in the upcoming elections.

I believe our nation will deliver to its new members the will to lead our country to a strengthened parliamentary system.

Mr President, my dear deputy friends,

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey has to be the centre of the solution to all our problems, all the fundamental problems of our country.

However, I deeply regret to say that it has moved away from being the roof of our respect for our past and our confidence in our future as a nation.

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey is under the shadow of a one-man regime in contrast to its historical background.

The legislative power of our Gazi parliament has been handed over to the domination of the one-man regime.

In this framework, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of the press and all other freedoms, and scientific and secular education has been destroyed.

Merit has been abolished in public employment, and favouritism and cronyism have become dominant in public administration.

Corruption has been adopted as the sole method of public spending.

Young people, women, farmers, labourers, business people and scientists have been dragged into a spiral of despair.

As a result of the persistently wrong foreign policy, our country has become isolated in its region; our borders have not been guarded against millions of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

And finally, the cost of living has enveloped our whole life like a malignant cancer; the livelihood of our citizens has been almost zero.

However, despite all the negativities, there is no reason to be hopeless.

Because we are the children of Mustafa Kemal, we created a modern republic from a ruined country on the edge of a cliff.

We know that an era is ending, even though our nation's firm determination seems to have been surrendered to the lips of a single man, to his personal fortunes and expectations, to his dependence on nepotism, and to his meritless cadres.

Therefore, I invite my esteemed citizens not to talk about the past and present negatives but to dream of the good days and the spring to come.

Mr President, Distinguished Members of Parliament

As we approach the 14 May General Elections, the eagerness to crown our RepublicRepublic with democracy is everywhere in our country.

We are at the dawn of a beautiful future where not a single child will go to bed hungry, where our young people who have travelled abroad will return with joy, and those thinking of going abroad will give up their thoughts...

While we as a nation fought against the enemy in Maraş, Antep, Urfa, İnönü, Dumlupınar, Sakarya, and Afyon, the valuable members of our first Parliament, who met under this sacred roof, both managed these wars and laid the foundations of a new state.

Now it is our turn... On the 103rd anniversary of the opening of our Parliament, we will crown our RepublicRepublic with democracy in a lasting manner.

Our Republic crowned with democracy, will be an example for oppressed nations and democracies worldwide.

The world will have realised that authoritarian regimes can be defeated through the ballot box and that the solution to the fundamental problems of countries and regions lies in being together.

The whole world will have experienced that marginalising no one and holding no grudge against anyone is one of the most fundamental principles of human rights. That success can only be achieved under the guidance of these fundamental principles.

Mr President, distinguished members of Parliament, dear citizens who listen to me on their screens and social media accounts,

We are approaching a period when 418 billion dollars will be held to account...

We are approaching a period when the farmer and the labourer will get their rights...

We are approaching a period when femicide and violence against women will come to an end...

We are approaching a period in which all terrorist organisations and underground criminal organisations will be eradicated...

We are approaching a time when poverty and corruption will end...

We are approaching a period when the state treasury will not be touched...

We are approaching a period when even the President can be freely criticised...

We are approaching a period in which all decisions will be taken with consultation and common sense...

We are approaching a period when the Çankaya Mansion will again be the home of all Turkey...

We are approaching a period when the peace academics will return to their chairs...

In the centenary year of the RepublicRepublic, we are approaching a period in which 100 thousand teachers will be appointed, and village schools will be reopened...

We are approaching a period in which the understanding of government that looks at its citizens with a superior understanding belittles its citizens and thinks only of its own wealth will come to an end...

We are approaching a period in which merit will prevail, the Red Crescent will not sell blood and tents, and DED (AFAD) will not condemn citizens trapped under rubble to death...

We are approaching a period when the reign of the gang of five will come to an end...

We are approaching a period when the Tank Pallet factory will be taken back...

We are approaching a period in which all "military hospitals", especially the Gulhane Military Medical Academy, will be opened.

We are approaching a period in which the 15 thousand Turkish lira holiday bonus will be deposited into the bank account of our pensioners on the Feast of Sacrifice...

We are approaching a period in which earthquake residences and shops will be given free of charge to the rightful owners.

We are approaching a period in which we will solve all the problems of our country, especially economic problems, together; we are approaching a period that will bring abundance and prosperity to our country...

We are approaching a period in which it will be revealed to whom the 128 billion dollars in the Central Bank, which belongs to this nation, has been given away.

We are approaching a period when a moral and conscientious administration will come to power that will ensure that billions of dollars of clean money will come to our country for employment and development...

In short, we are on the threshold of a new era that will set an example for the world. Political scientists will characterise this period as the era of the Republic of Turkey.

The sovereignty that belongs to one person today will end; sovereignty will once again belong to the nation unconditionally, as it did a hundred years ago.

As of 14 May, Turkey will regain the joy of life.

Turkey will regain its spring.

When spring comes to Turkey, you will see that spring will come to the whole world...

With these feelings and thoughts, I wish God's mercy to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his friends, all our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake and our security officers who were martyred in the fight against terrorist organisations.

I express my gratitude to our war veterans...

I sincerely congratulate all our children on 23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day, which Atatürk gifted to them, and the Ramadan Feast of our citizens.

I promise we will work for a happy future for all the children of our country and the world...

Dear People

Dear Nation

We are moving towards spring, towards the ballot box that will bring the actual spring.

My last word from this rostrum as an "MP" is this:

"The nation's determination and commitment will save the nation's independence."