CHP's Özel Promises Turkey Free From Bans, Visa-Free Europe for Youth

CHP Group Chair Özgür Özel has articulated a vision for Turkey centered on restoring democracy and empowering its youth, directly challenging the current administration's trajectory. Speaking to young people in Diyarbakır, Özel identified the "existential threat" not as external forces, but as the "anxiety" gripping Turkish youth, who increasingly dream of futures abroad due to economic hardship and restricted freedoms.

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The primary existential threat is the country's youth dreaming of a future in other countries. The main reason for this is anxiety about the future, both economically and in terms of freedoms and social life.

Özel characterized the current political system as a "slide towards autocracy" and a "one-man regime." He detailed a perceived strategy to weaken the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) by "depriving it of candidates, institutions, and leadership." He vowed to fight against this, promising a future Turkey where young people face "no bans," can travel to Europe visa-free, and possess passports that allow global mobility. Crucially, he pledged to create conditions where they can "dream of a future in Turkey" and choose to return and work there.

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What they are doing with their attacks now is to try to implement a process of making the party leaderless.

Drawing a parallel to Atatürk's westward gaze, Özel clarified it was not merely a direction but a call to "catch up with and surpass contemporary civilizations." He argued that true wealth lies in nations with the rule of law, robust parliamentary oversight, and independent judiciaries, free from the concentration of power. His immediate priority, he stated, is to "bring democracy back to the country," ensuring judicial independence and restoring public trust in the justice system. This, he believes, is the path to national prosperity, mirroring the successful models of developed nations.

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We promise our youth a Turkey without bans, visa-free Europe, and the ability to travel anywhere in the world whenever they want because their passports are valuable.