CHP's Öztürkmen, Kara, and Polat speak to 12punto: Calls for new leadership following party congress debates

As debates over a party congress continue within the CHP, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, 'Those who want a congress are not my fellow travelers.' Following İmamoğlu's remarks, CHP deputies speaking to 12punto issued calls for a congress.

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CHP's Öztürkmen, Kara, and Polat speak to 12punto: Calls for new leadership following party congress debates

Debates over a party congress, which began after CHP Istanbul Deputy Oğuz Kaan Salıcı criticized CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's 'normalization' rhetoric, are growing. While discussions continue following Salıcı's statement that 'a congress will be held if necessary,' it has been learned from backstage information that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said at a meeting he attended, "Those who want a congress are not my fellow travelers, period." CHP deputies speaking to 12punto, however, issued calls for a congress and proposed a change in leadership.

“BECAUSE OF POLICIES NOT SUPPORTED BY OUR BASE…”

CHP Gaziantep Deputy Hasan Öztürkmen, stating that he has been a CHP member for nearly 50 years, said, “I am listening to the voice of my organization. My organization is demanding an extraordinary congress. In my opinion, an extraordinary congress needs to be held urgently and immediately. If our base and our organization support the normalization policies, the leadership will continue its path strongly. If the organization does not support this, a new leadership will take charge. This leadership shows that our party has fallen behind the AKP again and has become the second party. This is due to the wrong policies being implemented that are not supported by our organization and our base. Therefore, I am of the opinion that an extraordinary congress is necessary by listening to the voice of my organization” and issued a call.

“THE PATH SHOULD CONTINUE WITH NEW LEADERSHIP”

Expressing that cracks could form in the CHP if the congress is not convened, Öztürkmen stated, “Demands for an extraordinary congress are coming from all over Turkey, from people I do not know. If an extraordinary congress is not convened and confidence is not refreshed, these debates will continue until an early election or a regular election, and it will harm our party. Therefore, I believe it can continue its path with new leadership and new strength that has received and refreshed confidence.”

“FOR ERDOĞAN, NORMALIZATION MEANS SURRENDERING TO HIM”

Underlining that the CHP organization does not find the CHP leadership's normalization policies with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan correct, Öztürkmen said, “For Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, normalization means surrendering to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, approving his policies, and being his fellow traveler. The step our chairman took in good faith to normalize society has not found a response in Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Therefore, the base does not find this normalization correct. Our organization sees that our party is gradually losing votes. We also see it in the field; there are those who say I have resigned from the party, I will not vote for the CHP again, I do not find this direction of the CHP correct, let the congress be convened as soon as possible, and let confidence be refreshed. I am a politician who is intertwined with his organization” and said that he is making the voice of the base heard.

“THERE IS NO REALITY TO THE NEWS THAT SIGNATURES ARE BEING COLLECTED”

CHP Hatay Deputy Nermin Yıldırım Kara is another name who has requested a congress. Kara began her words as follows:

“The charter is clear; if conditions are met and the delegates want it, a regular or extraordinary congress is convened. İmamoğlu's statement, 'Those who want a congress are not my fellow travelers,' should not be within the party. İmamoğlu gave a message of unity and solidarity at the camp by saying, 'There is an AKP government that we need to topple in the coming period,' and he must mean 'let us fight for a common goal.' But if a congress is to be convened here, it will be. It is not convened because Ahmet, Mehmet, or Ayşe said 'let it be convened'; it is the will of the delegates themselves. There is no reality to the news in the public eye that those 800 people 'are collecting signatures.' This may have been brought up to create public opinion.”

“AS DEPUTIES, WE ARE EXPRESSING A WILL”

Evaluating the March 31 Local Elections, Kara said, “I think we gained good momentum on March 31. We came out first in the election, but this needs to be made sustainable. I am also walking around in the field; anyone who looks at the party base, legislative activities, or social media activities can see it. I am also on the street, but we received criticism on the issues of 'standing up' and 'normalization.' This is a fact; it is like this in practice. These can be tolerated, but after we came out as the first party on the street, we need to increase the momentum. It is beneficial for us to listen to the needs and demands of our own base. Congresses are convened, but there is a time and place for it. The law is clear, our charter is clear; this happens if the delegates want it. As deputies, we are listening to the voice coming from the base and we are expressing this will; there is a need for this in this regard” she stated.

“THERE IS A SERIOUS NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE DIRECTION”

CHP İzmir Deputy Mahir Polat emphasized that many deputies within the CHP are uncomfortable with the direction and warned, “People's calls for an extraordinary congress are independent of İmamoğlu. I think that intellectually, the party is in a direction that is very contrary to its past political practice, and I think the party needs to explain this to large masses. I believe that many deputies in the organization, including myself, are seriously uncomfortable with the direction that has developed outside of past practices. This situation affects people's view of the party and the social opposition's view of the CHP. If there were not a serious number of people who were uncomfortable, the party would lynch us. You can easily see this when you look at the environments where party members discuss and the reactions they give. We believe that the situation is going to a bad point with confusing statements. We are facing a CHP that has become more stagnant when we are in a period where we should be much more action-oriented.”

“MY STATEMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH KEMAL BEY”

Stating that he does not find the support statements coming from 81 provincial chairmen for CHP Chairman Özgür Özel correct, Polat said regarding the congress call associated with former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, “Kemal Bey is a name who has had serious labor on us. He is an important chairman of ours. In our party, there is no such thing as 'he said make that statement' so you did it. None of my attitudes have anything to do with Kemal Bey. We only had a need to make a note in history.”

News Source: Beste Çelik