Özgür Özel: The announced agreement is only a ceasefire, not a two‑state solution

Özgür Özel: The announced agreement is only a ceasefire, not a two‑state solution

Özgür Özel, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party of Turkey (CHP), delivered a speech at his party’s group meeting, addressing Turkey’s domestic and foreign issues, the country’s economic and social situation, as well as judicial cases and mining accidents. In his remarks, he strongly criticized Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the government and its pro‑government media, as well as Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Referring to government policies, he said: “That era is over,” stressing that opponents can no longer be confined within the framework drawn by the authorities, nor can power be maintained through silence in the face of injustice. Özel recalled that in the past, complaints and legal proceedings before international bodies had yielded results and carried legitimacy, adding that today the Republican People’s Party continues the same path of defending justice both domestically and internationally.

He went on to criticize Turkey’s foreign policy, particularly its relations with Israel. He described Benjamin Netanyahu as “responsible for massacre and genocide” and said he should be tried in The Hague. Özel added that while thousands of people have lost their lives in Gaza, pro‑government media in Turkey present the recent agreement as “Erdoğan’s victory.”

According to him, what was signed was merely a ceasefire, with no reference to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, a two‑state solution, or the enforcement of international law against those responsible for the killings. He called this situation “the greatest shame,” stating that the celebrations in the Israeli parliament and their reflection in Turkey’s pro‑government press stand in stark contrast to the mourning of the Palestinian people.

Özel then turned to the mining disasters in Soma and Amasra, reminding that the Republican People’s Party will continue to pursue these cases. He said the sentences handed down to the defendants had not eased the pain of the victims’ families and promised that one day these cases would be reopened and those responsible would be brought to justice.

The CHP leader also addressed voters of the AKP and MHP, stressing that being a member of or voting for these parties is not a matter of hostility for the CHP, and that ordinary citizens have nothing to fear. However, he underlined that those who shared responsibility for the blood of the victims would once again be judged.

Comparing Turkey’s economic conditions with those of Europe, particularly Belgium, Özel highlighted the sharp disparity in purchasing power between retirees and minimum‑wage workers. He explained that a retiree in Turkey, if spending an entire monthly pension on ground meat, could buy only about 19 kilograms, whereas a retiree in Belgium could purchase nearly 108 kilograms with a monthly pension. He also pointed to the difference in car prices and the heavy share of indirect taxes in Turkey, describing the tax system as unjust.

Özel stated that in Turkey, 89 percent of taxes are collected from ordinary people, while companies contribute only 11 percent. He described this situation as “unjust and shameless” and pledged that the CHP would change this system.

In conclusion, Özel emphasized that the Republican People’s Party will stand against oppression and injustice both at home and abroad, with its main goal being to ensure prosperity and purchasing power for the people of Turkey.