Pro-government columnist makes Kılıçdaroğlu claim regarding Mansur Yavaş: 'He wants to defeat İmamoğlu'

Following the CHP's decision to determine its presidential candidate through a primary election, the differing statements from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, whose names have come to the forefront for candidacy, have drawn attention.

While İBB Mayor İmamoğlu supports the primary election, ABB Mayor Yavaş has closed the door on candidacy debates, stating that it is too early to determine a candidate and that Turkey's real agenda is the economy.

Last night, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met with İmamoğlu and Yavaş. Sharing a photo from the meeting, Özel stated, "We are together, we will be together, we will win together, Turkey will win..."

Birlikteyiz
Hep birlikte olacağız
Hep beraber kazanacağız
Türkiye kazanacak… pic.twitter.com/MuhRqINqmv

— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) February 9, 2025

Following the triple summit, all eyes have turned to today's CHP Party Assembly (PM) meeting.

Hürriyet Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Hakan, known for his proximity to the government, covered the developments regarding the candidacy debates within the CHP in his column and made striking claims about ABB Mayor Yavaş.

Ahmet Hakan wrote that Mansur Yavaş thinks, "The CHP voter is already in the bag. On top of this, I can also get votes from a broad right-wing electorate. I must be the presidential candidate."

Continuing his article, Hakan stated that Yavaş believes Ekrem İmamoğlu's path will be blocked by the judiciary and that in such a situation, he would come to the agenda as a 'backup candidate,' adding, "He wants to defeat İmamoğlu by forming an alliance with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He wants to defeat İmamoğlu with the contribution of small right-wing parties. He wants to defeat İmamoğlu by dragging out the candidacy process. But he never expresses this openly."

The section titled 'Things Mansur Yavaş Cannot Say' from Ahmet Hakan's column today is as follows:

He thinks, "The CHP voter is already in the bag. On top of this, I can also get votes from a broad right-wing electorate. I must be the presidential candidate."

But he never expresses this openly.

He thinks his chances are higher than Ekrem İmamoğlu's. He thinks the primary election is a formula found to block his own path and open the way for İmamoğlu.

But he never expresses this openly.

He thinks Ekrem İmamoğlu's path will be blocked by the judiciary. He believes that in such a situation, he would come to the agenda as a "backup candidate." He thinks that emerging as a "backup candidate" is a disadvantage.

But he never expresses this openly.

He wants to defeat İmamoğlu by forming an alliance with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He wants to defeat İmamoğlu with the contribution of small right-wing parties. He wants to defeat İmamoğlu by dragging out the candidacy process.

But he never expresses this openly.

News Source: 12punto