12.03.2026 18:51
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Bülent Arınç in the Parliament. In a joint statement after the meeting, Arınç said, "I had the opportunity to hear about the conditions our country is in." Özel, in response to a question about whether the İBB Case was discussed during the meeting, replied, "When two fellow townsmen come together, everything under the sun is on the agenda."
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel paid a visit to former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Bülent Arınç in the Parliament. The meeting, which started at 10:30, lasted for one hour and fifteen minutes. After the meeting, Özel and Arınç made a statement.
ARINÇ: I AM DISCUSSING MATTERS RELATED TO MANISA WITH THEM
Arınç said: "Mr. Chairman, they came to visit me, and I thank them very much. We are both from the same hometown, and we know each other from Manisa. I had visited him when he became Chairman and conveyed my congratulations. From time to time, I discuss matters related to Manisa with him. He shows great interest as well.
"I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO HIM ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OUR COUNTRY IS IN"
Today was both a Ramadan visit and -perhaps you are aware- I was in Manisa last Saturday. We have iftar together as a family every year during Ramadan. We hold a mevlüt during the day. I had invited all my prominent friends from Manisa. Our CHP executive friends and mayors also attended. The Chairman's own schedule is very busy, he could not attend. Today, may God accept it, he expressed his good wishes to me. In the remaining part, I had the opportunity to listen to him about the conditions our country is in. We had such a nice meeting. I thank him very much.
ÖZEL: WE HAVE NEVER SPARED COURTESY FROM EACH OTHER
CHP leader Özel also said: "Mr. Bülent Arınç, on the day I was first elected as a member of parliament, he called all the MPs elected from Manisa, while he was still in his current position, which he continued in the same role as Deputy Prime Minister. It is difficult to be a novice in any job, and being a member of parliament is even more difficult. He asked, 'Is there anything we can do in Ankara?' Since that day, our parties have been separate, and we are in political competition. In fact, since the day I was a candidate for Mayor of Manisa in the 2009 local elections, there have been times when we fulfilled the requirements of political competition, and we have never spared the courtesy required of two politicians from the same hometown from each other.
"WHEN WE TWO HOMETOWNERS COME TOGETHER, EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN IS ON THE AGENDA"
When I was elected Chairman, they came to congratulate me. We had very painful days, both he and my brother Mücahit, they never left us alone at the funeral of Ferdi Zeyrek, and later at the funeral of our Mayor of Şehzadeler, may God have mercy on him. I was delayed in a return visit. Using the excuse of not being able to attend last week's Ramadan iftar invitations, today I had the opportunity to celebrate their Ramadan and make a return visit. Starting from Manisa, we had the chance to chat about all the issues in Turkey, with a focus on the processes within my party, and to benefit from their experiences. I thank them for their kind hospitality."
Özel, in response to a question about whether the İBB case came up during the meeting, said, "When we two hometowners come together, everything under the sun is on the agenda."
Source: ANKA / AA