The Co-Chairs of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, visited CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chairman Özgür Özel in Istanbul as an act of solidarity against the increasingly ongoing operations against the CHP.
Hatimoğulları and Bakırhan, along with DEM Party MPs, Central Executive Committee (MYK) members, and Istanbul provincial administrators, held a closed-door meeting with Özel at the former CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters in the Sarıyer district, which he currently uses as his office. Following the meeting, DEM Party Co-Chairs held a joint press conference with the CHP Chairman.
‘Trusteeship practices have now spread throughout Turkey’
Bakırhan stated that the visit was not merely an act of solidarity, but rather a shared stance against lawlessness. Emphasizing that the will of the people, as expressed through elections, is being undermined by the judiciary, Bakırhan said, “The trusteeship practices that we ourselves experienced in the past have now become normalized in Turkey. Unfortunately, while we are fighting for democracy, the rule of law, and freedoms in Turkey, the government is implementing trusteeship practices which have now spread throughout Turkey, not limited to political parties. First of all, I would like to state that we are against the appointment of trustees in place of the will of the people. We consider this to be unlawful. As a party that has experienced such lawlessness in the past, we will stand in solidarity with the Republican People’s Party against these injustices. The people want the leaders they have elected for five years or three years to govern them. The people bring them in, and the people take them out. The judiciary should not play a role in bringing them in or taking them out. We have been fighting for democracy, justice, and freedoms for years. These practices are actually a counter-stance to these three fundamental issues we have been advocating. As a party, we will stand against this.”
‘The people’s will should not be interfered with’
Stating that they are a party that defends values, Bakırhan continued: “We come from a tradition that has paid a price for its values. The appointment of trustees, the usurpation of political will is also an injustice against values. We will stand by values such as democracy and the rule of law. We will not remain silent. The government must abandon such practices immediately. It must stop interfering with municipalities elected by the people. We see this in the Middle East. Countries without democracy are living in chaos and crisis. With democracy, the rule of law, and justice, we can actually be a model for the Middle East. The conditions for this actually exist. While these issues should be on our agenda, Turkey’s agenda is exhausted with these artificial agendas. The right to vote and be elected must be respected without question. This is one of the most essential conditions. Once again, this country belongs to all of us. We will continue the struggle to achieve stability and democracy in this country. These lands belong to all of us. We want democracy and justice on these lands. We want the elected will to govern this country. We emphasize that this will should not be interfered with by external judicial intervention. An undemocratic regime may pose a risk to the Republican People’s Party today, but tomorrow, a regime that continues in this manner will also pose a risk to the AKP (the ruling Justice and Development Party). The next day, it will pose a risk to another party and other elected officials. As the DEM Party, we are fighting for the establishment of a democratic regime. We would like to reiterate that these approaches and understandings, which pose a risk to 86 million people, must be eliminated immediately.
‘Democracy and peace are inseparable’
A process is underway. On the one hand, we call it the peace process. But attempts are being made to block this process with undemocratic practices. Democracy and peace are inseparable. They are two halves of a whole. One cannot exist without the other. Therefore, in a process where peace is being discussed, we have no choice but to remove these obstacles, as such undemocratic practices will inevitably play a blocking role. We declare that we will work shoulder to shoulder with the opposition parties, among others, to democratize this republic and that we will fight together. Once again, I express my solidarity with the members, voters, and supporters of the Republican People’s Party. I send my greetings and best wishes to all of you, emphasizing the need to eliminate this unrest as soon as possible.”
Özel: We do not surrender
Speaking after, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said they were facing a major injustice: “This building won the biggest victory against the AKP in Istanbul. With the reality that whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey, this building became a target. This building itself is the subject of a lawsuit. The provincial congress that determined the management of this building is the subject of a lawsuit. The provincial chairman elected at that provincial congress is subject to legal proceedings both for the tasks he undertook through the congress and as an administrator in certain processes in Çağlayan. Why is there so much animosity, so much hostility towards our party? Because we win elections, because we do not surrender, because we do not bow down.”
‘The resistance here is legitimate defense’
Özel strongly criticized the siege and occupation of the party headquarters following the appointment of a trustee to Istanbul provincial organization. He continued: “If a similar blockade had been imposed against certain terrorist acts, for example, against the Ankara station massacre, and the bombers had been stopped, searched and encountered any barriers, then 104 of our people would not have lost their lives. They took 50 times the preventive measures that should have been taken there.”
Responding to the MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli’s words ‘Are you going to stir up trouble in the streets?”, Özel said, “We will not allow anyone to stir up trouble in the streets. Our intention is not to do so, but to prevent invasion and assault. We haven’t hurt anyone here, but the legal and moral name for the resistance here is legitimate defense.”