Speaking at the meeting held in Bornova Büyükpark, NEW Party Chairman Özgür Özel recalled the years when he was a student at Bornova Anatolian High School and said that he had an important place in the life of the district.
Explaining that he came to the district in 1985 to study at Bornova Anatolian High School with a free state boarding scholarship, Özel stated that he met with the party members as the chairman years later in Büyükpark, which he entered during his first market leave.
Özel said, "I have just re-entered the door I entered on my first market leave when I was a child who had just turned ten years old and was preparing for youth, and I am in Büyükpark. With such a crowd, as the chairman of the NEW Party, I came to the district chairman election with all our members in Bornova, which has been the stronghold of our party. I greet you all with respect."
Stating that he will vote in Manisa Yunusemre, Özel said about Bornova: "The district where I went to secondary school, high school and university, where I always feel like I belong, where I have one eye, one ear and half of my heart is entrusted to Bornova."
“WE ARE TAKING A STEP THAT WILL SET AN EXAMPLE FOR TURKEY”
Drawing attention to the increase in the number of members in Bornova, Özel said that 8 thousand 300 members have been reached in the district and the 10 thousand member limit will be exceeded in the near future.
Stating that they want to strengthen democracy within the party, Özel said, "In the past, Bornova was one of the districts where internal party democracy was most comfortable, establishing ballot boxes in the neighborhoods and electing its delegates from the neighborhood. Today, we are implementing a system where members go directly to the polls. We have come to take a big step together, which will be an example for Turkish politics and from which there will be no step back."
THANKS TO ERTÜRK ÇAPIN
Touching on the change of duty, Özel thanked Ertürk Çapın, who served as the founding district chairman. Stating that Çapın had undertaken important responsibilities in the change process and the establishment of the party in the past period, Özel said, "Today, in Bornova, they agreed on a candidate with common sense and stated that he will entrust the task to our new president. I thank the President Ertürk wholeheartedly for all his efforts."
HE CALLED ÖMER EŞKİ “MY BROTHER”
Özel also thanked Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki and drew attention to the importance of harmony between the organization and the municipality.
Özel said, "I would like to thank my brother Ömer Eşki, who came to Bornova to study like me, stayed in the dormitory here and completed his university education, engaged in politics here and came to office as a young mayor with your votes, for his contributions in this process."
MÜMECCEL WISHED TİMAÇ SUCCESS
Stating that the party organization in Bornova has agreed on a common candidate for the district presidency, Özel conveyed his wishes for success to Mümeccel Timaç.
Özel said, "All the dynamics of Bornova were discussed and instead of a competition, they all united in a common candidate. You will soon give him a vote of confidence with your votes. I wish success to our Republican candidate, Mümeccel Timaç."
“HE CANNOT BRING DEMOCRACY TO A COUNTRY THAT DOESN'T HAVE DEMOCRACY AT HOME”
Stating that they attach importance to the direct participation of the members in the decision-making processes within the party, Özel said, "We have always said before; in this party, the members will have a say. In this party, the district chairman, the provincial chairman and the chairman will be elected by the members. We are happy to bring this to life."
Özel said, "We said that democracy cannot be brought to a country that does not have democracy at home. We are in a process where we will implement exactly this."
“WE SAID, IF OUR PARTY CHANGE, Türkiye WILL CHANGE”
Making evaluations about the past election process, Özel said that the demand for change within the party became stronger after the election defeat.
"We lost an election that we really needed to win. We were down, we didn't know what to do," said Özel and continued his words as follows:
"We said that if our party changes, Turkey will change. We set out with the hope of change, with the slogan of change. We gave importance to young people, we gave importance to women. We gave importance to each other, our organization, our organization and the law of brotherhood. Turkey saw the congress we held as a self-criticism and opened a clean page for us."
“POLITICS IS DONE BY CLAIM”
Explaining that they set the goal of making the party the first party when he became the chairman, Özel said, "Just as the late Ecevit made his party come first in the two local and two general elections, we also said that we will make our party the first party; if we cannot do it, we will resign."
