12.10.2025
“WE CAME HERE TO STAND WITH ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN TURKEYANYONE WHO IS IMPRISONED FOR THEIR THOUGHTS”
“WHEN HE IS THE ONE SUFFERING A COUP, HE EXPECTS SOLIDARITY FROM THE WORLD; WHEN HE IS THE ONE CARRYING OUT THE COUP, HE SAYS ‘BE QUIET’. WE WILL NOT BE SILENT”
“ON ONE SIDE, THERE ARE THOSE WHO SELL OFF TURKEY’S RARE EARTH ELEMENTS TO TRUMP; ON THE OTHER, THOSE WHO RISK THEIR OWN LIVES FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY”
“WE WILL FIGHT TO KEEP TURKEY AN INTEGRAL PART OF MODERN EUROPE, DESPITE THOSE WHO WANT TO TURN IT INTO A LONELY, ISOLATED COUNTRY”
“WE WILL STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, ARM IN ARM, AND RUN TO THE BALLOT BOX; WE WILL END THESE TROUBLES AND BRING ATATÜRK’S PARTY TO POWER”
CHP Chairperson Özgür Özel attended the “The Nation Defends Its Will” rally today at Place Jean Rey in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Speaking there, Özel began:
“‘I want a homeland where the sky is blue, the sea green, the fields yellow. A homeland that is the land of birds and flowers. I want a homeland where there is no suffering, where the heart feels no longing. Where fraternal conflict comes to an end. I want a homeland where there is neither rich nor poor, neither ‘you’ nor ‘me’. Where everyone has a home on winter days. A homeland where living and loving comes naturally from the heart. If there is to be any complaint, let it be about death.’ Welcome all of you. From Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and every corner of Europe, welcome to those who stand by their country, democracy, justice, the elected and the will of the people; to those who support the presidential candidate and the future government. Welcome, dear democrats.”
Özel continued:
“THE TURKS IN EUROPE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY”
“Today, we stand in a Brussels square. The weather is a bit colder than in Turkey, with the chill of autumn. But this crowd warms both our hearts and the hearts of millions back in Turkey. Thank you for your efforts, thank you for your hearts. This square tells us and Turkey many things today.
Contrary to what some claim or belittle, Turks living in Europe are not people who are distant from their country’s problems, who ignore its troubles, who come once a year for a holiday and leave without caring. On the contrary they are heroes who care deeply about Turkey, its future, and its tomorrows. Welcome to all of you. We love you dearly.
Since March 19, we have gathered 60 times in Istanbul and across Turkey. At first, they thought we were just holding a rally. They said, ‘They gather and disperse.’ They said, ‘It won’t last long.’ They said, ‘What will they do when summer comes?’ But every Wednesday night in an Istanbul square, tens of thousands came together; and every weekend, in beautiful provinces of Turkey east, west, north, south, often in places once called ‘AK Party strongholds’ we held the largest and most historic rallies those cities had ever seen.
Because what we were doing was not just a rally it was an action, a protest, a stand. And that is why today, we are here with you in Brussels for our 61st action. Welcome, and thank you for being here.
We came here to take action, to make our voices heard, to show solidarity, to draw strength from you, and to give you hope. Before coming here, the government in Turkey resorted to its usual simplicity: ‘Are you going abroad to complain about Turkey?’ they asked. If someone is to complain or betray someone else, that requires hostility. We came here not to complain, but to converse, to share, to gain and give strength. We came to embrace friends you.”
“GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER MANSUR YAVAŞ IS NOT ALONE”
“We came here to stand with our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu who has been unjustly imprisoned for 207 days, with our great mayor of Adana Zeydan Karalar, with the brave son of the Taurus Mountains Muhittin Böcek, with 16 of our mayors under pressure, with hundreds of politicians and bureaucrats, with all political prisoners in Turkey Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and everyone imprisoned for their ideas.
We also came here to tell those who say ‘I got rid of one, now it’s time for the next’ those who target Mansur Yavaş ‘Get your act together; Mansur Yavaş is not alone.’
Today, we are not only joined by friends from Turkey. Many representatives from our sister parties in Europe are here. Representatives from the Socialist International, the Party of European Socialists, and the Greens are here. Members of the European Parliament are here.
