Özgür Özel speaks this clearly about Mansur Yavaş for the first time! 'If İmamoğlu's candidacy is blocked...'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel met with journalists at his party's parliamentary camp in Bolu and made statements regarding the current agenda. At the meeting, Özel was accompanied by Group Deputy Chairmen Ali Mahir Başarır and Murat Emir, and Deputy Chairman in charge of Media and Public Relations Burhanettin Bulut.

“AS LONG AS EKREM İMAMOĞLU CAN BE A CANDIDATE, HE IS OUR CANDIDATE”

Özel was asked the question: “Ekrem İmamoğlu is facing a prison sentence, and you have stated at every opportunity that you will not be a candidate. You said, 'We will hold a primary for Mansur Yavaş as well.' If the voters show a reflex saying 'Our candidate is Özgür Özel,' would your stance be the same?”

The CHP leader responded to this question with the following words:

“I am clear. First of all, our candidate is Ekrem İmamoğlu. Because behind him, there is no longer just me, the party, authorized bodies, or two million CHP members, but the votes of 15.5 million citizens. As long as Ekrem İmamoğlu can be a candidate, he is our candidate. But if the file approved by the appellate court is confirmed by the Court of Cassation and a political ban is imposed, or if there is an issue with his diploma... We are, of course, expecting a stay of execution and the restoration of the diploma, just like for anyone who received their diploma 30 years ago. But even if they do something else and block his candidacy, until that day, our candidate is Ekrem İmamoğlu, and we will fight.”

“MANSUR BEY IS AN IMPORTANT OPTION”

Özel responded to a question regarding the potential candidacy of Mansur Yavaş as follows:

“Rather than saying 'We will hold a primary' regarding Mansur Bey, I said this: Mansur Bey is an important option. Suppose that in the process of determining Mansur Bey or another candidate, instead of me making this decision alone or with authorized bodies, we have already had a taste of a primary with all members and even a public poll on March 23. For example, it is frequently discussed in current politics that the public elects the President. It is difficult to go back from here. Because if you have elected a President with broad masses of people, saying 'Let us elect him ourselves in Parliament' would be a difficult step backward. But what would happen? The President could be an impartial president, it would be guaranteed that he would remain at an equal distance to all parties, and perhaps stricter measures would be taken on issues like party affiliation in candidacy conditions, because we have suffered enough from a biased President. But telling the nation, 'You will not elect the President, we will elect him from Parliament again' is difficult. Because after some steps are taken, it is not right to turn back. I think this step taken by the CHP will be an important gain for Turkey's politics, starting with itself, and a step that cannot be taken back, as you will see in a few elections.”

“THERE IS NO TURNING BACK”

Özel continued his remarks regarding the intra-party candidate determination process:

“Because on one side, while 15.5 million voters go and make a candidate on a Sunday, on the other side, the issue of 'I am the Chairman, I am the natural candidate' or 'Our party's authorized bodies nominated this person' will become difficult for all parties. Looking at it today, because we haven't experienced this practically or currently, it might not be seen, but for example, the CHP primaries in the 1970s forced the Justice Party to put up ballot boxes. Then legal regulations were brought in for these things. Because when they said in the village, 'Ecevit asks his members, why does Süleyman Bey determine ours,' the Justice Party could not escape that ballot box either. First they brought it, then legal regulations were made. Therefore, this method of determining candidates will lead all parties in Turkey in the future to say, 'He is our candidate, but let's present it to a public poll' or 'Which one do our members choose among these candidates.' There were examples in the world; we were saying, 'When will we come,' and 'Who can vote in an expanded primary.' On March 19, it was necessary to give such an extraordinary reflex against the coup that we said, 'Put a solidarity ballot box next to it, let's see what happens.' The public came and took charge of the matter with 15.5 million people. If, for example, 550 thousand votes had been cast there, we wouldn't be talking about this today. In that respect, there is no turning back from there.”

“IF MANSUR BEY WERE TO BECOME A CANDIDATE...”

Responding to the question, “What kind of process would be followed if Mansur Yavaş were to become a candidate?” Özel stated the following:

“Let's say Mansur Bey were to become a candidate, or if there were a multi-candidate race, my opinion is that the party would do the necessary work and look at its polls, but in the end, it would have to put this before the members and the public again and seek their consent. Otherwise, it carries a risk, that is my sincere conviction: This time, the candidate you nominate in place of someone who came with 15.5 million votes might trigger another debate if that strong, legitimate support is not sought. We do not want a debate to flare up like 'replacement candidate, backup candidate,' which neither Mansur Bey nor I would want, nor would whoever the candidate is.”

“MANSUR BEY IS NO ONE'S BACKUP”

Regarding the claims that “Mansur Bey is seen as a Plan B,” Özel made the following assessment:

“Mansur Bey is no one's backup, and he is not that in my eyes either. He is not that in Mansur Bey's own heart either. But Mansur Bey is a very important politician who has a place in the heart of this nation. He is a figure that cannot be neglected or ignored. This is how it should be seen. What will time bring, what will Mansur Bey think, what will society think, what kind of point will we reach? Since that day has not come, today is not that day. Talking about these is pointless in that respect, but there is not the slightest contradiction between Mansur Bey and me on this issue. In fact, you remember, before the primary decision was taken and implemented, a lot of speculation was being thrown around. We always said, 'The three of us sat down, talked, and there will be no problem.' On the day of the primary, Mansur Bey went and voted for Chairman Ekrem. One should see the issues from that perspective. There is no trouble, no problem, but of course, it is too early to say anything before that day comes. My position regarding myself is clear. I look at it this way: To solve an equation, you have to fix the variables. If the person who will solve the equation puts themselves into the equation, you cannot fix the variable. Then you might solve it incorrectly.”