CHP statement on İmamoğlu: No other candidate on our agenda

The CHP Presidential Candidate Office held a press conference with the participation of members of the economic policy board, delivering important messages regarding both economic issues and the political agenda. The meeting was attended by CHP Candidate Office General Coordinator Bülent Tezcan and Treasury and Finance Policy Board Chair Kerim Rota.

Economic problems were also addressed during the press conference. Treasury and Finance Policy Board Chair Kerim Rota drew attention to the impact of operations targeting CHP-run municipalities on the economy. Rota stated that high inflation in Turkey negatively affects the broadest segments of society, saying, "Inflation affects all segments, but it hits the bottom 60 percent of society the hardest. In the process that began on March 19 last year, Central Bank losses exceeded 60 billion dollars. We had to face high interest rates to recover this."

Emphasizing that high inflation rates are seen in only a few small countries in the world, Rota underscored that current economic conditions are unsustainable.

CHP: NO DEBATE ON CANDIDACIES

CHP Candidate Office General Coordinator Bülent Tezcan gave clear messages regarding the candidacy process within their party. As reported by Cumhuriyet, Tezcan also touched upon the operations targeting mayors, arguing that these practices signal a period in which politics is being attempted to be liquidated. Stating that the judiciary is being instrumentalized in politics, Tezcan assessed, "We see that a wing within the government is conducting a total operation on politics. It is being done to the opposition today, but after a while, the judiciary will be used in the same way in the government's internal struggles. The operations we wake up to every morning are the harbingers of this."

Responding to questions regarding Ekrem İmamoğlu's presidential candidacy, Tezcan said, "Our candidate is İmamoğlu. This is clear. Discussing any second or third option is not on our agenda. When the day comes, if a necessity arises, politics will produce its own option."

Tezcan also noted that they are not in a debate over names regarding their candidacy agenda, using the expressions, "CHP is not currently in a candidacy debate. Could there be a female candidate? Certainly, there could be. But this is not a debate over specific names," regarding Ekrem İmamoğlu's comments on a "female president." It was stated that a potential candidacy of Dilek İmamoğlu is not a subject on the party's agenda.

OPERATIONS AGAINST MUNICIPALITIES CRITICIZED

Bülent Tezcan warned that detention procedures against mayors are targeting CHP mayors. According to Tezcan's statements, 22 mayors have been detained recently, 18 of whom were arrested. Giving the example of the detention of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, Tezcan criticized the ruling party's practices, saying, "If Mustafa Bozbey had accepted Erdoğan pinning a badge on his lapel and switched to the AKP, he would not have faced this operation. The Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor did, and he was spared the investigation."

Stating that they have no hesitation regarding the capital Ankara's Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş's performance or actions, Tezcan said, "We have no hesitation about Mansur Yavaş. He has full self-confidence. He is a politician of ours who has investigated all the corruption of the period before him, who investigates his own period, and who is honest."

News Source: 12punto