CHP Leader Özgür Özel: ‘What happens if you make a new constitution when the constitution is not being abided by?

‘IF WE MAKE THE PROBLEMS INVISIBLE, WE WILL NOT GET THE MESSAGE’

Özgür Özel, Chairperson of the Republican People's Party, made a statement after the meeting on the new Constitution with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, and said, ‘If we talk about the constitution while the problem today is poverty, unemployment, high inflation, rising prices, and impoverishment of people, and if we lower a fog and make these problems invisible, we have not received the message of the citizens. From this point of view, the meeting with Mr Erdoğan is a meeting to which I attach great importance. If we are going to buy something new, we buy it if we are going to use it. If we are going to make a constitution, it will be made if we will abide by it. If the constitution is not being respected, what would it matter if you make a new constitution or not? I clearly expressed these sensitivities to Mr Speaker,’ he said.

Republican People's Party Leader Özgür Özel met with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Numan Kurtulmuş within the scope of the new Constitution negotiations. Making evaluations after the meeting, Özel said, ‘We hosted Mr. Speaker today. Since the day he became a candidate for the Presidency of the Parliament, I had said that we could always meet and discuss every issue because of his open attitude towards dialogue. Today, he paid a visit and shared his views with us.’

‘WHEN PEOPLE HAVE HIGH LEVEL EXPECTATIONS...’

‘He said that there should be an open negotiation environment,’ Özel said, adding, ‘We came out of the 31 March elections as the first party in Turkey. We are a party that is aware of its responsibilities. Politics cannot be insensitive to the people's agenda. Today, when people have high expectations such as poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity, it is necessary to weigh where the expectation of a new constitution is in the demands of the society.’ Özel said the following:

‘LET'S CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION IF WE WANT TO ABIDE BY IT’

‘In principle, even though I am the Chairperson of the party, I do not consider it appropriate for CHP's essential understanding of internal party democracy and our own understanding of governance to give a direct answer without evaluating an issue in the authorised bodies of the party. We will evaluate the assessments made by Mr Speaker today with the authorised organs of the party, especially the CEB, and with our group. However, I would like to express the following, and I have also told Mr Speaker that if we are offering something new, for example a new dress, let's buy it if we are going to wear it. If we want to comply with the constitution, let's change the constitution. Let's make the best one, and then not abide by it again. You did the best last time. Let everyone know that this statement does not belong to the president. The best was done last time too, but that constitution was not adhered to. It is not being respected. When we talk about a new constitution, it is our right to expect full compliance with the existing constitution. We conveyed our sensitivities on this issue.’

‘WE CARE ABOUT A BASIS FOR DIALOGUE'

‘This is what I will say about the problems of the citizens. Constitutional debates have arisen before. If it settles on politics as a fog and makes other issues invisible, there is no benefit for the citizen here. Today, when the problem is poverty, unemployment, high inflation, rising prices and impoverishment of people, if we talk about the constitution, if we bring down a fog and make these problems invisible, we will not have received the message of the citizens. From this point of view, the meeting with Mr Erdoğan is a meeting to which I attach great importance. If we are going to buy something new, we buy it if we are going to use it. If we are going to make a constitution, it will be made if we will abide by it. If the constitution is not being respected, what would it matter if you make a new constitution or not? I have clearly expressed these sensitivities to Mr President. This is parliament, a place for talking. If politicians do not shake hands, enemies of politics and enemies of democracy will start rubbing their hands. Therefore, we will shake hands and negotiate, but we will also negotiate for the masses for whom we are responsible. This is our understanding. In this respect, today, Mr President, we shook hands in front of you and inside. This handshake is something that those who believe in democracy should do. As long as we do not shake hands, the enemies of democracy will rub their hands together and the day will dawn for them. Our political history is full of the costs of this. In this respect, I would like to express that we attach importance to this dialogue ground.’