Özgür Özel's 'Solution Process' message from his visit to Selahattin Demirtaş.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made striking statements in a press release following his visit to former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş at Edirne F-Type Prison. Özel stated, "Everyone is making calls to different actors, let it be done. If these calls are made by the most unexpected actors, that is not something we will reject. Essentially, what we want to see is that a correct step is taken together for the interests of all of Turkey. The CHP will not be obstructive in this matter. We will not remain in a position that we will regret in front of history. I want to clearly express that in the future, when these days are remembered, we will be in a position that everyone will be proud of."

TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF MEETING

Before his tour of the East and Southeast, which will start on Tuesday and visit six cities, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is currently imprisoned, and former Diyarbakır Metropolitan Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı today. After approximately two and a half hours of meetings, Özel held a press conference in front of the prison. CHP Leader Özel said:

"A little while ago, I had a meeting with both Mr. Selahattin Demirtaş and Mr. Selçuk Mızraklı. First of all, I am ashamed to have to hold such a meeting. Because both of them were in their positions when Demirtaş was the co-chair of his party and a member of parliament, supposedly not taking orders from anyone, judges who should not take orders woke up together in different cities one night, conducted raids on their homes, and took many members of parliament away at the same time, with planes ready to take them away. Selahattin Demirtaş was an elected member of parliament and the co-chair of his party.

"THE SOURCE OF THIS SHAME IS KNOWN BY OUR NATION"

Selçuk Mızraklı, who sat right next to me, is a member of parliament with immunity, and if he had anything to fear, he would never give up his parliamentary shield. He ran for the mayorship of Diyarbakır and won with a very high vote. They handed him the key to the city, and even if everyone left that city, Selçuk Mızraklı would be the last to go. However, they first removed him from his position and then imprisoned him to prevent him from fleeing. He was not going anywhere; he was in the Parliament and was the Mayor of Diyarbakır. Holding such a meeting is very sad and shameful for us, leaving such a meeting in our political history and past, but the real source of this shame is known by our entire nation.

"WE WILL ACHIEVE SOCIAL PEACE TOGETHER"

That is why we are suffering a lot, witnessing many sorrows, and having to make shameful visits, but rest assured, after people in Turkey love each other and internalize social peace together, just as it ended beautifully 100 years ago, Turks and Kurds, everyone living in Turkey, our ancestors ended a great occupation together and established a young republic, it will also end magnificently this time. This time, we will repair all the things we did not do, could not do, our mistakes, and shortcomings together, and we will achieve social peace together.

"ALL ACTORS WHO WILL SOLVE TURKEY'S PROBLEMS ARE VALUABLE"

I want to clearly express that if Turkey is to solve a problem, overcome it, leave it behind, if weapons are to be laid down, if mothers are not to cry, if Turkey is to develop, strengthen, and prosper together, and if democraticization is to be prioritized, then all actors are valuable. However, the importance of an actor like Selahattin Demirtaş must be emphasized. In my own name, from my perspective and my party's perspective, if good things are to happen for Turkey in the future, no one should obstruct anyone, and personal or political interests should not be calculated; national interests, the interests of the country, and the interests of 86 million should be considered together. Therefore, while there is an easy opportunity for opposition, what Mr. Bahçeli has said to us and DEM until today, what Mr. Erdoğan has said, instead of doing these, we continue to say, 'The extended hand is correct.'

"NO ONE SHOULD TRY TO DO THINGS THINKING OF THE INTERESTS OF THEIR ALLIANCE OR PARTY"

However, we are closely, cautiously, and carefully monitoring this process. And we are especially making a sincere call. There must be a sincerity; it needs to be seen whether it exists or not. Everyone is making their own definitions; I will not make a definition. I will go to the region, visit six cities in six days, and of course, we will have evaluations in each city when we return after a week, but I will also make a general evaluation. But the essence of the matter is that no one should try to do things thinking of the interests of their alliance or party. This will turn back from the consciences of all the people who make the Republic of Turkey what it is. No one should mock anyone, and no one should underestimate anyone's intelligence.

"ONE OF THE ISSUES WE AGREED ON WITH DEMİRTAŞ WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY"

We discussed almost all the problems of the country with Mr. Demirtaş, listening to his extremely valuable evaluations. We did not only talk about social peace; we even reached a consensus on the necessity of starting from women's rights, protecting children, and the complete rejection of violence, and that the clearest struggle against this should be fought together. Of course, we talked about justice with two people who experience injustice to their core. We also discussed the economic crisis and how this economic crisis has affected the most vulnerable segments of society, and that the most needed things to overcome this are law, justice, the rule of law, and good governance. One of the issues we agreed on was the importance of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Nothing has yielded results without the Grand National Assembly being at the center, and it will not. From now on, we will continue to emphasize the importance of the Grand National Assembly. Additionally, we have a consensus with Mr. Demirtaş and Mr. Mızraklı to continue to communicate and meet whenever we feel the need to hear each other's views.

"WE WILL NOT REMAIN IN A POSITION THAT WE WILL REGRET"

I do not know what Turkey will discuss in the coming days, but I once again emphasize the importance of Mr. Demirtaş. Everyone is making calls to different actors, let it be done; there is no harm in it. If these calls are made by the most unexpected actors, that is not something we will reject. Essentially, what we want to see is that a correct step is taken together for the interests of all of Turkey. The CHP will not be obstructive in this matter. We will not remain in a position that we will regret in front of history. I want to clearly express that in the future, when these days are remembered, we will be in a position that everyone will be proud of.

"WE WILL NOT ALLOW A PROCESS IN WHICH THE MAIN ISSUES ARE MADE INVISIBLE"

In the upcoming period, some may approach the agenda in this way and by only discussing these topics, create a fog effect that could be called 'Constitutional amendment', 'process', or something new could be named. We will not allow a process in which poverty is made invisible through a fog effect, where the discussion of poverty is postponed, where unemployment is made invisible, where the economic crisis is made invisible, and especially in this process where the purchasing power is in such a state that a significant portion of society has become impoverished, the main issues are rendered invisible. We will continue to discuss the real issues, and from the right perspective. However, if Turkey is discussing something new in the new process, we will follow that topic very carefully and sincerely. Of course, we will continue to emphasize and underline the importance of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).