11.02.2025 13:30
The former leader of the CHP, Deniz Baykal, was commemorated at his grave in the State Cemetery in Ankara on the second anniversary of his passing. The ceremony was attended by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, Baykal's son Ataç Baykal, party members, and relatives. Former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not attend the ceremony.
Former CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal was commemorated at his grave in the State Cemetery in Ankara. The ceremony was attended by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke, former chairmen Hikmet Çetin, former CHP Secretary General Önder Sav, CHP Ankara Provincial Chairman Ümit Erkol, Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, Mamak Mayor Veli Gündüz Şahin, Yenimahalle Mayor Fethi Yaşar, as well as deputy chairpersons and members of parliament.
"BAYKAL LEFT IMPORTANT TRACES IN ALL PARTIES" Speaking at the ceremony, Özgür Özel stated that his relationship with the late Deniz Baykal was loaded with extraordinary meanings in terms of his political life, and that Baykal left significant traces in the lives of all party members. Özel recounted that he entered politics 15 years ago with a phone call from Baykal, saying, "Last year, as a newly elected Chairman, we were in the presence of Mr. Deniz, who made me the mayor when we had 6% of the votes in Manisa. Today, we are here with the happiness of having won the city entrusted to us by Mr. Deniz with 6% of the votes, now with 60% after 20 years. We are here with the pride of having made his party the leading party 47 years after 1978, when CHP was first. We are here with the great belief that in the next election, we will make his party the leading party, bring it to power, and provide many young people in their 30s with the feeling he experienced at the age of 36, and bring CHP ministers to this country at that age." he said.
"MR. PRESIDENT, YOUR PARTY IS IN POWER THIS TIME TOO" Özel stated that they learned a lot from Deniz Baykal and that he had served the country greatly, adding:
"I hope that next year, or if not, the year after, we will all come here together in health, happiness, and pride, to say, 'Dear Mr. Chairman, your party is in power this time too. CHP is in power. A CHP member is at the head of the state. Young ministers are fulfilling the duties you performed. Dear Mr. Chairman, despite the Constitution, those mines that are circumvented and plundered are still the property of the state' and we will be here once again. Until that day, it falls upon all of us to work hard, to unite, to stand in solidarity, and to be aware that defending the rights and law of CHP is the same as defending the rights and law of the country."
KILIÇDAROĞLU DID NOT ATTEND THE CEREMONY Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not attend the commemoration ceremony for Baykal, who passed away at the age of 84 and held the chairmanship just before him.