İmamoğlu reacts to Cemal Canpolat's remarks: 'They have become very ugly, let them drown in their lies'

The highly anticipated Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul Provincial Congress took place yesterday. In the congress, where 196 convention delegates were to be determined alongside the provincial chair, the candidate of the change-seekers, Özgür Çelik, surpassed the candidate of the party headquarters, Cemal Canpolat, by 32 votes to become the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair. 

According to the official announcement, Özgür Çelik received 342 votes, while Cemal Canpolat received 310 votes.

Speaking at the congress, Cemal Canpolat directed criticisms at IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu without mentioning him by name. In his speech, Canpolat said, "I cannot accept leaving the CHP organization out after becoming mayor. I cannot stomach CHP members getting jobs through other parties. The era of resigning from the CHP and getting jobs through the IYI Party will end as of Sunday. You cannot do municipal work with right-wing politics. You cannot do municipal work with the converted cadres of the AKP. You cannot do leftist municipal work with IYI Party cadres. As of Monday, every mayor will be in their own field, fighting in their own field. We will support our mayors, we will treat them with the utmost respect, and we will look after organizational affairs. If you take sides in organizational affairs, you will find a side against you. No mayor of ours should try to design the organization by putting pressure on it during CHP congresses; you are making your own district chairs members of parliament. You are making your own district chairs youth branch presidents. You are not electing a provincial chair for yourselves; you are electing a chief of staff. The CHP cannot be managed by chiefs of staff".

Following Canpolat's speech, Ekrem İmamoğlu left the hall.

"THEY HAVE BECOME VERY UGLY"

Returning to the Haliç Congress Center to cast his vote, İmamoğlu said while speaking with party members, "They have become very ugly, they have told many lies. Let them drown in their lies, but we will walk with clean hands" .

News Source: 12punto