30.10.2026 00:19
After New Party MP Mahmut Tanal shared a WhatsApp message, said to be doctored, claiming that the AK Party organization had been called to visit Kılıçdaroğlu, CHP Spokesperson Müslim Sarı reacted sharply, saying, "You cannot target our General Chair with doctored images; if you are looking for who is getting closer to the AKP, look at who is taking the 'normalization' steps."
Yeni Parti Şanlıurfa MP Mahmut Tanal’s targeting of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu by sharing a WhatsApp screenshot that he claimed belonged to the AK Party Gaziantep Youth Branch drew a sharp response from the CHP side. CHP Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı reacted to Tanal, stating that the allegations were based on doctored images.
TANAL: "ARE YOU SUPPORTING EACH OTHER BEHIND THE SCENES?"
Yeni Parti MP Mahmut Tanal brought the allegations to the agenda with the following note on the images he shared on his social media account: "In the message claimed to belong to the AKP Gaziantep Youth Branch, the organization is called to Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit; then it says, 'Do not talk to journalists.' If this correspondence is real, what is the reason for your rush to organize participation and hide it from journalists? AKP officials and Kılıçdaroğlu should answer openly: Are you aware of this call? Who gave the instruction? Do you appear to be on separate sides before the public while supporting each other behind the scenes?"
CHP’S SARI: IT IS CLEARLY VISIBLE THAT IT IS DOCTORED
CHP Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı, who made a statement after Tanal’s outburst, emphasized that the WhatsApp correspondence was doctored and made the following assessment: "Mr. Mahmut Tanal, your targeting of our Chairman, Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, through a WhatsApp correspondence that is clearly visible to be doctored is unacceptable. As a lawyer, you of all people should know best that you must have concrete evidence before making such a serious allegation."
"REMEMBER WHO STARTED THE NORMALIZATION PROCESS"
Responding to criticism of rapprochement with the government, Sarı referred to the political stance within and outside the party: "If you are questioning who has moved closer to the AKP; it is enough to remember who welcomed Erdoğan at CHP Headquarters with the presidential pennant, who stood up in Parliament, and who initiated the normalization process with the government. The political struggle our Chairman has waged against the AKP government for years is evident. Instead of conducting your political reckonings through baseless allegations, we expect you to act responsibly toward the public and support your allegations with concrete evidence."