The CHP convention riddle: He said 'I never declared my candidacy for Chairman' but... The Kılıçdaroğlu camp has mobilized

Political tension has risen within the Republican People's Party (CHP) following debates over the appointment of trustees and the convention process. Ahead of the extraordinary convention to be held on April 6, whether Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu will be a candidate remains one of the most discussed topics within the party.

While former Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu has avoided making a clear statement regarding his candidacy, it is alleged that some CHP delegates have begun collecting signatures for the former chairman's candidacy.

CONVENTION DECISION AND TRUSTEE DEBATES 

The activity within the CHP began with the appointment of trustees to replace mayors, and the process was further accelerated by the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as part of a corruption investigation. 

Following these developments, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel decided to hold an extraordinary convention based on the party bylaws, and this process has ignited new debates within the party.

WILL KILIÇDAROĞLU BE A CANDIDATE?

After the convention decision, all eyes turned to former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk directly asked Kılıçdaroğlu, 'Will you be a candidate?' Kılıçdaroğlu stated that he had never announced himself as a candidate for chairman and said the following:

'Since my first chairmanship, I have never come out and said, I am a candidate for chairman. In other words, I have not spoken about becoming a candidate for chairman. What is important is that the party holds a democratic convention. When the convention decision was made, I published a congratulatory message stating that this was the right decision. Therefore, I stand by that message.'

While Kılıçdaroğlu left the question of whether he would be a candidate unanswered, he implied that he was leaving the decision to the party base with the words, 'Whoever the convention chooses, that will be the right thing.'

SIGNATURE DRIVE BEGINS IN THE CHP 

Following this statement by Kılıçdaroğlu, it is alleged that a process of collecting signatures has begun within the CHP. It is being discussed in party circles that some delegates have started collecting signatures for Kılıçdaroğlu to become a candidate for chairman.