21.09.2025 11:21
In his speech at the 22nd Extraordinary Congress of the CHP, party leader Özgür Özel said, "These are the days when we recognize our friends and our enemies. We have mastered the art of breaking the stone. I want to say this to our delegates who rush to notaries to sign in order to eliminate a threat: We are here for a struggle, to resist a great injustice and to lock ourselves in again. Welcome."
CHP leader Özgür Özel, in his speech at the party's 22nd Extraordinary Congress, said: "We have become a bit more skilled at breaking the stone, distinguishing friend from foe. Greetings to our mayors unlawfully held in prison. I pray for the soul of Ferdi Zeyrek, whom we laid to rest 60 days ago, and for Altan Öymen, who taught us courtesy, the history of the party, and to look to the future with hope."
"DEMOCRACY TEST IS GIVEN NOT WHEN YOU WIN, BUT WHEN YOU LOSE" Highlights from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's speech are as follows: "This party is the party of İsmet İnönü, who said, 'When this party handed over power to the Democrat Party in 1950 at the request of the nation, this is my defeat, but it is the victory of justice.' We have not believed in anything other than the Republic; there were times we did not see the face of power for 47 years, but we did not turn our backs on the people. The nation that has kept the AK Party in power for years has made a new decision and made us the first party. We invited no one to feel lost that night. The key in our mayors' pockets is not the golden key of the city, but the key of the party of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We said, 'Value it, work accordingly.' The democracy test is given not when you win, but when you lose. The ruling party showed that they could not pass the democracy test with what they did when they lost for the first time. They showed that they are not democrats but users of democracy."
"OUR CHAIRMEN WERE IMPRISONED, BUT WE NEVER DEVIATED FROM DEMOCRACY" It is the party of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said when the proposal for eternal presidency was made, 'Many have made this proposal, but my aim is not eternal presidency, but the perpetuation of the sovereignty of the nation.' This party is the party of İsmet İnönü, who could say, 'This defeat is undoubtedly my greatest defeat, but it is the greatest victory of Turkish democracy,' when it handed over power to the Democrat Party in 1950 at the request of the nation, fulfilling the requirements of Atatürk's words. This party is the party of Bülent Ecevit, the Black Horse, who brought social democracy to power in 1972 with cadres that do not oppress nor are oppressed, advocating a humane and just order according to the conditions of the world. Our party has paid many prices on the road of democracy, was closed down, had its assets confiscated, and our chairmen were arrested and imprisoned, but no matter what happened, we never deviated from democracy. We did not accept any will over the will of the nation and did not believe in such a power. We became the target of coups, but we never stood by them; as a party that has been subjected to heavy attacks for years, we have not believed in any path other than democracy, and we will not indulge in such a path in the future."