17.06.2025 18:40
The spokesperson of the AK Party, Ömer Çelik, responded sharply to the remarks of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, who targeted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the Palestinian issue. Çelik stated, "He is unable to stand in the right place in the developments of foreign policy in any way. At a time when the world is in such a situation, Özgür Özel's attempt to question our President's sensitivity towards Palestine is a complete political insensitivity."
The AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik responded harshly to the criticisms of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel towards President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding the Palestinian issue.
In a statement he made on his social media account, Çelik included the following remarks:
"OUR PRESIDENT IS CARRYING OUT THE MOST EFFECTIVE DIPLOMACY AGAINST ISRAEL'S ATTACK ON IRAN"
"Our President is carrying out the most effective diplomacy at both regional and global levels against Israel's inhumane attack on Iran. All actors at the global and regional levels emphasize the importance of our President's experience and leadership for the establishment of a peace table and the resumption of nuclear negotiations. The most important basis for Turkey to maintain its position and power amidst all this chaos is our President's resolute leadership. This is a fact recognized at both regional and global levels.
"QUESTIONING OUR PRESIDENT'S SENSITIVITY TOWARDS PALESTINE IS COMPLETE POLITICAL INSENSITIVITY"
The only person who cannot understand this is CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. He has failed to stand in the right place regarding developments in foreign policy. While the world is in such a situation, Özgür Özel's attempt to question our President's sensitivity towards Palestine is complete political insensitivity.
"OUR PRESIDENT IS THE STRONGEST SUPPORTER OF THE SEARCH FOR A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION"
Our President is, on one hand, the strongest supporter of the search for a diplomatic solution against Israel's attack on Iran, and on the other hand, he emphasizes in all his discussions that Israel's war policy should not be allowed to divert attention away from Gaza.
"ÖZEL'S WORDS HAVE NO VALUE POLITICALLY OR IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL AGENDA"
Özgür Özel's words have no value politically or in terms of the international agenda. However, in such times, attacking our President's sensitivity towards Palestine and his stance against Israel's attack on Iran serves no purpose other than supporting the war lobby."
Çelik's statement is as follows;
WHAT DID ÖZEL SAY?
Speaking at his party's group meeting in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel used the following expressions:
"When there are no sufficient sanctions from the world, on the other hand, Turkey reacts to Netanyahu with a tone that is not loud enough to be heard outside, speaking to him in lowercase letters, and when he does not say a word to Trump, who actually provokes him, he says, 'Gaza is nice. I will build seaside towns and casinos there. I will distribute the Palestinians to other countries.' If someone were to write this in their newspaper column under normal circumstances, Turkey should rise up, react to that country, condemn genocide and deportation, and say that this is a crime against humanity, that it cannot even fall under freedom of expression. While Trump looks him in the eye, Erdoğan remains silent about genocide, about deportation, about driving the Palestinians out of there, about building casinos there, about making it Israel's property, about planning to seize the hydrocarbon deposits in front of him, which would last Europe a hundred years, our people remain silent.
In response to this, last Sunday, we raised our voices at a rally led by the Saadet Party at the invitation of our esteemed Chairman Arıkan. The demands and approaches at that rally were met with great hope by those who participated and followed the rally. Because this is what Palestine expects from us.
Let me repeat a sentence I said there; we see the Palestinian issue as a fundamental issue of our party. We stand where the late Bülent Ecevit stood behind Arafat. We are right there with the support that Deniz Gezmiş and his friends gave to the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Now we must ask Erdoğan; where are you on the Palestinian issue? Where are you while Trump is emptying Palestine? Where are you while he is building casinos there?"