“More Sanchez, Less Trump”: Özgür Özel Issues Bold Religious Appeal Over Iran Crisis

Amidst escalating regional tensions and a burgeoning economic squeeze on domestic producers, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel delivered a fiery speech at the Haymana Farmers’ Meeting Iftar Program. Addressing the intersection of sovereign foreign policy and agricultural survival, Özel called on the government to prioritize neighborly solidarity and divine accountability over political pressure from Washington.

The Farmer’s Plight: A 19,700 TL Reality

Özel painted a grim picture of the Turkish agricultural sector, noting a drastic decline in purchasing power. He highlighted that although the hunger threshold has reached 32,000 TL, the average Turkish farmer earns only 19,700 TL—less than the minimum pension.

“In the past, selling one kilo of wheat could buy six liters of diesel,” Özel noted. “Today, one kilo of wheat doesn’t even buy one liter.” To combat this, he pledged that a CHP administration would:

• Abolish interest on all agricultural loans in a one-time sweep.

• Restructure principal debts into five manageable installments.

• Remove VAT and SCT (ÖTV) from diesel for farmers, effectively cutting the price from 65 TL to roughly 31-32 TL, mirroring the tax exemptions currently enjoyed by luxury yachts.

Blocking the “Domino Effect” of Fuel Hikes

The CHP leader claimed credit for stalling massive fuel price hikes triggered by the conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Özel, his party pressured the government to utilize the “Eşel Mobil” (sliding scale) system, which absorbs price shocks through tax adjustments rather than reflecting them at the pump.

“If the 13.7% hike had gone through, the cost of every single commodity—from needles to thread—would have skyrocketed due to transport costs,” Özel explained. He argued that the government eventually conceded to CHP’s proposal, implementing only a quarter of the projected hike to prevent a new wave of cost-of-living increases.

“Be Like Pedro Sanchez”

Turning to foreign policy, Özel criticized the government’s stance on military operations against Iran. He drew a sharp contrast between Turkey’s approach and that of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who refused to let Spanish bases be used for such operations.

“Sanchez is Spanish; he is miles away and shares no border. He is Christian. We are neighbors, relatives, and side-by-side,” Özel remarked. “During this holy month of Ramadan, we cannot even match the stance of a Pedro Sanchez.”

In a concluding jab at the administration’s perceived hesitance to defy U.S. interests, Özel issued a direct challenge: “I invite the AK Party to fear God, not Trump, regarding the attacks in Iran.”