27.06.2026 12:03
CHP Group Chair Özgür Özel, who landed in Diyarbakır, made a statement in front of the Four-Legged Minaret. Beginning his speech by commemorating Tahir Elçi, Özgür Özel said, "We started the day with Selahattin Demirtaş's greeting. Selahattin Demirtaş's greeting is welcome, on behalf of all Diyarbakır and the region's people, and on behalf of all Kurds."
CHP Group Chairman Özgür Özel, who came to Diyarbakır for various contacts, performed Friday prayers at the historic Ulu Mosque in the Sur district. After the prayer, Özel visited shopkeepers on Gazi Street and received intense interest from the people of Diyarbakır.
SHOPKEEPERS OFFER ÖZGÜR ÖZEL LIVER AND COFFEE
Özel, who had difficulty walking due to the crowd, did not turn down the liver and coffee offered by Diyarbakır shopkeepers. To a shopkeeper offering liver, Özel said, "When I eat this liver, things go well; I was delayed, and the annulment came. Now I will eat this and set things right again, inshallah."
SLOGANS RISE
Özel accepted requests from those who wanted to take photos with him and took selfies with their mobile phones. The crowd, expressing support for Özel with slogans like "The people of Diyarbakır are proud of you," voiced their solidarity with him. One citizen said, "No one but you, Selahattin Demirtaş, and Ekrem İmamoğlu can save this Turkey." Özel responded, "Together; without you, we cannot save it."
Due to the intense interest, CHP Group Chairman Özgür Özel had to cut his shopkeeper visit short and came to the Four-Legged Minaret, where Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi was killed. Özel placed a rose at the spot where Elçi was shot and later made a statement to journalists about his visit. Noticing that journalists were struggling due to the crowd, Özel said, "It's a big crowd. You're also having difficulty doing your job."
“WHEN PEACE IS PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED IN DIYARBAKIR, TAHİR ELÇİ WILL SLEEP PEACEFULLY”
Özel said, "Today, together with dear Türkan Elçi, the tenth-year commemoration was held. We are in the eleventh year. We are at the spot where Tahir Elçi, the then-president of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, was murdered. We are here with our Diyarbakır deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, our provincial chairman, and our provincial chairs and deputies from the region. First of all, I bow once again with respect before Tahir Elçi's memory. He was a peace envoy, murdered here. Türkan Hanım fought a legal battle for years. We all stood by her as much as possible. When peace is permanently established in Diyarbakır, Tahir Elçi will sleep peacefully."
“DEMİRTAŞ'S GREETING, ON BEHALF OF ALL KURDS, IS ABOVE OUR HEADS AND EYES”
Özel stated, "You kept saying 'first statement, first statement.' In my first statement, I want to say this: We started with the greeting of Selahattin Demirtaş, who knew we would be here today and that you would welcome us, and who sent a greeting to us by calling his lawyer last night. Selahattin Demirtaş's greetings, on behalf of all Diyarbakır, on behalf of all the people of the region, on behalf of all Kurds, are above our heads and eyes. Greetings to him."
“THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE ON THE RIGHT PATH”
Özel, who said he visited 12 cities after the absolute annulment decision and after leaving the 12th floor of CHP Headquarters, continued: "Now we are in Diyarbakır. I said that we are on a path, we ask the way and direction. We laughed. Because Diyarbakır is a city that has had trustees appointed to its will many times and has suffered greatly from trustees. It is the city that has stood most firmly against trustees. And today, after a trustee was appointed to the will of our party, we left the buildings behind. We are walking. As we walk, we walk with those who love us all over Turkey, those who walk with us, those who get behind us and say, 'You walk, we walk with you.' We also chat with those we see, we ask for directions. Let everyone be assured that the path is greater than all of us. The path is greater than all of us, the path is greater than the traveler. The important thing is to be on the right path."