CHP leader Özel's controversial statement: "Maybe very bad things will happen to us."

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke at the opening of his party's Program Workshop. Referring to the ongoing operations targeting his party, Özel emphasized that the level of pressure has increased but the resistance has not diminished.

Stating that they stand with the dismissed CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and that they do not recognize the trustee decision, the CHP leader used words that will create a trending topic.

"WHAT WERE WE EXPECTING?"

Özel explained that the AK Party will resort to every means to maintain its grip on power:

"What did we expect? What did we expect? Was Tayyip Erdoğan going to have white lilies made into his hands and wait for us to hand over the power? Of course it will be like this. He is involved in so many crimes, he is so dirty.

In the past, they unjustly exposed 100 years of corruption, the very thing they're trying to foist upon us today. All the evidence was exposed. Prosecutions weren't initiated because the evidence wasn't properly collected.

First, it was denied. Then, you know, there must be a safe they've been searching for and searching but can't find. Where they said money would be found, they found our seal and the guard's bullet, but bales of money were found in shoeboxes and safes. They were the ones who put it there first. They called it my bedroom. Then they demanded it back with interest.

Those who have gone through such a process, those who claim there is a brotherhood between us, are at each other's throats, are stabbing each other, are staging blows against each other, 31 of the 33 founders of the party that was founded together are no longer in the party, and only those who are now swearing allegiance, praising each other, saying, 'No, you did that well, too,' are in the party and the country's administration. They are bound to each other by strong bonds based solely on loyalty, loyalty to each other, because the strongest bond is the bond of complicity.

"THOSE WHO PAY THE PRICE WILL PAY THE PRICE"

Özel emphasized that he knew that very bad things would happen to his party and that some would go to prison, but he would never back down:

"It was clear that those bound together by complicity would not happily hand over power through normal means. That's why those of us who are complicit will remain complicit. Those of us who pay the price will pay the price. We will be exhausted during this struggle.

"VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO US"

Terrible things may happen to us, but we all know that the conditions are no worse than they were 100 years ago. They're attacking us with slander, false witnesses, collaborators, and this and that, but we mustn't forget that the First President, with his death warrant hanging around his neck, went to Samsun, went to Havza, issued a circular in Amasya, held a congress in Erzurum, held a congress in Sivas, and then came back and opened parliament in Ankara.

"WE WILL TAKE A STEP BACK"

Despite the death warrant hanging over their necks, the party of those who organized the liberation campaign, succeeded in establishing it, and brought this country and this Republic to power will experience neither demoralization, nor deterrence from attacks, nor retreat. I'll conclude by saying what I've always said: We will not retreat a single step, we will not mince words, nor will we bow an inch.

"IF WE SAY A WORD MISSING, THEY WILL SILENCE THIS NATION"

Because we know that if we say even one word less, they will silence this nation. We have accustomed this nation to speaking out, to debating loudly. We have achieved this. If we take one step back, they will take us back 100 years. We brought us from that darkness of 100 years ago to today. And if we bow down one inch, they will bring this nation to its knees.