KILIÇDAROĞLU VISITED THE CAPITAL MARKETS BOARD: "THE PRESIDENT SHOULD RESIGN"

CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu went to the headquarters of the Capital Markets Board (CMB) in Ankara and said, "While people in the earthquake zone are struggling to save one more life, while people are waiting for tents to see how they can make a living, I never accept that 380 thousand small savers are robbed during an earthquake. I state it; clearly, the president should resign. The Borsa Istanbul should do whatever it takes; they should also resign. All the earthquake victims who have been robbed must have their money returned to them. This is the main reason why I am here with my friends. We will not allow robbery. It is more than enough. Will everyone be robbed in this country? When everyone is robbed, will we be a witness? We will not be a spectator," he said.

On February 7, after two significant earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "When I return from the region, I will go to the CMB. Even in our most painful days, they cannot get enough of robbing small investors. They are disgraceful."

Kılıçdaroğlu visited the earthquake zone for the second time last Friday and returned to Ankara the previous night. Kılıçdaroğlu said that many earthquake victims and small savers suffered losses because the stock market was not closed when the earthquake struck.

Kılıçdaroğlu went to the CMB headquarters in Ankara and called on CMB President İbrahim Ömer Gönül to resign.

Kılıçdaroğlu was accompanied by CHP Spokesperson Faik Öztrak, CHP Group Deputy Chairmen Engin Altay and Özgür Özel, CHP Deputy Chairmen Muharrem Erkek, Ahmet Akın, Seyit Torun; CHP MPs Tekin Bingöl, Cavit Arı, Ali Haydar Hakverdi, Servet Ünsal, Ünal Demirtaş, Ahmet Kaya, Yüksek Mansur Kılınç and CHP Ankara Provincial Chairman Ali Hikmet Akıllı.

The highlights of Kılıçdaroğlu's statement in front of the Capital Markets Board are as follows:

"AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, HE COULD NOT GET THE NECESSARY PERMISSION FROM THE PALACE: Before going to the earthquake zone, I had stated that I would come to the Capital Markets Board and learn from Mr. President how small savers were being harmed and the details. I returned from the earthquake zone at midnight last night. Today I am here in the early morning. First, they called me for an appointment, and then Mr. President refrained from that appointment. I understand that he still needs the necessary authorization from the palace.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A PERSON TO BE ROBBED DURING AN EARTHQUAKE? I want to state this clearly and unequivocally; we have no tradition of allowing anyone to be robbed in Turkey. I can never allow small savers living in the earthquake zone to be stolen, especially before the rubble is cleared while people are lying under the rubble. I can never allow it; let me state it again. In terms of numbers, approximately 380 thousand savers living in the earthquake zone were robbed. So what does it mean for a person to be stolen during an earthquake? If an institution does this, if it is done under the umbrella of an institution, this is a picture that everyone should object to.

WE WILL NOT ALLOW ROBBERY, and IT IS ENOUGH. IS EVERYONE GOING TO BE ROBBED IN THIS COUNTRY: No one in this country is abandoned. When the Republic was founded, it was said: 'The Republic is especially for the orphans'. Therefore, while people in the earthquake zone are struggling to save one more life, while people are waiting for tents to see how they can make a living, I never accept the robbery of 380 thousand small savers at the time of the earthquake.

I make it clear the president should resign. The Borsa Istanbul should do whatever it takes; they should resign too. All the earthquake victims who have been robbed should have their money returned to them. This is the main reason why I am here with my friends. We will not allow robbery. Is everyone going to be robbed in this country? When everyone is robbed, are we going to be spectators? We will not be spectators. This is the main reason why I am here."