Özgür Çelik, supported by the 'change' movement, becomes the new Istanbul Provincial Chair

The 38th Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Congress of the Republican People's Party (CHP), where the Istanbul Provincial Chair and 196 party assembly delegates were to be determined, was held at the Haliç Congress Center starting at 08:00. The winner was Özgür Çelik, the candidate supported by the 'change' movement.

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Özgür Çelik, supported by the 'change' movement, becomes the new Istanbul Provincial Chair

The 38th Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Congress, where the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair and 196 party assembly delegates were to be determined, began at 08:00.

At the congress held at the Haliç Congress Center, CHP Bahçelievler District Chair Özgür Çelik and former CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Cemal Canpolat competed for the Provincial Chairmanship.

Both sides were assertive in the provincial chairmanship race, which took place between Bahçelievler District Chair Özgür Çelik, the candidate of those seeking change, and former Istanbul Provincial Chair Cemal Canpolat, who was supported by the party headquarters. The candidate elected at the congress served as an indicator of who the CHP members want to continue their path with.

'CHANGE' WON

Accordingly, Özgür Çelik, who was presented as the candidate of those seeking 'change', won the election by receiving 342 votes. Cemal Canpolat, who was presented as the candidate supported by the Headquarters, received 310 votes.

Following Özgür Çelik's victory in the elections, his supporters in the hall celebrated by singing songs.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM ÖZGÜR ÇELİK

Making a statement after the official results, Özgür Çelik said the following:

"If Mr. Cemal Canpolat, with whom we competed democratically, is here, I would like to invite him to the podium; we have not yet taken over the duty, if our Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu is here, I invite her. My fellow travelers, both our party members and citizens from all four corners of Anatolia have come here to follow our congress. My endless and heartfelt thanks to all of them. I thank our organization, which has been here since the early hours while we were holding a historic congress.

There are no losers in CHP congresses; we will leave this hall together with you here. This is not a victory speech; we will make the victory speech when we win Istanbul again, when we win Turkey.

I am addressing those who will discuss the CHP congress in the press tomorrow: discuss those who determine provincial chairs with a leader's baton. We will take all the criticisms made here today, process them, and determine a roadmap. Words that should not have been uttered were also spoken in the excitement of the congress. However, we are ready to embrace our entire organization. The first place I will go is the district that chanted in favor of the other candidate from the middle stands. There is now an egalitarian management approach in Istanbul. We will carry out a struggle that treats all 39 district chairs equally. We said that if we strike a spark from Istanbul, this hope will be a light for Turkey. We will win by uniting.

I thank our organization for deeming me worthy of one of the most important positions of the CHP today in this city, where I came at the age of 8 with a pair of rubber shoes. I am very proud. If the child of a laborer can become a provincial chair or a mayor in this country, we owe this to democracy, the republic, and Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk."

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CONGRESS

Turkish flags, photos of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as well as photos of Cemal Canpolat and Özgür Çelik, who were candidates for the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairmanship, were hung in the hall where the congress was held.

The posters featuring Canpolat's photo with Kılıçdaroğlu included phrases such as "You will never walk alone," "Merit in the organization: Cemal Canpolat," "The unifying power of Istanbul," and "Hope and courage."

On the posters of the other candidate, Çelik, it was seen that "We will succeed together for Istanbul" and "We are here for Istanbul" were written.

Slogans such as "Kılıçdaroğlu, the pride of the people" and "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" were chanted in the hall from time to time.

CHP Istanbul district congresses were completed last month; new district chairs were elected in 14 of the 39 districts. In the morning at the Haliç Congress Center

News Source: 12punto