CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu replies to Erdoğan: For every pharaoh there is a Moses

İklim Öngel
 
The CHP General Chair responded to President Tayyip Erdoğan at the start of the fourth day of the Justice March. Kılıçdaroğlu, describing Erdoğan as the ’20 July coupist,’ issued the invitation to Erdoğan, ‘I can assure you that I have no golden toilet in my caravan. If he so wishes he can come and I can put him up for the night. He can stay in the caravan and I will sleep outside on the ground.’ Kılıçdaroğlu, saying there was an attempt to provoke them and they wanted to threaten them with court action, commented, ‘For every pharaoh there is a Moses. He would do well not to forget this.’
Party members and citizens, including lawyer Turgut Kazan and musician-writer Zülfü Livaneli, yesterday accompanied Kılıçdaroğlu on the march for justice he launched following the detaining of CHP Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu, who spent Father’s Day on the march, was also accompanied by his children, daughter-in-law and wife Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu started the march with a celebration of Father’s Day. Kılıçdaroğlu said, ‘I especially extend my tender salutations to those children who have given up their fallen fathers to this soil.’
Kılıçdaroğlu, stating that they had marched for justice for four days, noted that they had marched with love and tolerance and had taken care not to disturb anyone. He called out, ‘We embrace everyone. Whoever wants justice, our embrace and heart is open to them. Come on, let us all march together for justice.’
 ‘There is no golden toilet’
Kılıçdaroğlu, describing Erdoğan as the ‘20 July coupist,’ said, ‘What is this talk of us marching and spending the night in a caravan. I can assure you that I have no golden toilet in my caravan. If he so wishes he can come and I can put him up for the night. He can stay in the caravan and I will sleep outside on the ground. Night by night.’
Kılıçdaroğlu, saying there was an attempt to provoke them but they would not rise to the bait, commented, ‘They want to threaten us with court action. Watch out, there will be a summons from a judge and a summons from a prosecutor. We know very well what coupists have done in this country. We all know what they did in the 70’s and 80’s, and what they did in 2017. Coupists occupy the dark pages of history. And those who fight occupy the white pages of history.’
They cannot say there is justice
Kılıçdaroğlu, pointing out that despite them making so much criticism they were unable to say, ‘There is justice in our country so why are you marching?’ commented:
‘Because they also know full well that there is no justice. If so, what lies behind all this rhetoric? Impotence and helplessness. We are marching for justice, not against justice. I have once more asked a question about this 20 July coup. He responds straight away to everything I say, but for some reason gives no reply to this question of mine. The question is very simple and commonplace, but is a very important question. “What does the notion of good name and honour bring to your mind? What is the importance of these notions for you?” But, until now he has given no reply to this question. I would finally like to remind him that for every pharaoh there is a Moses. He would do well not to forget this.’
One person took ill
News came that one of the participants on the march, 65-year-old Hasan Tatlı, suffered a heart attack on the first break at the Mamak sub-province premises. It was reported that, after he had been taken to Kazan State Hospital in one of the ambulances accompanying the procession, Tatlı’s heart had stopped and was restarted in the first aid that was administered, and Tatlı remains in a serious condition at Ankara Numune Hospital to which he was taken.
Tales of injustice at break time
Kılıçdaroğlu, who was greeted with cheers and singing at the site of the second break, listened to the complaints of a woman named Özgür Koçak here. She recounted that her husband Cemil Koçak, an agricultural engineer who was expelled under a decree with the force of law from Akyurt Directorate of Agriculture in September, was kidnapped on Thursday 15 June and she was in possession of footage of this.
Rain appears
Following three sunny days, the fourth day of the march was marked by the appearance of rain and wind. With citizens who had brought umbrellas marching beneath them, those caught unprepared now used the hats they had taken to shield them from the sun for protection against the rain. It was not long before vehicles from Çankaya and Yenimahalle municipalities had handed out raincoats to the procession. Kılıçdaroğlu and the procession passed through the second and third break locations due to the rain that made its appearance yesterday and, having reached the overnight stay location, the procession spent the night on the peaks of Kargasekmez between Kazan and Kızılcahamam.
Fewer kilometres
The daily marching distance has been reduced to avoid negative health effects on Kılıçdaroğlu and especially those of advanced age. In line with experts’ recommendations, the daily length of the march has been reduced to 16 kilometres, instead of the 20 kilometres initially planned.
Former DSP General Chair Zeki Sezer, Turgut Kazan and singer Ege accompanied Kılıçdaroğlu for the whole of the fourth day of the march.