Battal İlgezdi reveals the behind-the-scenes of his resignation! A striking detail about İmamoğlu…

The Republican People's Party (CHP) held its Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting on January 26 to determine its mayoral candidates for the local elections.

During the eventful hours at the CHP, Onursal Adıgüzel was nominated to replace Ataşehir Mayor Battal İlgezdi.

In a statement on his social media account, İlgezdi resigned from the CHP, claiming that a purge process was underway and that figures close to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu were being removed. İlgezdi alleged that "those who supported former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at the CHP convention are being purged, and that there is a crackdown on Kurds and Alevis within the party" he claimed.

CHP leader Özgür Özel, in an interview with Sözcü columnist İsmail Saymaz, refuted İlgezdi's claims, stating, "We have announced 900 candidates. We have nominated many Alevi candidates. He should look at the Alevi candidates. Which Kurd has he seen being purged? There is no such thing. We nominated two of our colleagues who supported Mr. Kemal the most in Bursa and Balıkesir." he said.

NEW STATEMENT FROM İLGEZDİ

Following Özel's statement, Battal İlgezdi released a new statement on his personal social media account. "The public should know that Battal İlgezdi did not resign because he was not nominated," İlgezdi said, adding, "On Friday morning, January 26, at 09:00, IMM Mayor Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu invited me to his office and held a meeting with me. My colleague, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, expressed to me his decision not to continue with me as the mayoral candidate in Ataşehir. When he conveyed this decision to me, the party's highest bodies, the MYK and PM, which are the sole authorities in determining candidates, had not yet convened." he stated.

The full text of İlgezdi's statement is as follows;

"To the true owners of the Republican People's Party and the public!

For 41 years, I have always been proud to wave the flag of our party as a district chair, provincial executive, provincial secretary, and most recently, as the Mayor of Ataşehir for three terms.

Since the day I was elected as the Founding Mayor with the great support of the people of Ataşehir—a district formed in 2009 by merging the back neighborhoods of four districts—we have turned our Ataşehir into one of the most popular districts in Istanbul.

Although I was leading by a wide margin in the polls conducted by both our party and myself, I was not nominated because I supported our former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at the last party congress.

Yet, in the statements made by our party's executives, it was repeatedly emphasized that candidates would be determined based on poll results.

The public should know that Battal İlgezdi did not resign because he was not nominated. On the contrary, he resigned to protect the institutional identity and hierarchy of the Republican People's Party.

On Friday morning, January 26, at 09:00, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu invited me to his office and held a meeting with me.

My colleague, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, expressed to me his decision not to move forward with me as the mayoral candidate in Ataşehir.

When he conveyed this decision to me, the MYK (Central Executive Board) and PM (Party Assembly), which are our party's highest bodies and the sole authorities in determining candidates, had not yet convened. In other words, no decision had been made regarding Ataşehir.

In the legal functioning and party culture of our century-old Great Plane Tree (Party), a fellow mayor does not have the duty or authority to notify me of such a decision before it has been taken by the higher bodies.

The bodies that will make this decision are the MYK and the PM!

I ask everyone here: By what duty and authority does the IMM (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality) Mayor, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, make such a decision regarding me, and by what right does he exercise the decision-making authority of our party's higher bodies?

As a result of all this, I would like to state to those who think I resigned because I was not nominated that I resigned to protect the rights and laws of every one of my fellow travelers who have given years to the Republican People's Party

and to uphold the institutional identity of my party.

Respectfully,

Battal İlgezdi

To the true owners of the Republican People's Party and the public's attention! pic.twitter.com/SqWq4661l6

— Battal İlgezdi (@battalilgezdi34) January 29, 2024

News Source: 12punto