Özel confident of victory in CHP leadership race

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leadership candidate Özgür Özel has expressed confidence in his victory at the party’s November congress, asserting that he is more favorable among CHP's deputies than incumbent leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

"We are ahead in the CHP parliamentary group, 55 to 45 percent. The majority is in favor of change. Believe me, even the tipstaff at the parliament know this... We will receive a lot of support beyond the expectations; we will win the congress," Özel said during a meeting with journalists in the capital Ankara on Oct. 19.

Özel's comments came in response to a debate that had erupted regarding the collection of signatures for Kılıçdaroğlu's candidacy from more than 90 CHP deputies during the parliament's general assembly session.

"It is our tradition to collect signatures from our parliamentary group but not in the general assembly. There can be no situation that would disturb all of us more than an internal competition being brought to the general assembly hall," Özel stated. "We see that there is no staff intelligence left in the chairman's team."

The main congress, scheduled for Nov. 4-5, will see a total of 1,370 congress delegates from various provinces across Türkiye casting their votes to elect the party leader. This body also includes party council members, high disciplinary board members and deputies.

Özel also discussed the possibility of the CHP forming alliances in the mayoral polls slated for March.

"We have to accept that there is an erosion in the CHP's alliance capacity. There is a bilateral decline in our alliance potential," Özel noted.

The CHP's former ally, the İYİ (Good) Party, has already announced its decision to enter the upcoming local elections independently, a move Özel referred to as "hara-kiri."

Elaborating on the potential for alliances, Özel stated, "The election of a new chairman and management opens a new area for the alliance and creates the opportunity for new negotiations. We will push this area to the end."