Harsh words from Sabri Ergül to Kılıçdaroğlu! "You have lost, Mr. Chairman, listen to the streets!"

The Republican People's Party (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress began at 10:00 AM.

At the congress, where Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu served as the Chairman of the Council, the election for the party chairmanship will be held today, while members of the Party Assembly and the High Disciplinary Board will be elected tomorrow.

Taking the podium at the congress, former CHP youth branch president and former İzmir deputy Sabri Ergül criticized the appointment of Ekrem İmamoğlu as the Chairman of the Congress Council and attacked Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

"IN 55 YEARS, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A SUPPRESSED CONGRESS ATMOSPHERE IN THE PARTY"

“Mr. Chairman, esteemed members of our congress. I am speaking as someone who has been a member of this party for 55 years and as a lawyer of 50 years. I am not a candidate for anything. I have attended 32 congresses as a simple citizen, youth branch president, Party Assembly member, deputy, and Central Executive Board (MYK) member. There is an incumbent MYK, there are deputy chairmen, but the chairman says, 'I have appointed one person.' In my 55 years in the party, I have never seen such a suppressed congress atmosphere. The votes that will go into the ballot box here are not what matters. One must look at how those votes are formed before that.

"YOU HAVE LOST, MR. CHAIRMAN, LISTEN TO THE STREETS!"

Mr. Chairman, you have used all the resources of the party. You have said all these things. Let us have the right to criticize you as the chairman in this party. Democracy begins here. Free members of the congress, in the words of Ecevit, 'Will you be servants of the gate or will you be free members?' I was the youth branch president at that congress. I know how this security is provided. Our dear citizens are coming here. We respect them. But from the moment the right to be an equal candidate in this candidacy arises, you are only a candidate for the chairmanship, and Özgür Özel is also a candidate. Only your anthem should not be played! It doesn't work with an anthem either, Mr. Chairman. You said all these things, you listed all these things you did, but in the end, the public did not vote for you. You have lost, Mr. Chairman, listen to the streets! You are always trying to defeat us, the party, in these congresses. Every time you claim victory. But you can defeat us. Your opponents are outside. Your problem is not with the party. My dear chairman, you worked very hard. You said these things I mentioned, but in the end, you lost. You should have stepped down. You should have paved the way for this party.”

Delegates supporting Kılıçdaroğlu booed Sabri Ergül's speech.

WHO IS SABRI ERGÜL?

Sabri Ergül is a Turkish politician and lawyer born in İzmir in 1946. He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law. He served as the CHP youth branch president, worked as a freelance lawyer, and served as an İzmir Deputy. He is married and a father of two.

During the Manisa case, he supported the tortured youth before and during the trial and took on their defense. During the trial process of the police officers who tortured the youth, he hung a sign reading "There is torture in this workplace" on the door of the Manisa Police Department to draw the attention of the press and the public.

In July 1997, during the vote of confidence held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, he unfurled a banner reading "Out with the greatest scoundrel" (Deyyusu ekber dışarı) when Şevki Yılmaz entered the hall. Following this, he was attacked by members of the Welfare Party.