Kılıçdaroğlu: We are getting the basic raw deal

CHP General Chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, noting that the referendum is being held under unbalanced and unjust conditions, has stated, ‘The wish is for eighty million people to kneel before a single person.’ Kılıçdaroğlu’s comments, summarised, were: ‘Are we to forget the Anafartas? This is not an election. We are not deciding on the ruling party. Is there to be a single-man rule or is there to be a parliamentary democracy? This is what we will vote on.’

Heading for the ballot box, we will place our hands on our consciences, think and that’s how we’ll go to the polls. Today is 18 March and we are remembering the Çanakkale fallen. What price did we pay to found this Republic? Are we to forget Dumlupınar and the Anafartas? They say from now on it’s the head and the single man. One person will decide on the structure and workings of the state: the head. I used to talk of the head and they criticised. Now they, too, have started speaking of the head. I used to talk of a single-man regime. First they denied it, then said, “Yes, it will be a single-man regime.” We will put that discussion to one side and go to the polls thinking with our minds and logic. Think of Turkey’s esteem. They said, “We’ll enter Raqqa and Manbij.” Do it, brother. “We cannot enter both.” What are you talking about in that case? Think of Turkey’s esteem when we’ve given authority to a single man.

There is a wish to endow this de facto situation with a constitutional status. You do everything, but what is said is, “Let’s give all powers to a single person. Eighty million is not great; one person is great.” The wish is for eighty million people to kneel before a single person. We will not permit this. We are getting the basic raw deal. The referendum is being held under unbalanced and unjust conditions. They are using the state’s influence, vehicles, planes, money and TV stations. Their own TV stations are on the air 24 hours. We are using our own resources to go from street to street and tell citizens these truths, and doing our best to explain things. What annoys me about this? You’re going to use the state’s influence, vehicles, planes, money and TV stations, and then come out and say, ‘I’ve had a raw deal.’ How have you had a raw deal, brother? We’re the ones who’ve had the raw deal.’