Cemil Tugay named as CHP's İzmir candidate

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has determined its metropolitan and district mayoral candidates for İzmir. Karşıyaka Mayor Cemil Tugay will run for İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor.

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Cemil Tugay named as CHP's İzmir candidate

Having announced more than 200 candidates last week, the Republican People's Party's İzmir candidate was determined today. The party's Central Executive Board (MYK) met at 16:30 to discuss the İzmir agenda. The meeting lasted 3 hours.

Following this meeting, the Party Assembly (PM) session commenced. During the meeting, it was decided that the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate would be Cemil Tugay.

ÖZEL HAD MET BEFORE THE MYK

It was reported that Karşıyaka Mayor Cemil Tugay, who met with CHP Chairman Özgür Özel at the party headquarters before the MYK meeting, had emerged as the leading candidate. It was noted that the candidacy of Tugay, who is said to be Özel's preferred choice for İzmir, would be finalized following a vote in the Party Assembly.

CHP sources stated that Karşıyaka Mayor Cemil Tugay's candidacy was finalized in the Central Executive Board (MYK) by a narrow margin, noting that there was still a possibility the decision could change in the Party Assembly.

ALLEGATIONS OF BEING THE "CANDIDATE OF THE GANG OF FIVE"

Former CHP Deputy Chairman Eren Erdemmade a statement on his social media account regarding the issue after allegations concerning Tugay's candidacy surfaced.

Claiming that figures who supported the previous CHP chairman, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, are being pushed out of the party, Erdem said, "Unfortunately, because all diplomatic communication has failed, it has become necessary to inform the public. Tonight, the CHP İzmir mayoral candidate is being determined. Tunç Soyer is about to be discarded in an unprecedented manner. Cemil Tugay, the candidate of Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu and Veli Ağbaba, and also of Mehmet Cengiz—who is considered a 'businessman' by some and a member of the 'gang of five' by us—is about to be 'definitively' named the candidate at this very moment."

"How can this person be a candidate against figures like Tunç Soyer, who stood against the 'gang of five'? Tunç Soyer is being replaced by Mehmet Cengiz's man. The reason is that he supported Kılıçdaroğlu at the party congress. Either the CHP will win İzmir, or Mehmet Cengiz will," he said. Stating that he has documents regarding Tugay, Erdem added, "If you deny the Mehmet Cengiz issue, I will ruin you. I will share the documents."