Merdan Yanardağ's commentary on Kılıçdaroğlu

Merdan Yanardağ, who was arrested on October 27, 2025, on charges of 'espionage' and sent to Marmara (Silivri) Prison, and whose managed outlet TELE1 was placed under trusteeship, criticized the policies pursued by former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu following the 2023 Presidential and General Elections. Yanardağ described Kılıçdaroğlu's attitude after the election defeat as a political exhaustion and a 'dramatic suicide'.

In his article published on the website of Tele 2, which broadcasts via YouTube and the internet following the seizure of TELE1, Yanardağ stated that the attitude Kılıçdaroğlu displayed from election night onwards seriously damaged the hopes of party members and voters who defend the rule of law. He expressed that the insistence on remaining in office instead of accepting the defeat dragged the party into a deep crisis.

Yanardağ argued that this attitude of Kılıçdaroğlu was not only a personal political end but also harmed the party's historical mission. Emphasizing that a democratic change process must be initiated in the party immediately, Yanardağ expressed that the leader's effort to cling to his seat harmed intra-party democracy and prevented the voice of the grassroots from being heard.