We sincerely thank Dario Nardella, Giacomo Filibeck, and Vula Tsetsi for publicly declaring their friendship, saying ‘We support Turkey’ and standing with us. We thank all the MPs, the Mayor of Brussels for hosting us, and the mayors of Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, the Mayor of our sister city Thessaloniki, and the mayors of Timișoara, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Utrecht for their support of this rally and their solidarity. We are grateful they are with us.”
“WE SEE THOSE WHO REMAIN SILENT ABOUT THE COUP FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR INTERESTS IN SYRIA”
“On the other hand, there are those who remain silent about the plot against democracy in Turkey because they are engaged in a transactional, give-and-take relationship with Erdoğan. There are those who say, ‘Let Turkey deal with the refugees; let it be our forward operating base.’ Today, just as we are aware of the presence of all democrats here, we also record before history those who remain mute because of their own political calculations and their plans concerning Turkey. No one should worry about this.
I greet, with respect, all of our sister parties in Europe every single one of them without exception. I also extend my respect to the valuable members of the UK Labour Party, courageous people of struggle, regardless of their governing perspective; we love them as well.
Just as history today shames those who remained silent together with the United States during the invasion of Iraq by claiming ‘there are weapons of mass destruction’, today we also see and record those who, again alongside the United States, remain silent about the coup in Turkey because of their interests in Syria.
The AK Party government tries to shape the rules of politics as it pleases. They say, ‘Whatever happens in Turkey stays in Turkey. I do it, and that’s that.’ They say, ‘If you go abroad and speak out, I will accuse you of complaining about me.’ But it’s not that simple.
Where does he get this privilege? Why should something that is deemed virtuous for Erdoğan be sinful for others? Why is what is halal for him considered haram for someone else?
There once was a headscarf issue for students in Turkey. You went to the European Court of Human Rights and filed a case. At that time, it was a struggle for rights, and I did not stand against you. But when you filed a case against Turkey back then, that was not considered a complaint.
The AK Party once faced a closure case. A committee of four people was formed; they travelled around the world’s capitals. That was not considered a complaint. After the July 15 coup attempt, you came to our door saying, ‘Europe knows you; the world knows you better than us. Let’s explain this coup together and tell the world.’ When he is the one suffering a coup, he expects solidarity from the world. But when he himself commits a coup, he says, ‘Do not tell the world about this.’ Well, I swear I will tell it, and I will not take a single step back. When he is the one committing injustice, he demands silence. We will not be silent we will speak.”
“ERDOĞAN IS ON THE WRONG PATH; HE STANDS AGAINST TURKEY’S INTERESTS”
“Do you know what the real issue is, my dear companions? The issue is not that we are speaking about these matters here in Brussels in the heart and capital of Europe. If, in the capital of Europe, in the headquarters of the European Union we sought full membership in 60 years ago, and in the presence of the Council of Europe of which we are a founding member, you are ashamed that your actions in Turkey are being spoken about here if you are doing things that should cause shame then that is where the real problem lies.
When I was a little child, whenever I did something wrong, my grandmother, Mrs. Sadriye born in Thessaloniki would hold me by my shoulders. I would feel ashamed and cover my face. She would say, ‘Look at him. He is not ashamed to do it, but ashamed to look me in the eye.’
I say this to Erdoğan from here: If you are going to say ‘We are part of Europe’ and aim for the European Union, then whatever you do, you must be able to look Europe directly in the eye. That is what I do, brother. Do not engage in actions you cannot later defend. And if you have done so, you cannot avert your gaze from anyone.
The real issue is doing things so problematic that you cannot face them. We all know this. We, both at home and abroad, will never hesitate to defend Turkey’s interests. We are Turkey’s main opposition party. When we go abroad, we represent Turkey.
But the government before us is a government that defends only its own interests, one that is willing to set aside the interests of Turkey for its own survival, and therefore conducts every negotiation based solely on preserving its power.
I ask you: Has this coup process benefited our nation in any way? Has Turkey’s detachment from democracy benefited us? Have these actions benefited Turkey–Europe relations? Have they benefited the economy? Unemployment? The wellbeing of the country? If none of these answers is yes, then it means Erdoğan is on the wrong path he stands against Turkey’s interests and is bargaining for the sake of his own power.
The party that stands with Turkey its prosperity, its youth finding employment the party that stands for the country’s interests is the Republican People’s Party. Just as on the day it was founded, the CHP is Turkey’s number one party.”
“HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING A MATTER OF BARGAINING WITH TRUMP”
“The AK Party government, which works not for Turkey’s interests but for its own, and above all for the interests of its cronies and the wealthy, has now begun serving Trump’s agenda. Unable to find legitimacy at home, and unable to find legitimacy in Europe or the world, it now seeks it at the gates of the White House, in the Oval Office. It has lost the support of the people. Having lost that support, it now relies on Trump.
He has placed everything about this country on the bargaining table. The 300 Boeing aircraft are on the table; Turkey buying expensive natural gas is on the table; and sadly, even our greatest future wealth our rare earth elements, for which we rank fifth in the world are on the bargaining table with Trump.
Yet as the founding party of this nation, at the most difficult time when our presidential candidate, the Mayor of Istanbul, has been imprisoned and when support from Europe and the world is needed most the German government halted the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Turkey and imposed a blockade.
If it were the AK Party, if they were the ones being victimized, they would welcome this. They would say, ‘Do not deliver them,’ and ‘Make them crawl. First save us, then send the Eurofighters.’
What did we do? Ekrem İmamoğlu sent a message from the prison cell where he is held. I met with the deputy chancellor and the defense minister. We personally conveyed a message to the German government: ‘The injustice we experience is one matter; Turkey’s defense concerns are another. You must deliver the Eurofighter to Turkey.’ Germany lifted the blockade, and Turkey came to the point of receiving the Eurofighters.
On one side, there are those handing over Turkey’s rare earth elements to Trump; on the other, those who risk their own lives for the sake of the nation’s interest. We stand firm and resolute where we are.”
“IF THE BALLOT BOX DISAPPEARS, THERE WILL BE DISASTER NO ONE KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN YOU”
“We are the Alliance of Turkey, and we defend Turkey’s interests. In this square today, there are not only social democrats. God bless them conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, Kurdish democrats, liberal democrats stand shoulder to shoulder. Because democrats know this: if democracy exists, every problem can be resolved. If democracy disappears if the ballot box disappears then everything becomes a disaster. No one knows this better than you.
The West is not merely a direction; it is a way of understanding. The farther west you go, the more palaces disappear… There are historical palaces, yes but countries are governed from modest places. Motorcades shorten, cars become modest. Leaders are under scrutiny, they are humble but the people are wealthy.
But when you move away from this, when authoritarianism rises, the palaces begin: thousand-room palaces, long motorcades, the world’s most expensive official cars, fleets of aircraft… The ‘prestige’ is immense, but the people are poor.
Now Erdoğan and we represent two different currents. On one side is Erdoğan with his long motorcades, his 1,500-room palace, the costly pomp he refuses to reduce, and the poverty he imposes on the people. On the other side are we not seeking his flying palace or his most expensive Mercedes limousines, but seeking to restore the country’s democracy.
We swear that we will prevail.”
“NOT WITH PERMISSION, BUT WITH THE COURAGE GIVEN BY THE PARTY OF ATATÜRK…”
“From here, greetings to all of Turkey from Brussels to Afyon, to Emirdağ. Greetings to the entire country. We may be in opposition, but we work and struggle for a strong, democratic, and prosperous nation.
Even while in opposition, in all our international engagements, we defend the interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Palestine, and Azerbaijan. We do this boldly, without hesitation. We do it not with permission, but with the courage that comes from being part of Atatürk’s party.
You know well that from Europe, understanding what is happening in Turkey is not always easy. Turkey has been under AK Party rule for 23 years. After 23 years, they lost an election for the first time. After 47 years, we became the largest party for the first time. We received 38 percent of the vote and won 65 percent of the municipalities.
Up until now, Erdoğan would talk about ‘democracy’ and call himself a democrat. But he got off the democracy train at that station. From that day on, since he no longer relies on the ballot box but seeks salvation elsewhere, he is trying to suspend democracy in Turkey.
He did not respect the people’s choice. First, he ordered his ministers to ‘shake them off’ to hinder our mayors by cutting funding, by collecting old debts from CHP municipalities all at once to block their services.
When he saw that this was still not enough, he revoked our presidential candidate’s diploma after 31 years.
“HE WANTS TO BLOCK THE CANDIDACY OF SOMEONE WHO CAN BEAT HIM”
“This diploma has been used for 31 years for every official purpose in Turkey. No problem ever arose. One of his 25 classmates is now the dean of one of Turkey’s most prestigious business schools no problem there either. But once Ekrem İmamoğlu became a presidential candidate, the diploma was annulled so that he could not run.
