Who will be the CHP's presidential candidate? Özgür Özel responds to the question 'Mansur Yavaş or Ekrem İmamoğlu?'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel was a guest on journalist Fatih Altaylı's YouTube channel.

Making assessments regarding the current agenda, Özel spoke about Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, whose names have been mentioned regarding presidential candidacy.

"WE WILL DETERMINE THE MOST ACCURATE CANDIDATE"

Stating that he would not shoulder the burden of determining the candidate alone, Özel said, "We will determine the most accurate candidate. The candidate will be from the CHP, but they will be the candidate of the Turkey Alliance, and we will determine the candidate who will win the election."

"I HAVE RULED OUT MY OWN CANDIDACY"

Emphasizing that he would not be a presidential candidate himself, Özel assessed, "Whoever stands in the way of this, including my own ego, I will eliminate them. If a chairman falls victim to their own ego, they can cause Turkey to lose a lot. I removed the first and most likely obstacle by ruling out my own candidacy."

When Fatih Altaylı asked, “So you won't do what Kemal Bey did?”, Özel replied, “I didn't say that, let's not say that.”

EKREM İMAMOĞLU'S POTENTIAL CANDIDACY

Özgür Özel also spoke about the 'insult case' filed against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in which a political ban and prison sentence are being sought.

When Fatih Altaylı said, “Ekrem Bey cannot be a candidate”, Özgür Özel replied, "One shouldn't be too sure about that. A process could unfold where Ekrem Bey becomes the candidate. Furthermore, the decision currently pending is an appellate court ruling, which does not prevent candidacy. Until the Court of Cassation's approval stage, a process could unfold that would make them regret having made this decision."

Özel's statements are as follows:

"There are those who try to disrupt the bond of brotherhood between Ekrem İmamoğlu and me. We laugh at that. We have a 'fitna-buster' between us. This is a very good thing. Because if we fall out with each other, the party will be ruined.

It is the same for Mansur Bey and me, but especially so for Ekrem Bey and me. Because Ekrem Bey said 'change' the day after the election. As someone who believes in that change, we sat down and aligned our paths.

Our hope is to establish a CHP government that will carry Turkey back to democracy and solve people's problems.

For this, both Ekrem Bey and I are at a point beyond an oath. We are bound by these words first to our own honor, then to each other, and to our party.

From my perspective, if I said I chose Ekrem Bey for the candidacy, no one would have anything to say.

But in terms of public support, there is the reality of Mansur Yavaş.

If I take the burden on my own shoulders here, that would be selfishness. Whereas we should not be a party that says 'I'.

I have called the Party Assembly (PM), which meets every 2 months, to meet 12 times in 2 months during the candidate determination process. I will not take this burden on my own shoulders. I will not leave this burden only to the parliamentary group. I will not leave it only to the PM.

Our party charter states: 'Candidate polling, primary elections, broad public polls'.

If we find the way, we are willing to reach out to the voters who vote for us, even to hold a primary with 6 million, 8 million, or 10 million people.

We want to make the CHP's candidate the candidate of the Turkey Alliance, ensuring that they are guaranteed to win the election on the day they are nominated.

We do not have the luxury of choosing Ekrem Bey and breaking the hearts of Mansur Bey and his supporters, or choosing Mansur Bey and breaking the hearts of Ekrem Bey and his supporters. But it will be done in a democratic way. We will seek the most accurate one and find it with collective wisdom.

Let everyone be sure of this. We will determine the most accurate candidate. The candidate will be from the CHP, but they will be the candidate of the Turkey Alliance, and we will determine the candidate who will win the election.

Whoever stands in the way of this, including my own ego, I will eliminate them.

That is why I removed the first and most likely obstacle myself. I ruled out my own candidacy.

If a chairman falls victim to their own ego, they can cause Turkey to lose a lot.

That is why I said, what is the biggest obstacle here? It could be your own ego, or those who might inflate your ego. I said let's exhaust this possibility from the start. I removed the biggest obstacle.

Believe me, I am saying this for Ekrem Bey as well. There are 2 names ahead right now. A third name came from within the party. Let's say in public opinion polls, they surpassed Ekrem Bey, they surpassed Mansur Bey. By God, Ekrem Bey would say to me, 'Chairman, let's nominate this person.' And Mansur Bey would not say, 'Instead of this person, let me be the candidate.' Because they know that if we win this election, we will make great contributions to both the people and the country in the coming period. Whoever wants to govern, they will already govern more than enough. There are so many positions, titles, and work to be done that it is enough for all of us."

News Source: 12punto