Thousands Unite in Istanbul: CHP’s Powerful ‘Right to Life’ Rally Ignites Hope for Change in Turkey
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Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) on October 27 held a “Right to Life” rally in Istanbul’s Barbaros Square.
Istanbul CHP organizations began gathering at the site for the rally under tight security measures. Gazete Duvar spoke to some attendees before the rally.
Participants Fethi Erdoğan and Arif Genç Ahmet Uçar believed that CHP needs to be bolder in addressing the Kurdish issue. Some CHP members believed that the process initiated by the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) government ally, Devlet Bahçeli, was insincere. Fethi Erdoğan said, “CHP needs to have a policy. Kılıçdaroğlu had really taken a step. Özgür Özel should have continued his provincial visits. He should have been brave. Why cancel the programme?”
CHP members tended to believe that their party should create a program and take a leading role in the solution. “Erdoğan says ‘There is a Kurdish problem.’ Özgür Özel must stand firm. We have fallen 5 points in the polls. He needs to be active and proactive. Even if CHP is not the leading party, it must stand firm. Otherwise, people will criticize CHP. This issue should be resolved in Parliament.”
However, some were pessimistic about a possible solution and believed that the Kurdish issue was not meant to be resolved, saying, “There will never be peace. There is always something. The same thing happened before.”
Just before the rally started, the square in the center of Istanbul flooded. Local CHP organizations from neighboring states also participated in the rally in large numbers.
As CHP organizations entered the rally area, they often chanted slogans such as “Shoulder to shoulder against fascism” and “The day will come, the wheel will turn, AKP will answer the people.” Most of those who came to Barbaros Square were retired, with a few young groups also taking their place in the rally. The rally included banners against all forms of violence, from the Istanbul Convention to the killing of stray animals, with participation continuing from the direction of the coast and Barbaros Avenue.
Party leader Özgür Özel took the stage at the rally. He began his speech by condemning the October 23 gun attack on the Turkish Aviation Industries (TUSAŞ) site in the capital province of Ankara.
“Terrorism aims to silence us, and its purpose is to direct us through fear. We work for a Turkey that ensures social peace. We are here for the right to life.”
The party leader added that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has made Turkey unsafe for everyone. The government had trampled on the lives of many people in Turkey, by withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, passing a legislature to exterminate stray dogs, or not overseeing the health care system allowing fraud rings to “run rampant” in hospitals private.
“Those who cannot protect this nation are traitors of trust. We stand firmly against them. We will fight this government until we correct its actions until it abandons its policies, and until this country becomes safe for women, children, babies, and all of us. We will save this country again,” Özel said.
He continued, “Our stance is clear. We will believe in the existence of the Kurdish issue until the Kurds say there is no problem.”
He said that the matter must be resolved in parliament, in a process where whoever needed to speak could speak. “However, appointing one person to solve the problem is a misconception. We designate the Senedd as the address for the answer.”
Özel urged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to address his ally Devlet Bahçeli’s recent statements regarding the possible release of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. “Mr. Erdoğan still hasn’t said two words on the matter. The spokesperson’s duty is over. Erdoğan must come forward and make a statement to this nation. Don’t make Bahçeli your spokesperson; say what you have to say yourself,” he concluded.