Spoke to pro-government media: Kılıçdaroğlu's first response to criticisms

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who drew attention with his silence during the operations against CHP municipalities and the trustee case, shared a video on his X account following the CHP's İmralı decision.

Arguing that the CHP should play an active role in the resolution process, Kılıçdaroğlu also called for the "party to be cleansed" regarding the corruption and bribery operations targeting municipalities.

While Kılıçdaroğlu's statement maintained its place on the political agenda, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commented, "We see that Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has also been disturbed by the snakes they have been nursing in their bosoms and has rebelled. He says he is disturbed by the mentality that drags the CHP into a vortex of bribery, extortion, theft, and corruption."

Reactions toward Kılıçdaroğlu increased, especially after this statement by Erdoğan. Kılıçdaroğlu broke his silence following the reactions. Speaking to Fatih Atik, the Ankara Representative of the pro-government TGRT Haber, Kılıçdaroğlu explained why he recorded the video targeting the CHP. Describing the criticisms directed at him as a 'lynching campaign,' Kılıçdaroğlu said he could not make sense of the reactions.

Responding to the question "Why did you do such a thing," Kılıçdaroğlu spoke as follows regarding the intense criticism he faced after the video he recorded:

"I cannot make sense of this lynching campaign I have faced after the video I recorded. I am not a merchant, I am not a contractor, I am not a businessman. I served in the bureaucracy for many years. I am someone who knows the functioning of the state very well. I managed large budgets, but my name was never associated with scandal. My name was not involved in shady dealings. I did not involve my children in shady dealings either. Not only mine, but the CHP's corporate identity cannot be associated with corruption."

Continuing his statements, Kılıçdaroğlu expressed his astonishment at the reactions directed at him, saying, "What could be more natural than me saying that the CHP should not be associated with corruption?"

Touching upon the video at the center of the controversy, Kılıçdaroğlu responded to the criticisms with the words, "The indictments are there, what do they expect me to say? Do they expect me to say there is no problem with these friends being associated with bribery?"

“THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS DURING MY TERM AS WELL, WE PURSUED ALL OF THEM”

Recalling the allegations that came to the agenda regarding CHP mayors in the past, Kılıçdaroğlu shared the following information:

"While I was in office, allegations came up regarding the mayors of Eskişehir, İzmir, Bilecik, Menemen, Ataşehir, and Beşiktaş. We established a commission for all of them. I asked them to go to the judiciary so they would not remain under suspicion, and they were cleared and returned."

He emphasized that the mayors currently under investigation should also complete the process before the judiciary in the same way.

“THE TERROR-FREE TURKEY PROCESS IS A STATE PROJECT”

In his statements, Kılıçdaroğlu made assessments not only on corruption debates but also on Turkey's Syria and Middle East policies. Pointing to the developments in the region, Kılıçdaroğlu drew attention to the importance of the projects carried out by Israel and the USA, stating that this is a state policy.

Kılıçdaroğlu made the following statements regarding the situation in Syria:

“Turkey cannot leave Syria to other powers. The danger I mentioned is the project that Israel and the USA are carrying out in the region. This is a state project and one must see the big picture.”

In the continuation of his statement, he said:

"I said that Kurds are not an element to be used against Turkey by the USA and Israel. Because they are our inseparable brothers."

Emphasizing the founding identity of the CHP, Kılıçdaroğlu stated that the party should be in a "pioneering and guiding" position regarding the future of the state.