Muharrem İnce vows to continue

Once the results of the 24 June election had become known to a large extent, the CHP’s presidential candidate Muharrem İnce appeared before the cameras. Staging a press conference at CHP Headquarters, İnce vowed to continue.

Here are the highlights from İnce's speech:

-Nobody threatened me and the person to do so has not emerged from a mother’s womb.

-Let us start with the ludicrous stories. Nobody threatened me. This is the talk of a few schizophrenics. I did not go to the Palace, or anything. This is the first thing. Secondly, fifteen million of our citizens voted for me. Our first goal is to make this into thirty million. I will strive towards this. This must be known. Let him not act as the Ak Party’s General Chair from today onwards.

-We have been through an election that will affect our lives and those of people in the future. An unfair election took place in all its aspects. The election was splattered with blood. I send my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. The “No” block getting a vote below the April 16 poll is in need of explanation. We have seen that improprieties were conducted at the ballot boxes.

-There is a wet-signed stamp at every ballot box in the election. These are the valid results for us.

-I consent to the results of the election.

“WE MUST RECTIFY OUR SHORTCOMINGS”

Turkey has lost its attachment to democratic values. It has lost its attachment to the democratic system. The factors that threaten our social peace will remain in play. There has been a transition to a single-man regime in the full sense. My concerns over the future will continue and as someone who has received approval from one in three citizens in this electoral process, I will continue my struggle to win the appreciation of all citizens. What falls to me is to follow up on what I say and take forward and magnify the excitement and belief we experienced together. Turkey cannot stay alive under Tayyip Erdoğan and his staff.

LOCAL ELECTION WARNING

We must make good use of the period until the local elections. Speaking for myself, there are countless political lessons that I can derive with refence to my party that made me a candidate and all voters. We must rectify our shortcomings. What falls to us must be to correct our errors. This election has shown that we are capable of doing many things when we trust one another. My agenda is Turkey. Fifteen million people trusted and voted for me. I know there was a high share of young people. I will continue my struggle for as long as you retain your trust in me. I will continue to work with the same decisiveness as of today.

THE NEW REGIME IS DANGEROUS FOR TURKEY

-The first thing I will say is that the new regime to be implemented is a huge danger for Turkey. We will go through this and pay the price together.

-There has been a transition to a single-man regime in the full sense. My concerns over the future will continue and as someone who has taken the vote of one in three citizens in this electoral process I will continue to provide this assurance.

-What falls to us is to take forward and magnify the excitement and belief we experienced together.

-Since they are the cause of the problems, it is impossible to expect a solution from them.

-I thank those who voted for my party that made me a candidate. Deficiencies and errors may be identified. What falls to us to rectify these.

-We must continue to feel the concerns we have felt for our country’s future more greatly. My agenda is Turkey. Fifteen million people trusted and voted for me. I know there was a high share of young people.

-I thank those who did not leave me alone in the rally grounds in the month of Ramadan and the mothers whose children we awoke while they were trying to get their kid to sleep at that time. I thank everyone who states that they will work with the same decisiveness. Struggle has a great variety of paths. These paths will be found. I thank you. What is the eight per cent difference down to? I am not one who is going to hand down wisdom to the CHP single handed. Shared wisdom is important. I will continue my struggle for as long as you retain your trust in me.

Following his comments, İnce also fielded journalists’ questions. There follows a summary of the questions İnce was asked and his replies:

Why did you wait until today to comment?

I made a mistake. I put it in in a friendly way to İsmail Küçükkaya. I didn’t think he’d report it. I didn’t want people to find out in this way. This means there is a need to be more careful when having journalist friends and I didn’t think of this.

I was going to appear before the cameras. In fact, I was in front of the Supreme Election Council at ten to five. But, did they steal votes? They did. Did they steal ten million? No. This is nonsense.

Have you spoken to Kılıçdaroğlu?

I have spoken to Kılıçdaroğlu on the phone. We haven’t come face to face but will do, of course.

Will you continue to walk along with the fifteen million who voted?

I will continue to do so for as long as they wish. I wanted to see how things stood. It was within the bounds of possibility. His falling below 50%. I wanted to see this. The other parties got a low vote. We the CHP have got a vote above the 30% threshold for the first time in 41 years since 77. We will all see together how Turkey has been constrained and besieged. We have obtained votes from all circles as a result of exiting this place. Everyone throughout Turkey’s political spectrum moved close to us. All parties are within the thirty. We saw that the slogan of “Everyone’s president” was a correct slogan.

Have you spoken to Meral Akşener?

No, I have not but I will.

“SAYING LET’S COME OUT INTO THE STREETS IS A DISRESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY”

If, by the records in your hand, you were beaten, then you were beaten. A clear difference is involved. If you are not going to accept this, what are you going to consent to? He was victorious and there is nothing to be done. This must be accepted. Democracy requires this. There is nothing to do. He was victorious. If you aren’t going to celebrate his being victorious you shouldn’t enter the race. If you have been beaten, you have been beaten. Saying let’s come out into the streets is a disrespect for democracy.

Will you continue in politics?

Is an İnce who has crossed the 30% threshold not going to continue in politics? Ask him if you like. I am not given to the logic that Erdoğan and Abdullah Gül should quarrel so that our vote increases. I am not given to this logic. Whatever preparation there is, we will make it. We crossed the 30% threshold in fifty days of campaigning.

“THE CHP DID NOT SPEAK OF FREEDOM FOR DEMIRTAŞ”

The CHP did not speak of freedom for Demirtaş; at least I didn’t hear it.

My goal for the first round was 35. I said if I could surpass 35 I would take the election in the second round. I thought the HDP and Good Party would also exceed twelve per cent. I believed we would take the election. The other parties took a very low vote and it didn’t turn out like I hoped.

I visited Erdoğan and Akşener in the course of my candidacy. Politics must undergo normalisation. I can visit them. No special political meaning should be drawn from it.

Why did Erdoğan get more votes than you in Yalova?

 Yalova is a small province. It is not a place like Rize. You understand what I am driving at.

 “TURKEY IS INDIVISIBLE”

 Turkey is indivisible. Even Erdoğan, whose opinions I do not at all agree with, said a really great thing yesterday. He said, “The turnout here was over 80%. They even call countries where the turnout is 40% democracies.” It was a correct pronouncement. We will pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. I thank everyone.