CHP leader Özgür Özel said Erdoğan said, “There is no political alliance between the main opposition and the ruling party. There will be a softening, there will be normalization.” Regarding Erdoğan’s words, he said, “If they say, ‘Let’s normalize, don’t oppose,’ we are not there. But if they say ‘will you clench your fist again’, we are not there either. We will continue to shake hands, continue negotiations and continue the struggle.”
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at his party’s group meeting, “There is no political alliance between the main opposition and the ruling party. There will be a softening, normalization, but not an alliance.”
Answering the questions of journalists, Özgür Özel said about Erdoğan’s statement, “It was not a normal statement. This statement also needs normalization. One hand is not enough to shake hands, two hands are needed. In the past, fists were clenched. On March 31st, when our nation entrusted us to be the first party, we said in our first statement, ‘We will not be arrogant, we will fulfill the responsibilities of being the first party,’ and I called Mr. Erdoğan on the first holiday. I made the first visit and had the opportunity to shake hands after years. The line we have come today from a line that previously did not shake hands at Anıtkabir and did not greet the leader of the main opposition party at funeral ceremonies is extremely positive. There is no side or owner to this. It is neither me nor Mr. Erdoğan alone. The definition of normalization in order to shape the opposition in a certain way is just a phrase designed to placate the alliance partner. I understand Mr. Erdoğan on this issue. We read his assessment in some newspapers, such as ‘the expression used by Mr. Özgür hurt us’. The reason for the use of that expression there was a response I gave to Mr. Bahçeli when he proposed that we break the alliance with Erdoğan and form an alliance as a result of his discomfort with normalization in the group meeting, and since then Mr. Erdoğan has been using that response to repair his relations with Mr. Bahçeli. However, what this country understands from normalization is an understanding that can establish a dialogue with the government and the opposition, talk and discuss problems with each other, and even if they do not convince each other, they do not see each other as enemies, but they do not leave the struggle incomplete.”
“Raising the minimum wage is not on our agenda”
Reacting to the government’s statement that an increase in the minimum wage was not on the agenda, Özel said:
“Democracy ceases to be democracy after the opposition ceases to be opposition. Just today they announced that they will not raise the minimum wage. If there is no negotiation left to be done in this field with a government that will not raise the minimum wage, the work to be done is struggle. On June 30th, at the rally in Kocaeli, we will be in the squares to give the government an answer to its attitude. We have taken authority and responsibility from the nation as the opposition party.”
“No more handshakes, no more negotiations, no more struggle”
“This is the difference between us and the Nationalist Movement Party; we do not have an understanding that will gather votes in the ballot box saying ‘we will oppose’ and ‘we are against this understanding’ and then change sides 180 degrees before the ballot box comes again. If anyone is waiting, do not wait in vain. But we did not receive authorization from the nation to fight, to insult the elected president or to just jostle with our political interlocutors. We will continue to show the respect that each leader deserves out of our respect for the voters who voted for them, with the maturity and courtesy required by politics. But if we take a step back from the opposition responsibility given to us by the nation, the nation will not do us justice. If they say ‘let’s normalize, don’t oppose’, we are not there. But if they say ‘will you clench your fist again’, we are not there either. We will continue to shake hands, continue negotiations and continue the struggle.”
