Müslim Sarı described Tugay's defection to the AKP as an "outrage" and "political immorality," emphasizing that it has caused disappointment, hopelessness, and sadness among the CHP and opposition base.
Describing the failure to take responsibility for his nomination as "political immorality," Sarı said the following:
It is a situation without precedent in the world for a mayor elected from a party and the opposition to join a party whose entire political struggle has been built on opposition to them. This is a moral problem; I cannot soften it by calling it ethical. It cannot be seen as a political problem; this is a moral issue regarding the mayor's character. 50 mayors and 300 council members resigned from the CHP and joined the AKP. This has never happened in the history of the CHP, and what we have experienced in the last 2 years has not been seen in world political history either. There is another dimension that some circles do not want to understand or talk about: that those who provided references for the mayors and council members elected from the CHP, including Tugay, those who made them candidates, and those who took on a defensive position, have no sin or fault... This is also related to political morality. If a political immorality has been committed, it is also immoral not to take responsibility for them being nominated from CHP lists and not to engage in self-criticism. Shameless statements are being made.
“ÖZEL TOOK KILIÇDAROĞLU’S WARNING TO TUGAY”
Sarı shared detailed information for the first time with the public regarding the conversation between Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel about Tugay:
Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made some assessments about Tugay to Mr. Özgür Özel during the handover ceremony where he left his seat to Mr. Özgür Özel after the convention before the 2024 elections. He said, ‘Do not nominate Cemil Tugay again. Because this Cemil Tugay is cooperating and doing business with Cengiz İnşaat in Karşıyaka. It is not a moral situation. Do not make him a candidate.’ He warned him. Mr. Özgür Özel, on the other hand, shared it with the parties concerned, he shared it with Tugay. Ignoring Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu’s warnings, he made him a candidate for the Metropolitan Municipality.”
“THE ONLY REASON FOR HIS CANDIDACY IS HIS SUPPORT FOR ÖZEL AT THE CONVENTION”
Sarı emphasized that the only reason Tugay was made a candidate for the Metropolitan Municipality was his support for Özel at the convention:
Why was he made a candidate for the Metropolitan Municipality? Because he was a very talented and successful person? No, because he was the only mayor from İzmir who supported Özel during the convention. He was the only mayor who openly said he would support Özel against Kılıçdaroğlu. This is the only reason Tugay became a candidate for the Metropolitan Municipality. Despite Kılıçdaroğlu’s warning, it was Özel who deemed him worthy of a higher office, and the only reason is that he supported him. What does he say when nominating him? He says, ‘He is spotless,’ he vouches for him that much. He vouches for him by saying, ‘He will never betray us, he will not touch what is forbidden, I am behind him all the way.’ At the point we have reached, he says, ‘Those who do not betray their party are my brothers, those who betray and leave are traitors, the son of a traitor.’ For the first time, I agree with Mr. Özgür Özel. We are saying the same thing, ‘Those who do not betray their party and leave are our brothers. The son of a traitor is a traitor.’ I want to believe that he is engaging in self-criticism within himself.
“THEY WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC AND KILIÇDAROĞLU”
Sarı called on Özgür Özel and the administrators who nominated Tugay to apologize to the İzmir public and Kılıçdaroğlu:
Let no one distort anything, let no one be shameless. They will come out and apologize in front of the public. We see some posts, we welcome them, this is political ethics. Let no one deceive anyone, everything is in front of the public. Those who vouched for him individually, those who ignored Kılıçdaroğlu’s warnings, will come out and apologize first to the people of İzmir, then to the entire public, and then to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
“I DARE YOU”
Sarı proposed amending the relevant article of the Constitution for early local elections and said:
The will of the people has been distorted, usurped, and stolen. We say ‘I dare you’ from here. Come, let’s have early local elections so that the will of the people can be manifested again. Let’s change the relevant article of the Constitution immediately, let’s go to the polls, I dare you. There is no need for political pickpocketing. Let the will of the people be restored.
When asked, “Is there a new roadmap regarding the CHP’s political ethics law proposal?” Sarı stated that they had worked on the issue before and said, “Enacting a political ethics law is on our agenda; we worked on it at the Abant camp, and it will be presented to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as a draft after being revised.”
WILL DEFECTIONS TO THE AKP CONTINUE IN İZMİR?
Sarı announced that there are 'AKP rumors' regarding other mayors in İzmir, but that there is no concrete situation that has been conveyed to the party. Reminding that the CHP has 4 mayors, Sarı emphasized that other mayors should be asked about their own situations. Reading Guide Read
This has gone beyond an isolated incident; it has turned into a campaign. Behind this are blackmail, intimidation, and self-interest. It has now turned into a normalized method. It is not sustainable, then what is the point of elections?” said Sarı, underlining that there is a structural problem, adding, “I am explaining this because İzmir is symbolic for us and because a very serious emotional breakdown has occurred in our base, but this issue is important for all municipalities.
“OUR BASES ARE EMOTIONALLY ALIGNED”
When asked whether it is possible for the CHP and the YENİ Party to act together for the protests called in İzmir, Sarı said:
There is no ideological or political divergence with any of the friends who left the CHP. There is no line in their political programs different from the CHP’s 6 Arrows. They left as a reaction to the process that led us to govern for a reason we were not part of, as a result of intra-party political struggle. Our bases are one. How can an aunt from İzmir who was waving the CHP flag 5 months ago be in a different political position outside the CHP? The aunt from İzmir who went from the CHP to the YENİ Party is against Cemil Tugay, against the AKP. The base in İzmir is emotionally aligned regarding Cemil Tugay’s political position; they can hold actions together or separately. These shared feelings will bring us back together in a short time anyway.
News Source: 12punto