Even the faculty that originally issued the diploma did not annul it. Instead, they had it cancelled by an unauthorized board. There is no translation of this into German. No English translation. No French translation. It must be explained thoroughly: ‘Mr. Ekrem’s only crime is defeating Erdoğan, and that is why his diploma was annulled.’
And since the diploma issue was not enough, 206 days ago, they imprisoned our friends with an accusation for which they claimed, ‘All evidence will appear within one month.’ Yet in seven months, they have not presented a single piece of evidence.
Now they are trying to convince Turkey and the world that ‘this is a corruption case.’ We must remind everyone clearly that in 210 days, there has been no evidence everything they previously claimed has collapsed, been disproven and that we have been waiting for an indictment for seven months.
Furthermore, when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was Mayor of Istanbul, he was accused of bribery, embezzlement, bid-rigging, and aiding terrorist organizations. He was prosecuted. But not once did police come to his home. Not once was he detained. Not once not even when his sentence was finalized did anyone interfere with him.
Yet Erdoğan is now doing what was never done to him sending police to someone’s home at 6 a.m., arresting an elected mayor, imprisoning him, withholding an indictment for seven months to block him from serving the people, and as it is now clear using every plot and manipulation to delay the judicial process in order to block the candidacy of someone who can defeat him.”
“THIS STRUGGLE IS NOT BETWEEN PARTIES, BUT BETWEEN CLASSES”
“But what he is trying to do is not only to harm Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu or his party. Our MPs who are walking around Brussels today see the reality: the minimum wage in Belgium is 4.2 times that of Turkey. The lowest pension here is 4.7 times that of Turkey. While a minimum wage in Turkey buys 30 kilograms of ground meat, in Belgium it buys 128 kilograms.
Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mansur Yavaş, I, and the Republican People’s Party do not aspire to Erdoğan’s luxury cars, his planes, or his palace. We aspire to increase the bread on the workers’ table, to raise the minimum wage, to raise pensions. We have sworn not to manage poverty, but to eradicate it. And because we seek this, we are attacked.
Those who are satisfied with the global order want Erdoğan. Those who want the rich to grow richer while the poor suffer want Erdoğan. Those who want equality, fraternity, fair and shared prosperity those who want social justice want Ekrem İmamoğlu, want the CHP.
This struggle is between the rich and the poor. This struggle is between the oppressor and the oppressed. This struggle is not between political parties it is between social classes. I call on those who stand with the oppressed, those who have a conscience, to stand with İmamoğlu and with the CHP in this fight.”
“UNDER A CHP GOVERNMENT, WE WILL MEET IN THE EUROPEAN UNION”
“It was exactly 64 years ago. A train departed from Sirkeci Station and arrived in Germany. Ever since, those passengers were called ‘migrant workers.’ You came here in pursuit of a livelihood. First, you fed your families; then you gave strength to Germany and Europe; now you have become an inseparable part of these countries.
With the second and third generations, we are no longer talking about ‘migrant workers’ we are talking about brilliant young people who are a source of pride, just like their grandparents. You are not what some belittle or keep at a distance. You are this nation’s shining representatives in Europe; our hope rests on you. It rests on the youth in Europe. We love you all deeply.
If you stay away from politics, if the youth in Europe stay away from politics, those who cancel concerts, who drag artists out of their homes at six in the morning under the pretext of drug tests to humiliate them before the public, those who turn Turkey into a Middle Eastern regime instead of a country young people desire these are the ones who benefit.
So I call out to the entire Turkish community here, especially the youth: Do not stay away from politics. Do not stay away from the ballot box.
In the past, that train departing from Sirkeci carried two of my uncles along with thousands of others. Now we will end that longing with the grandchildren of those migrant workers. I swear that under a CHP government, we will meet in the European Union, we will remove borders, and we will succeed together.”
“I GIVE YOU MY WORD FOR THE ‘TICKET OF LONGING’”
“For years, the AK Party made promises. It took your votes and then turned its back on you. While asking for your vote, it faced you; once it received the vote, it showed you its back.
Now you stand before a party that keeps its promises, that does not grow arrogant after victory, that excludes no one, that favors unity over polarization, and fraternity over demonization. You stand before the centennial march to power of the party founded by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Believe me we know all the problems. Believe me we know what they are and how to solve them. But unlike others, we do not turn our back once we take votes.
That is why Ekrem İmamoğlu won his first election with a margin of 13,000 votes, the second with 80,000, and the third with 1,100,000. That is why Mansur Yavaş won Ankara again with 60 percent support.
