06.04.2025 11:10
Breath was held in the CHP, and eyes turned to the presidential election to be held at the 21st Extraordinary Congress. While Ümit Uysal withdrew from the race at the last moment, the presidential election will take place between CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and Berhan Şimşek. In his opening speech, Özel stated, "The public continues to make CHP the first party in all polls. In the average of all polls for mid-March, CHP is still Turkey's leading party today."
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The CHP's 21st extraordinary congress has begun. Former party leaders Altan Öymen, Hikmet Çetin, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, former SHP General Chairman Murat Karayalçın, mayors, honorary members, and delegates attended the congress.
In the congress hall, a seat next to Özgür Özel was reserved for Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his position as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). A total of 1368 delegates will be able to vote at the congress.
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD BETWEEN 2 CANDIDATES
The withdrawal of Ümit Uysal, who is a candidate for the party leadership, to avoid damaging his party has changed the dynamics. The presidential election will be held between CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel and Berhan Şimşek.
ÖZEL: HELLO EKREM İMAMOĞLU
On the other hand, Özgür Özel, who gave a speech at the congress, used striking expressions. The highlights of Özel's statements are as follows: "Hello to all democrats of Turkey. To the tens of millions who took to the streets and squares to resist the March 19 coup, to our mayors who are currently detained, to Çiğdem Mater, who is held there despite being acquitted three times to intimidate them if they seek justice again in the Gezi case, to Osman Kavala, Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman in Silivri, to all politicians from other political parties who are imprisoned, to the general chairpersons, and to my brave one who is lying in Silivri, the elected president of İBB, the next presidential candidate of Turkey, Ekrem İmamoğlu, hello."
"ON MARCH 31, WE SHATTERED THE UNBREAKABLE GLASS CEILING"
The CHP is a party that has achieved significant development in a short time, recognizing many human rights for its citizens much earlier than Western countries. It is the party that built the multi-party democratic regime. The CHP is the party of İsmet Paşa, who could say that the defeat in the first election he lost was a victory for Turkish democracy. The nation, which made our party the first party after 47 years in the March 31 elections, brought the AK Party down to the second party position for the first time in 22 years. Our party shattered the so-called unbreakable glass ceiling of 25% without forming any alliances with any party, becoming the first party in Turkey with 38% of the votes.
We have seen that the inclusive hand has carried the CHP to power with firm steps, and they have seen it too. Without disregarding the organization, without feeling burdened, by attributing the faults in the organization to ourselves and the praise to them, we strengthened the organization and, together with them, rapidly re-energized our party by holding countless rallies in the field, on the streets, and in the struggle. We held rallies for education in Istanbul, a protest for pension increases in Ankara, a tea rally in Rize, a wheat rally in Hayabolu, a hazelnut rally in Giresun, a pistachio rally in Gaziantep, a farmers' rally in Manisa, and a labor rally in Gebze.
"IN MARCH AVERAGES, POLLS SHOW CHP AS THE FIRST PARTY IN TURKEY"
The democracy exam is given when it is lost. The ruling party has shown the whole world that it could not pass the exam it failed after the elections it lost. They have attempted to intimidate both our municipalities and the opposition by using public power against their rivals. They have begun to take planned and systematic steps to establish a despotic regime. The nation has continued to make CHP the first party in all polls. In the average of all polls conducted before the Saraçhane process, CHP is still the first party in Turkey today.
"THEY CARRIED OUT OPERATIONS TO INTIMIDATE SOCIETY"
By initiating a wave of lawlessness and carrying out operations that could intimidate all segments of society, they arrested people for crimes that had no basis, making it impossible for them to protest, tweet, or make statements again. They launched a witch hunt based on images from 12-13 years ago, conducting specially designed operations to spread the feeling that actions similar to Gezi would be punished by the state even after 12 years. Their main goal was to obstruct Ekrem İmamoğlu, who defeated Erdoğan's candidates. Those who disrespected the will of the nation did not hesitate to confront the state against the people. The nation would either remain silent or resist this coup. At that moment, when the nation was at its most difficult days, they looked into the eyes of those who provided them energy. They looked into the eyes of the party of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We set out by saying that the candidate for early elections would also be determined early. We fulfilled our commitment to hold a primary election with all members. We kept registrations open with a target of 100,000 new members, and I would like to express that our membership has now reached 1 million 900 thousand.
They initiated the planned coup by canceling a diploma obtained 31 years ago and conducting an operation against Ekrem İmamoğlu and his friends at sahur time the next morning. When we put the ballot box in front of the nation on the primary election day, they brought Ekrem İmamoğlu before the judge. They sent the message of how much our eyes turned for the result, like the message-filled actions of the Italian mafia. They described the ballot box as the ballot box of all democrats, saying that they took the candidate to the National Security.
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