Stating that these words of his were criticized at that time, Özel said, "They asked if such an allegation could be made when he was the chairman for only four months. And I said, 'Politics is done with allegations.'"
Özel also reminded of the messages sent in the past to boost the morale of ballot box officials on election nights, and drew attention to the importance of the organization's role in ballot box security and election processes.
“WE WILL REACH THAT BOTTOMS, WE WILL CHANGE THIS GOVERNMENT”
Reminding that they won 29 of 31 municipalities in Izmir in the local elections, Özel said, "Forty-seven years later, the party became the first party. While we came first, the Justice and Development Party lost the election for the first time since its establishment and came second for the first time. We had 29 of our 31 mayoral candidates elected in Izmir."
“WE WILL WIN THE FIRST ELECTION FROM NOW”
Referring to the election results in the Aegean Region, Özel stated that they continue their goal of being in power and said, "Those who told us 'You cannot go to the east of Sivas' could not come to the Aegean. They did not have municipalities in the Aegean. They know that we will win the next election and change the government."
Özel, who criticized the judicial processes against his party and mayors, argued that the government was waging a political struggle through the judiciary after the election defeat. Özel said, "Those who do not trust the women's branches, youth branches and the main level established 'judicial branches' that do not exist in any party. They attacked our mayors, Ekrem İmamoğlu, our council members and bureaucrats."
“İZMİR STANDS BEHIND US”
Recalling the rally they previously organized in Izmir, Özel stated that he called on citizens to transform their anger into a democratic struggle. Özel said:
"When I first arrived, the whole of Turkey saw the anger in Izmir. I said to Izmir, 'Do not turn your anger into bad words. We will leave the evil behind. That day, in Kordon, even though it was the eve, Izmir flooded and flowed and stood behind us. He gave us a new path. We walked on that path, we did not deviate from our goal."
Speaking about the establishment process of the NEW Party, Özel stated that the party continues on its way with the support of its members and said, "The New Party is the new hope of Turkey, whose founding instructions were given by the nation, its name was given by the nation, its budget was created by its members with donations and membership fees."
THE PROMISE OF “Türkiye WITHOUT PROHIBITIONS” TO YOUTH
Drawing attention to the young population of Bornova, Özel devoted a significant part of his speech to young people. Criticizing the government's policies regarding unemployment, anxiety about the future and the desire to go abroad, Özel said, "There is an understanding that cannot create employment despite the diploma you have, does not eliminate your future concerns, and causes young people to dream their dreams abroad."
Özel, who also criticized the bans on festivals, concerts, social media and freedom of expression, said, "We will destroy the black order of the AKP and establish a new order for the young people. A Turkey without bans, a Europe without visas will come. Young people will travel as they wish, study wherever they want, but dream in this beautiful country."
HE DRAW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS FACED BY RETIRED PEOPLE
In his speech, Özel also devoted extensive space to the economic conditions of retirees. Arguing that pensions are insufficient, Özel said that retirees have difficulty in meeting their housing and basic needs.
Özel, who also commemorated retired police officer Ali Şekeroğlu, who lost his life during the protest held in front of the Constitutional Court in Ankara on September 25 demanding a raise, said, "Retirees who have served this state and this nation for years are faced with one of the greatest injustices in our political history. They are being dragged into the dilemma of 'Either pay the rent or stay hungry; or feed yourself and stay on the street'."
Addressing the government after Şekeroğlu's death, Özel said, "Pensioners are killing themselves because of poverty and hunger. Enough is enough. I see the anger and desperation in the eyes of retirees at every rally. I promise all retirees; we will destroy the black order of the AKP and establish a brand new order where retirees will get their rights."
“THE LAST HOPE OF THIS GOVERNMENT IS YOUR HOPELESS”
At the end of his speech, Özel gave the message of election and change of power and pointed out the ballot box to the voters against the rhetoric that the government will not change.
