In an interview with the BBC, Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel criticized the British Labour Party's silence on the operations against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and the arrest of 50 people, including Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Özel said, “How can our sister party, the Labor Party, and the cradle of democracy, the UK, not react to this? We are really offended.” His remarks caused great surprise for many people familiar with the CHP's historical mission.
Özel's statement reveals an approach diametrically opposed to the CHP's founding leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his fellow fighters' struggle for independence against imperialism. The independenceist line represented by Atatürk and the spirit of the National Struggle was never built on seeking support from Western states. On the contrary, considering the destruction and losses caused by Britain and its allies in Anatolia during the War of Independence, Özgür Özel's expectation of support for democracy from the same Britain today can be considered as a major deviation from the CHP's historical stance.
Moreover, do you think that the British do not know that the horizontal transfer process is against the legislation, that Ekrem İmamoğlu's accusations of bribery and bid rigging are not baseless, and that even you are sitting in the chairmanship seat in a “shady” way, Özgür Özel?.
Our Historical Memory and the Reality of Imperialism
* Between 1914 and 1922, Britain, to which Özgür Özel made the call, directly or indirectly inflicted great suffering on the Ottoman and Turkish people.
* In the First World War, the Ottoman army fought against Britain on many fronts from Gallipoli to Syria, from Iraq to Hejaz.
* During the War of Independence, the Greek army's occupation of Western Anatolia and the massive massacres during the retreat took place with the support of Britain.
* In Western Anatolia alone, 640,000 civilians were massacred during the Greek occupation and British support was behind these losses.
In light of these historical facts, to what extent does the CHP Chairman's expectation of support from the British Labor Party coincide with the basic principles on which the CHP was founded?
While the founding will of the Republic was formed by a cadre of leaders who fought against imperialism, the fact that today's CHP leadership has such expectations for the political party of a country that inflicted the greatest damage in the struggle for independence causes a justified reaction among the party's base.
An Approach Contradicting CHP's Founding Values
* Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms established the Republic of Turkey by fighting against imperialist states on the battlefields.
* They never hoped for help from foreign states, on the contrary, they believed that the nation could gain its independence based on its own strength.
* Today, in the name of “protecting democracy”, the CHP's Chairman seems to have adopted a path that Atatürk rejected by calling on the political party of an imperialist state.
* This is an unacceptable break for millions of party members who are aware of and committed to the CHP's historical mission.
* The fact that the CHP, which has a history of fighting against imperialism, has been dragged into a line that expects political support from foreign powers shows that the party's ideological identity has been eroded.
- “Mandate and patronage are unacceptable!”
Özgür Özel must resign immediately!
Özgür Özel's attitude has disappointed CHP voters and clearly demonstrated the ideological deviation within the party.
* The CHP cannot be allowed to drift away from Atatürk's line to an understanding that seeks help from imperialist states.
* Today, everyone who upholds the basic principles of the CHP sees that this discourse is incompatible with the party's independenceist identity and is deeply disturbed by this situation.
* The founding philosophy of the Republic of Turkey and the CHP is based on national sovereignty and independence.
* If the CHP wants to continue to be a party that comes from a past of struggle against imperialism, it should stay away from such discourses and policies, and should not give place to executives like Özgür Özel who act outside this line.
For all those who uphold the historical mission of the Republican People's Party, the right step in this process is Özgür Özel's immediate resignation. The CHP must return to its founding principles and regain its independenceist stance.