Özgür Özel’s Meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain
Özgür Özel, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party of Turkey (CHP), met with Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain and President of the Socialist International, in Madrid ahead of the Socialist International Presidium meeting. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes and focused on bilateral relations and global political developments.
During the talks, Sánchez praised Özel’s stance on the Palestinian issue and underlined the need to establish structures to strengthen the Progressive Alliance and enhance cooperation among member parties of the Socialist International. He also called for mutual support among like-minded parties on election security, describing the role of the Republican People’s Party as “crucial” in this process. Sánchez further emphasized the importance of establishing a think tank on leftist, socialist, and social democratic policies.
The Spanish Prime Minister, referring to the monitoring of the situation of political prisoners in Turkey, expressed his solidarity with Özel.
In his remarks, Özel thanked Sánchez for hosting the recent Socialist International meeting in Istanbul and said that Sánchez’s position on Palestine and his efforts to organize democratic solidarity were appreciated by the people of Turkey. Stressing the importance of the Socialist International and the Progressive Alliance, Özel stated that the convergence of democrats would strengthen the defense of democracy against authoritarian policies.
The CHP leader also emphasized the necessity of holding free and secure elections in all countries and declared his party’s readiness to assume responsibility in this regard. He described the idea of establishing a think tank as “valuable.”
Özel went on to recall that the Turkish government had promised to present documents related to the March 19 coup attempt within one month, but more than 200 days had passed without any evidence being released or an indictment prepared. He noted that unlawful practices had increased during this period, citing the release of a convicted murderer, the blockade of CHP headquarters in Istanbul by thousands of police officers, and the appointment of a trustee in place of an elected provincial chair. Özel stressed the importance of democratic solidarity against repression and injustice.
