CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: “Tonight, we will be everywhere, whereever need be”
CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chairman Özgür Özel made statements at the İBB (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) building in Saraçhane. Özgür Özel said, “Tonight, we will be everywhere.” In his statement, he urged that no one should stop working on Monday, expressing his wish for everything to return to normal. He added, “Tonight, we’ll be everywhere. I need be Çağlayan (Palace of Justice), if need be Vatan Street (police headquarters), and if need be Taksim…”
Key points from Özgür Özel’s statements:
“We might be anywhere tonight. We are meeting in Saraçhane first. Depending on the course of the night, we might go to Çağlayan, Vatan, or if things get very bad, Taksim, or perhaps somewhere else… Today, we’ll be on the streets and in the squares in all 81 provinces, without hurting anyone, without touching our police, without touching a single hair on any mother’s child. But we will not stop, we will not give up. We have not complied with any unlawful bans for the last three days, and we will not comply tonight either. Whoever tries to touch the will (willpower) of Istanbul, Şişli, or Beylikdüzü, we will also respond.”
“We want to wake up to a normal Turkey on Monday”
“We do not want the economy to get worse, we do not want peace and order to be disrupted. We are the party that established the state, we do not want anyone to disturb the order. Our answer to those asking ‘What will you do?’ is: We are not afraid! On Monday, we want students to go to school, workers to go to work, and for me to have my meeting and group meeting in Ankara. We want to wake up to a normal Turkey on Monday.”
Regarding Ekrem Başkan (Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu), Özel stated that they had asked him through his lawyers about his feelings regarding tonight and the process in Çağlayan. Ekrem İmamoğlu replied, “What needs to be protected more than my own support tonight is something else. I thought my family would say it, but it is the ballot boxes that will be set up tomorrow.” He emphasized that the ballot boxes being set up tomorrow and those to be established in the future are important because they are the guarantee for 86 million citizens.
“Pre-Election” (survey for presidential candidate of CHP) announcement
CHP has set up 5,960 ballot boxes for its members tomorrow. Members can check where these ballot boxes are via the CHP Mobile app. Each ballot box will also have a solidarity box. Identification is not mandatory, but name and surname can be recorded, and if desired, a phone number. People can register their names on the list and cast a solidarity vote. CHP members will go door to door, accompanying those who wish to vote. There will be ballot boxes in cafes, restaurants, schools, and workplaces.
Özel also mentioned that the ballot boxes would be set up in districts like Manisa, Rize, Edirne, and Hakkari. Those wondering where the nearest ballot box is can check on the CHP website or call 0312 207 41 41 for answers. It is not necessary to be a CHP member to participate. Ekrem İmamoğlu made a special request, stating that he would prefer not to limit the voter count to 55 million, but also asks for votes from those under 18, as long as they prepare them at home, such as making heart drawings, writing poems, or drawing pictures. These will be collected in solidarity boxes.
Where will Özgür Özel vote?
“I will vote at the ballot box in Saraçhane. I invite the people of Istanbul to come to Saraçhane after casting their votes tomorrow or to come here. Based on the developments, I will also take part in solidarity hours at certain times.”
Özel also stated that they expected the swift processing of Ekrem İmamoğlu’s statement by the prosecutor’s office and hope for a quick release. He emphasized that 16 million people in Istanbul were waiting for this.
In response to a question about the possibility of a “trustee” (Kayyum), Özel said, “We have a plan up to Z.”
