Özel challenges Kılıçdaroğlu for CHP chairmanship

ANKARA

Özgür Özel, the leader of the main opposition, has called on Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for an in-house election for the leadership of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in order to end the ongoing legal turmoil.

“I am making an open call from this podium: Let’s go to an election with 2 million members of the CHP and the defeated will leave politics. I announce that I will quit politics if my votes remain under 90 percent,” Özel said at the weekly parliamentary group of the CHP on July 14.

Özel, former CHP chairman, was ousted from his position after a local court reinstated Kılıçdaroğlu as the party leader due to fraud allegations in 2023 convention during which the latter lost.

Özel, still a member of the CHP and parliamentary group leader, recalled that Kılıçdaroğlu recently stressed the need of keeping the unity of the CHP and called Özel and his friends not to leave the CHP by forming a new political organization.

“Since you attach importance to the unity of the CHP and since you say that the party’s disintegration will serve to the benefits of the AKP [Justice and Development Party], then let’s go to polls,” Özel stated.

“We are not dying to form a new political party. But people who are very eager to find a new source of hope are calling us for the establishment of a new party. They ask this because you killed all the hope they have,” he underlined.

The ousted leader also criticized the local court who has not yet submitted its decision to reinstate Kılıçdaroğlu as the party leader to the Court of Appeals.

“It’s been 54 days since they have given this unlawful decision. And as they know it will be turned down by the Court of Appeals, they are trying to prolong the process until July 20, the day 40-day judicial recess starts,” he stated.

HH Özel lends support to Çankaya Mayor over corruption claims

In the meantime, Özel expressed strong support to Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner who has been detained due to corruption allegations, claiming that the government-led crackdown on the opposition has now spread to Ankara after İstanbul.

“Until now, 34 CHP municipalities have faced judicial proceedings with the mayors of 24 of them, mostly from İstanbul, arrested. It seems the campaign has now spread to Ankara,” Özel said.