23.07.2026 20:41
CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu responded to MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's call to share a portion of CHP's treasury aid proportional to the number of deputies who would move to the new party founded by Özgür Özel. Visiting seasonal agricultural workers in Polatlı, Ankara, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "My agenda is different. My agenda is the people's agenda. It's about the problems of these people. Solving these people's problems. Party A said this, Party B said that."
CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "The debates within CHP do not concern me at all. What concerns me is this: whoever wants to deal with the problems of this country will come to my side. We will go together, we will address the problems together. We will never, ever be the spokesperson of anyone."
CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited the tent area where seasonal agricultural workers stay in Polatlı. Chatting with the workers in the tent, Kılıçdaroğlu received information about their working and living conditions. Later, touring the area where the workers stay, Kılıçdaroğlu also met with women and children. Answering journalists' questions after the visit, Kılıçdaroğlu said the following regarding MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's statement about giving a share of treasury aid proportional to the number of deputies who switched to a new party:
KILIÇDAROĞLU: MY AGENDA IS THE PEOPLE'S AGENDA
"My agenda is different. My agenda is the people's agenda. The problem of the people here. Solving these people's problems. Party A said this, Party B said that. What matters is the word spoken; who is dealing with the people's problems? What proposals and models do you have for solving the people's problems? I came here, these people are in a sense forgotten people. These people have families, they have children, they have problems. They sweat for a living, they want to earn. They want to send their children to good schools. These children have health issues, they have social security issues. A political party or a political leader who does not care about these people does not have the capacity to solve Turkey's problems," he said.
"WE MUST GO BEYOND DAILY STERILE ARGUMENTS"
Stating that he sees gathering with forgotten segments of society as a duty, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "My duty is to come together with segments of society that have intense problems but are forgotten. I set out to solve the problems of people who collect paper from trash, as well as those who work in the fields, sweating without working hours. This is my understanding of politics. I do not go elsewhere to do politics; I do politics among the people. Therefore, we must go beyond daily sterile arguments."
"THE DEBATES WITHIN CHP DO NOT CONCERN ME AT ALL"
Expressing that every segment of society in Turkey has problems, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Look at the farmer, they have problems; look at the worker, they have problems; look at the unemployed, they have problems; look at the youth, they have problems; look at the retirees, they have problems. The problem-free segment is the 'Quintet Gangs' and their sycophants. They have no problems. Those sitting in the palace, they have no problems. They are all well off. They have no intention of dealing with the people's problems. If my name is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, I must address everyone's problems in this country. Whether they vote for me or not, whether they prefer me or not, I must solve their problems. Therefore, the debates within CHP do not concern me at all. What concerns me is this: whoever wants to deal with the problems of this country will come to my side. We will go together, we will address the problems together. We will never, ever be the spokesperson of anyone."
"IF WE ARE TO BE SPOKESPERSONS, WE WILL BE THE SPOKESPERSON OF THE PEOPLE"
Drawing attention to the education and living conditions of children, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "If we are to be spokespersons, we will be the spokesperson of the people. If we are to be spokespersons, we will be the spokesperson of these children. They have a school problem. Who voiced it? Which political party voiced it? They sit and talk all evening in Parliament. What do they talk about? What did this Turkey do about people who are not in Parliament and to whom fake ballot papers were sent? What did the Speaker of Parliament do? What did the political parties do? Shouldn't the account of the fraudsters who sent fake ballot papers while being in Parliament be questioned?"
Pointing out the working conditions of seasonal agricultural workers, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "They don't care about women or children; they work almost 24 hours a day. You also saw under what conditions they work. So what does our constitution say? It says 'The state is a social state.' A social state means a state that stands by the citizen, by the poor, by the low-income. This picture is not a picture of a social state. The producers are also losing here. They also said, 'We are losing money, we used to plant this many acres last year, we can't plant this year, it doesn't work out."
"WE DO NOT WANT CONTROLLED MEDIA"
Also appealing to the press, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "I beg you: go beyond sterile arguments. We do not want controlled media. Let me state again: We do not want controlled, directed media. We want the people's media. It will be the voice of the people, it will defend the rights of these children. Interview them, see what troubles these children have? I am a person who defends the rights and law of these children. This is my only goal in politics. I have no other concerns beyond that. My only concern is these children and the future of this country. I will fight for this, no one should worry."
"DIRTY POLITICS HAS NO BENEFIT"
Stating that many false news has been made about him throughout his life, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Pressures come upon us, false news is produced. I have seen false news I have never seen in my life thanks to controlled media, I have seen it on social media. I have seen that if I say 'A' it is pronounced as 'Z'. Famous journalists writing, journalists sitting in their villas, journalists sitting in palaces, journalists sitting in mansions, journalists unaware of the people, they sit in their seats and criticize me. If you are going to criticize me, you will come face to face with me on the TV channel you want. Who criticizes whom, who holds whom accountable? We follow a political understanding ready to give an account. If a politician avoids giving an account, it means there are dark spots behind them. A politician, so to speak, must give an account to the people. Whoever asks, they will give an account. They will go all the way. Then we will understand that politics is cleansed of dirt. Dirty politics has no benefit to this country, nor to these people."