Referring to Bornova, where he came for education when he was ten years old, Özel said, "I promise you from this Büyükpark where I grew up and came to when I was ten. We will reach that ballot box. We will win the election, we will change this government."
Özel said, "The last hope of this government is your despair. Its last hope is pessimism, our giving up hope on the change of power. However, we have a brand new struggle, a brand new path. The new hope of retirees, young people, women, laborers, tradesmen and farmers is the New Party."
ÇAĞATAY GÜÇ: “WE WILL PUT THE WORD OF THE NATION AT THE CENTER OF POLITICS”
In his speech at the meeting organized by his party in Izmir, NEW Party Izmir Provincial Chairman Çağatay Güç said that participation, organizational will and the voice of the nation are the basis of new understandings of politics. "What Turkey needs is a society that reunites around a common future, trusts each other and walks together, despite their differences," said Güç.
NEW Party Izmir Provincial Chairman Çağatay Güç addressed the party members and the people of Izmir in the program attended by Chairman Özgür Özel. Stating that they came together in Izmir to implement a new understanding that puts democracy, participation and the will of the nation at the center of politics, Güç said that they were very happy to host Özel in Izmir.
Arguing that the expectation of change in society after the 2023 Presidential elections was met at the Change Congress held in November 2023, Güç stated that the process that started under the leadership of Özgür Özel moved to a new stage with the local elections on March 31, 2024.
Recalling the words of Özel after the local elections: "There are no losers today, our nation is the winner", Güç said that this approach forms the basis of new understandings of politics.
“POLITICS CANNOT BE MADE DESPITE THE NATION”
Criticizing the policies followed by the government after the local elections, Güç argued that state resources were turned into a part of political competition.
Güç said, "The AKP government should know that politics cannot be done despite the nation. You cannot be stubborn with the nation. You cannot settle accounts with the nation."
Stating that the ballot box will come before the nation again, Güç said, "That ballot box will come. Our nation will give its answer in that ballot box. No political calculation will come before the will of the nation."
Recalling the words expressed by farmers in Yozgat and Bayındır, Güç argued that the reaction of citizens towards economic and political developments is clearly visible on the streets. "You can see our nation's will to change this government on the streets, in the fields, in the factory, in the tradesmen, in the cafeteria, in the taxi stands," said Güç.
Stating that the AKP has been ruling the country for many years, Güç criticized the economic and management policies of the government and said, "Our nation has given the authority to the AKP in the past. However, at this point, the current situation of the country is obvious. The AKP government has not been able to govern our country and has come to the end of the road with a great failure story."
“Türkiye ALLIANCE MEETS IN A COMMON FUTURE”
Stating that a new political era began with the establishment of the NEW Party, Güç said that the main goal of the party is "to do politics together with the nation".
"We want to put the voice of the nation at the center of politics and see our differences as the richness of our common future, not as a reason for separation," said Güç.
Explaining that the "Türkiye Alliance" approach aims to bring together different views and social segments around a common future, Güç said:
"Türkiye Alliance is the meeting of different views, different lives and different social segments in the future of Turkey. The new understanding of politics put forward by the NEW Party is also shaped on this understanding of the Türkiye Alliance."
Güç stated that the new political model will be based on party members and the organization having a direct say and said, "Instead of the old forms of politics, we are putting forward a strong political model based on direct participation, members having a say and the will of the organization."
“WE WILL LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND”
Stating that Turkey needs unity and solidarity today, Güç said that the basic understanding of the period that started with the establishment of the NEW Party was not to exclude any social segment.
"We want to bring together all colors of the nation in Turkey's common future, without leaving anyone behind or excluding anyone," said Güç.
Stating that Izmir has been one of the cities of solidarity and hope throughout history, Güç said, "Izmir, the city of liberation and founding, has been the city of hope, solidarity and standing up again in difficult times."
Power completed his speech with the words, "We will trust each other. We will raise our hope and build the future of this country together. What we need today is unity, solidarity, hope and faith. There is no salvation alone; either all of us or none of us."