When we come to power, we are not the kind who forget; rather, we are the kind who become better known and better liked the more we serve.
Therefore, unlike those who raise ticket prices to four or five times the normal rate and turn your trips home into exploitation, I promise you the following: once a year, a round-trip ticket from Brussels or anywhere in Europe to Turkey will be available at the lowest winter fare one fare fixed and you will be able to use that ticket on any day of the year. This is the ‘ticket of longing,’ and I give you my word.
We will also bring a rational system to the 185-day car exit rule, one that prevents abuse but allows someone who has worked here for years to take their car to Turkey once without tax. Gone will be the days when someone’s spouse or relative uses the vehicle and they receive penalties. The state will not pursue such petty matters; instead, it will adopt a humane governance approach.
To end the suffering regarding pensions, we will abolish the rule that prevents retirees from working full time abroad. And we will not touch the pension rights earned by people working abroad they are as rightful as a mother’s milk.”
“WE SEE YOU AS TURKEY’S REPRESENTATIVES IN EUROPE”
“They look at you and see money machines. They say, ‘Here come the euros.’ We will end the absurdity of paying far more than the cost of a phone purchased here just to register it in Turkey ending the 45,000-lira phone registration rip-off.
We will bring military service fees turned into a milking cow for citizens working so hard down to reasonable levels. Whatever the fee is in Turkey, it will be the same here. I give you my word.
In healthcare: someone who has labored here for years who has given sweat and effort should not be left alone when they go to Turkey and fall ill. The state must take care of them in their time of need. I swear it will.
Turkey shares data under an OECD agreement, and citizens here suffer despite having no ill intent. If data is shared, it is shared but the Turkish state must protect its citizens from double taxation, double insurance, and arbitrary penalties. This is its duty.
As for those who have come here as part of career migration we would, of course, love for you to return one day. But there is a hostile mindset that sees those who have migrated for career purposes as people who ‘escaped.’ Even in license renewals, expats suffer injustice.
Young people believe me you are not a burden on Turkey. We are not resentful because you left. We see you as Turkey’s strength, as its representatives in Europe. Far from mistreating you, we will lift you onto our shoulders. We will stand together.”
“ARE YOU READY TO SHATTER THE GLASS CEILING IN BELGIUM?”
“Millions of our citizens here have many problems but no one to solve them. Years ago, I was the first MP to sign the proposal for an overseas electoral district. I was also the first parliamentary group deputy chair to do so.
You will decide, you will cast your votes, and you will send your representatives to Ankara and to Parliament.
Now let us agree on one thing: from now on, staying away from politics is not an option. We will motivate the youth and everyone eligible to vote. We will monitor the ballot boxes. Shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, we will run to the polls. We will end these troubles. We will bring Atatürk’s party to power. Do we have a deal?
During the March 31 elections, I said: ‘There is a 25 percent glass ceiling over our party. We will shatter it.’ On the night of March 31, we shattered that 25 percent ceiling and made our party the leading party with 38 percent.
Now in Belgium, there is an invisible 16 percent glass ceiling above us. Today is the day. From now on, by growing, uniting, and persevering, are you ready to shatter Belgium’s glass ceiling?
Everyone must know this: ending our longing, ending separation, building a Turkey without bans for its youth and creating a visa-free Europe this is a matter of elections, a matter of one ballot box.
Today, statements from the Socialist International show that 87 parties from 79 countries support CHP’s goal of full EU membership. Our sister parties whose representatives spoke here promise only solidarity and partnership if the CHP advances Turkey on the path of democracy.
To defy those who want to isolate Turkey, to imprison it in the idea that the whole world is its enemy, to gather votes through hatred to defy them and to strive for a Turkey that is an inseparable part of the modern world and modern Europe, a Turkey where bans are banned and borders abolished are you ready to fight for full EU membership?
We will end longing. Together with the beautiful people of my beautiful country, we will build a new future here and there arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder.
We have not come to Brussels to complain or to fight. We have come for solidarity, for morale, to draw strength and to give strength. From now on, we will be with you everywhere in Europe. We will overflow every square. We will build tomorrow together.
Beautiful people of my beautiful country, I greet all of you with respect. It is good that you are here.
I now invite the esteemed presidents of our unions in Europe, our comrades, representatives from the Council of Europe, from the European Parliament, and our sister parties, along with all our guests and union leaders in Europe, to join us here and together, we send our greetings to our beautiful homeland.”
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