CHP Leader Özgür Özel: “We Fought With the Strength We Drew From Our Nation and Spoke to the World”

“IF YOU ARE PLOTTING A COUP AGAINST THE NEXT PRESIDENT, THIS IS NOT AN INTERNAL AFFAIR OF THE COUNTRY”

“IN TURKEY–EU RELATIONS, WHAT I BUILD STITCH BY STITCH, ERDOĞAN ERASES WITH A SHOVEL”

“ERDOĞAN’S LATEST MOVES ARE DETACHING TURKEY FROM EUROPE”

“EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATIONS HAVE CANCELED THEIR VISITS TO TURKEY”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairperson Özgür Özel received a delegation from the Party of European Socialists (PES) at CHP Headquarters during a solidarity visit. Following the visit, CHP Leader Özel made a joint statement with George Papandreou, Honorary President of the Socialist International and former Prime Minister of Greece, and Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists. Özel said:

“THEY HAD COME TO ISTANBUL FOR A SOLIDARITY VISIT”

“Last week, while I was in Istanbul and the attempts to appoint trustees to Saraçhane were ongoing at a time when we were trying to repel the coup together with our people the President of the Party of European Socialists, Stefan Löfven; Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck; Vice President of the European Parliament and Vice President of PES, dear Katarina Barley; and a very distinguished delegation visited us at our Istanbul Provincial Headquarters. Afterwards, they went to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for a solidarity visit.

Today, in light of what is happening in Turkey and ahead of tomorrow’s Extraordinary Congress which we are holding in response to the attempt to appoint a trustee to our party as well five senior executives from the Party of European Socialists are here. Along with them are nine esteemed executives and members of parliament from our sister party in Germany, the SPD; as well as valuable representatives from the Socialist Parties of Belgium and Bulgaria, the Dutch Labour Party, Italy’s Democratic Party, Sweden’s Social Democratic Party, and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) of Greece.

Also present is George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece, the Honorary President of the Socialist International (where I currently serve as Vice President). His historic contributions to Turkish-Greek friendship in international politics deserve every expression of gratitude. Today, he is here both representing his party and as the Honorary President of the Socialist International. I will soon give the floor to him.”

“THEY TRIED TO SILENCE ME WITH A SCRIPTED NARRATIVE”

“Today, our political relatives and sister parties are here. They came to stand in solidarity with us. They are following the developments in Turkey very closely. I am very glad that I had the chance to personally convey to them, along with our technical teams explaining the legal and political dimensions, exactly what we are facing in Turkey.

You know, the first days were not easy for Europe. Because when there were false accusations of corruption and theft against Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu personally, and slander against our party, our mayor, and our municipal leaders for allegedly supporting terrorist organizations, everyone paused to ask, ‘What is happening?’ They tried to spread this narrative through major perception operations.

We fought with the strength we drew from our nation and our people, and ultimately, we spoke to the world. They tried to silence me with a scripted line: ‘Are you going to complain about Turkey to the world?’ But as the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, the party that won the last local elections, and truly the party of Turkey in Europe and in the world, no one defends Turkey’s interests more than I do. My friends standing behind me here today, who came to support me, know this best. In fact, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows it as well. Every word I speak is reported to them by the honorable officials of the Foreign Ministry who are tasked with following these meetings. That is their duty.”

“WE FIGHT, AND HE DRAGS US DOWN SEVERAL LEAGUES”

“In fact, they all know that I have always reiterated Turkey’s rightful positions on issues such as Palestine, our relations with Azerbaijan, our mediation role between Russia and Ukraine, and the grain corridor in the international arena. Even in the points where I disagree, I use very careful language. But it is not an internal affair of a country if you are shelving democracy in that country if you first annul the certificate of election of a democratically elected mayor, and then when he is elected a second time, you imprison him.

If, with no evidence at all, relying on secret witnesses with code names like ‘Oaks’ and ‘Sycamores,’ you allow slander to be spread, and if someone elected three times in a row by 16 million Istanbulites is in prison… If today you are targeting the local election ballot box, and tomorrow the general election ballot box… If you are eliminating the very possibility of free and fair elections in the eyes of the world… If you are effectively plotting a coup against the next President by eliminating your rival and presidential candidate, then this is not an internal affair of a country.

This is why we have not taken a single step back, and because we have explained our situation to the world clearly, this is where things stand today. Recently, with great sadness and anger, I said this from this very podium: the European Parliament has canceled many visits it had planned to Turkey in April. The EU Commissioner for Enlargement canceled his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and the meeting he was to hold with the Foreign Minister. Several delegations canceled their visits.

I do not rejoice in these developments. I am saddened by them. Because in Turkey–EU relations, I dig with a needle, and Erdoğan closes the gap with a shovel. While I spend one or two days every month fighting for Turkey to become a full member of the EU and to remain on democratic ground, Erdoğan’s latest moves are not only detaching Turkey from Europe but also relegating us, in the global democracy rankings, several leagues below, not just one.”

“I CANNOT ACCEPT IGNORING THIS THROUGH THE SYRIAN EQUATION”

“Let me also state this: here, we have representatives of left, social democratic, and socialist parties. But the canceled visits to Turkey last week were not only from leftist parties; joint delegations of the European Parliament also canceled them. They were the first to believe in us, the first to hear our voice, and the first to amplify it.

We will continue to make Turkey’s voice heard throughout the world. Recently, I criticized the initial silence of the UK Labour Party in the first days. Later, they made a soft-spoken statement, with small letters, but better than the first day. This is promising. I emphasized that our expectations should be expressed more clearly and more loudly. Ultimately, they are our sister party, and we expressed that we wish to hear any future solidarity expressed more decisively, and from the Prime Minister himself. It is the rightful reproach of a brother to a brother, and expecting solidarity from a brother is the most natural thing.

What would trouble us deeply is this: I could never condone turning a blind eye to Erdoğan’s actions here under the excuse of the situation and the balance in Syria. Especially for the Labour Party, a social party, such an approach would be entirely unbecoming.

That is why we are grateful to the friends who are striving for much better relations and who are here today. I thank them once again, both for that and for this incredible display of solidarity which my party will never forget institutionally, and I will personally never forget.

I am glad you are here. I am glad you exist. Together, we will continue to fight for a more democratic and peaceful world.”