İmamoğlu addresses CHP's İmralı decision: 'Without the nation's approval...'

CHP's presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made a statement regarding the CHP's decision not to participate in the commission visiting İmralı. İmamoğlu said, "We do not find it correct to contribute to a process being carried out through forms and methods that do not have the approval of a large portion of the nation."

İmamoğlu's social media post is as follows:

"My Dear Nation,

Turkey is the most beautiful country in the world, and our nation is the most sincere, conscientious, and self-sacrificing nation in the world. We have always been involved in politics with the strength, love, and commitment this provides. We have engaged in politics knowing that ensuring the peace, security, and prosperity of our nation is our greatest responsibility.

With this understanding, we gave sincere support to the process that began last year under the name 'Terror-Free Turkey' and contributed with the perspective of a 'Terror-Free and Democratic Turkey.' We clearly expressed our will regarding the end of terrorism, one of our country's greatest issues, and the resolution of the Kurdish issue. We will continue to contribute to this process, which we joined with faith for the sake of our nation's future, with the same consistency from now on.

Our principled stance is a democratic, inclusive, serious, and transparent solution. In light of these principles, we will continue to fulfill our duty to represent the nation.

The TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) commission, which reached its current form upon our party's proposal, has assumed a critical role on the path to ending terrorism and resolving the Kurdish issue. The CHP, which advocated that the Kurdish issue should be resolved through democratic means even in the days when the Kurdish issue was denied—saying 'no risk is more important than the nation's future'—and was accused of supporting terrorism by the current government for doing so, has taken part in the commission established to contribute to ending terrorism and resolving the Kurdish issue, and will continue to do so.

The reasons for our party's non-participation in the 'meeting with Abdullah Öcalan at İmralı Prison' proposal brought to the agenda in the commission must be well understood. As the CHP, we have been in favor of resolving the Kurdish issue since the first day and will continue to be. However, we do not find it correct to contribute to a process being carried out through forms and methods that do not have the approval of a large portion of the nation. Unless democratization steps are taken that show the process is being taken seriously by the government and the nation is made a part of the process, the CHP will continue to contribute while maintaining its cautious stance toward the process.

It is essential that we approach the issue holistically, observing social psychology, taking into account the sensitivities of all our Turkish and Kurdish citizens, and including geopolitical realities. Not with vote calculations, but by taking the right steps at the right time within a legal and democratic framework; we will reach a strong, long-term, and lasting peace and brotherhood.

Law and democracy are the guides. Everyone must fully comply with the law. While there are so many things that could be fixed in a day, it is impossible to solve any problem by running away from law and democracy.

The fact that a large number of mayors and politicians are imprisoned, the appointment of trustees to municipalities, the politics of hostility toward the opposition, the failure to recognize the decisions of the ECHR and the Constitutional Court, and the President's approach of refraining from strongly defending the process are the biggest obstacles in front of this critical process.

The path, method, and remedy of the process is a democratic solution based on democratization and equal citizenship. This process management, where there is not even the slightest signal of democratization steps, is flawed and incomplete. We have stated clearly every time that we are in favor of a solution based on equal citizenship with our citizens who are Kurds and brotherhood with those outside our borders.

Moving from here, I want to address the parties to the process once again in the presence of my nation: No matter what is done to us, we are ready to do our best so that the process reaches success 'today.' If it remains for tomorrow, we are ready to show how it will be done. We want the resolution of the Kurdish issue to be part of a new democratization story that we carry out hand in hand as a state and a nation, not of political crises. All our effort is so that today's hopes are not wasted.

Finally; for those who cannot comprehend the stance shown by our Chairman Özgür Özel, I would like to express clearly that:

The CHP Chairman only engages in politics for the nation. The CHP Chairman's only guide is the nation, and the path he walks is the path of the nation. As my party's Presidential Candidate, I am also very honored and proud to walk this path shoulder to shoulder with my Chairman Özgür.

On this occasion, I send my heartfelt love and greetings to my nation, whom I long for.

Respectfully..."