İmamoğlu emphasizes change: 'CHP will change, Turkey will change'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Provincial Presidency organized a "Bylaw Convention Workshop" together with non-governmental organizations operating in the fields of democracy, human rights, and gender equality. The program, held at the Haliç Congress Center, was attended by CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, district chairs, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.

Delivering the opening speech of the program, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu stated that the democratization of political parties is an important step for the democratization of the country. In his speech, İmamoğlu included the following remarks:

"In an environment where these exhausted and struggling political parties exist, we can never tolerate being complacent or proud of our current situation. We must look ahead by acknowledging this reality. During the event where we celebrated our party's 100th anniversary last year, we said, 'If the Republican People's Party changes, Turkey changes.' In this sense, let me state it very clearly: The Republican People's Party will change, and Turkey will change as well. There cannot be, and there should not be, any other outcome to this process, to this journey."

'I AM HAPPY THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE FINDING A RESPONSE'

İmamoğlu stated that the fact that citizens do not see the opposition as an option during crises should be evaluated within the party. Referring to the 2023 election results, İmamoğlu said, "I had expressed with a heavy heart the day after the election that we cannot get different results by doing the same things. I am extremely happy that our efforts in the party are finding a response and that we are experiencing such a period today. The fact that the Republican People's Party became the leading party with the highest number of votes in the local elections has made me very happy."

CHP MUST BE A MORE INCLUSIVE PARTY

Emphasizing that it is essential to present a new vision with permanent policies, İmamoğlu said, "The Republican People's Party has very important duties in this regard. Most importantly, it is essential for the party to transform into a more democratic, more participatory, and more inclusive party, starting from within itself."

'THE BYLAW CONVENTION IS AN IMPORTANT STEP'

Stating that he sees the bylaw convention they will initiate in September as an important step toward making the movement for change permanent, İmamoğlu drew attention to the decline in political participation in Istanbul. İmamoğlu emphasized that this situation should be taken into account and that a stronger dialogue should be established with citizens.