14.04.2026 00:50
At the funeral of former Turkish Parliament Speaker Hüsamettin Cindoruk, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's failure to shake hands with CHP Chairman Özgür Özel became one of the most talked-about topics of the day. While Kılıçdaroğlu had a long conversation with Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed as the CHP Provincial Chairman as a trustee, Tekin commented on the moments, saying, 'The mosque was very crowded. We didn't see Özgür Özel. When Kılıçdaroğlu saw the news about not shaking hands, he was surprised and said, 'Why didn't you tell me?''
The funeral of former Turkish Grand National Assembly Speaker Hüsamettin Cindoruk became a political agenda item when former Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not shake hands with his successor Özgür Özel. In the footage interpreted as "cold winds" on social media, Kılıçdaroğlu was seen chatting with Gürsel Tekin beside him and not making contact with Özel.
STATEMENT FROM GÜRSEL TEKİN
These moments were interpreted as a continuation of the tension between the two figures after the change in the CHP's leadership. Gürsel Tekin, who made a statement regarding the debates, argued that the incident was entirely a misunderstanding.
"WE DIDN'T SEE HIM EITHER"
Tekin stated, "We came to the mosque with Kılıçdaroğlu. The mosque was very crowded. We did not see Özgür Özel. When Kılıçdaroğlu saw the news about not shaking hands, he was surprised and said, 'Why didn't you tell me?' We replied, 'Honestly, we didn't see him either.'"