Bombshell proposal to Kılıçdaroğlu from a CHP official: 'Let's replace Özel with İmamoğlu'

The reciprocal visits between AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel following the March 31 Local Elections continue to remain on the agenda.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the 7th Chairman of the CHP, had stated in a declaration made before Özel's first meeting with Erdoğan: "One does not negotiate with the palace that founded this order; one struggles against it."

Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Terkoğlu brought a striking claim to the agenda in the section of his column today titled 'Kılıçdaroğlu's critical visitor'.

"LET'S REPLACE ÖZEL WITH İMAMOĞLU"

Claiming that a person currently serving as an official in the CHP met with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and proposed, "Let's replace Özgür Özel with Ekrem İmamoğlu," Terkoğlu wrote: "The CHP official, who argued that the CHP would cease to be an opposition party and would enter Erdoğan's orbit, requested that the party statute congress in November be turned into an elective one, that Ekrem İmamoğlu run against Özgür Özel as a candidate for CHP chairman, and that Kılıçdaroğlu reach an agreement and support İmamoğlu."

The relevant part of Terkoğlu's column is as follows:

"Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu left the chairmanship but did not break away from politics. He continues to send critical messages to the public. From time to time, he also meets with important names in politics, especially those from the CHP.

I recently saw a photo of him with a person who still holds an important position in the CHP. I was very surprised when I heard what was discussed in the meeting. The CHP official I mentioned, who occasionally shares messages on social media showing that he is against the normalization-softening process, had made an interesting proposal to Kılıçdaroğlu. The CHP official, who argued that the CHP would cease to be an opposition party and would enter Erdoğan's orbit, requested that the party statute congress in November be turned into an elective one, that Ekrem İmamoğlu run against Özgür Özel as a candidate for CHP chairman, and that Kılıçdaroğlu reach an agreement and support İmamoğlu.

I called the person who visited Kılıçdaroğlu to verify. He confirmed the words I mentioned. To my question, 'Well, what did Kılıçdaroğlu say to your proposal?', he replied, 'He just listened.'

Since I know that Kılıçdaroğlu is more distant from İmamoğlu than he is from Özgür Özel, I asked, 'Do you see this proposal of yours as possible?' The CHP official recalled Erdoğan's targeting of İmamoğlu with his statement on the eve of the holiday: 'Those who do not understand politeness held a press conference in Istanbul and it is clear that they were under the influence of someone there.' He said that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's potential candidacy would draw a reaction, but that he should reach an agreement with İmamoğlu to put the CHP back on an anti-Erdoğan course. He stated that he would meet with İmamoğlu in the coming days for this purpose and explain his proposal to him as well."