CHP leader Özgür Özel criticizes government in Zonguldak, vows to lead party to power

Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) leader Özgür Özel addressed supporters in Zonguldak, a city he described as struggling with economic decline and a shrinking population. He criticized the ruling AK Party's policies, stating that Zonguldak has regressed from a population of 620,000 when the AK Party came to power to 560,000, despite Turkey's overall population growth.

Özel pointed to the closure of two major industrial enterprises, which once employed 48,000 workers and now have only 8,000. He attributed these closures to a failure in implementing occupational health and safety measures, a failure he laid at the feet of the Turkish Hard Coal Institution and the current ministry. "Nobody did their job," he stated, adding that Zonguldak residents are trying to survive by holding onto each other.

The CHP leader also focused on the plight of retirees, noting that the average pension is 23,000 lira, with the lowest at 20,000 lira. He lamented that the pension has already lost 3,500 lira in value since its distribution and criticized the government's proposal to adjust pensions only for inflation, which he argued would only compensate for the erosion of value and lead to continued hardship.

Özel declared that the CHP's journey, which began with a march towards parliament, represents a new political movement. He asserted that the goal is not just to manage but to lead the country to power, stating, "It is our duty to carry this ship to power." He thanked Zonguldak residents for electing a "people-friendly" mayor and 12 other local officials in the recent municipal elections, expressing gratitude for their support.

“

Zonguldak’a yerel seçimlerden önce gelmiştik, başkanımızı, Tahsin Başkanı size emanet etmiştik. Milletvekillerimizle, Genel Başkan Yardımcımızla, İl Başkanımızla, tüm ilçe başkanlarımızla birlikte çok önemli çalışmalar yapmıştık. 31 Mart yerel seçimlerinde hem Zonguldak’a yakışan halkçı bir belediye başkanını, hem de altısı ilçe - altısı belde, 12 belediye başkanını görevlendirdiniz. Hepinize minnettarız, hepinizi çok seviyoruz.