CHP: Now is time to crown republic with democracy

A struggle in which thousands of soldiers have fallen is “sacred,” said Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

There is a need to be “the warrior and the sustainer” of this struggle, he added.

“Nobody has the right to seize this country from us and say ‘I will do this, I will end the Republic.’ We will not allow this either,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“In recent times, we have tasted bitterness. With the bloodiest coup attempt in the history of the Republic, there was an attempt to destroy our parliamentarian and democratic system. We have all together put up a fight for this; we will as we have to,” he said. “We have to crown the Republic with full democracy. We have to compose a happy Turkey where there is media freedom, judicial freedom, gender equality and where everybody has bread and butter,” he added.

The CHP joined the other three parties in parliament in immediately standing against the July 15 coup attempt, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. Since the coup attempt, the CHP, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have moved to put aside their differences and work for common ground in a spirit of cooperation.

Upon the customary tribute services held in Büyük Anafarta village and Conkbayırı, Kılıçdaroğlu proceeded to the Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial. He laid a red and white carnation wreath, reading “Republican People’s Party” on it, at the Ataturk Statue near the Çanakkale Memorial.