24.10.2026 15:40
Speaking at CHP's 103rd anniversary ceremony in Gaziantep, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu offered a self-criticism regarding vote losses: "We sat in our places like kings and asked for votes; we did not go, we did not sit at the people's table, the fault is ours," and called on young people to build the future with democracy.
Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who came to Gaziantep to take part in a series of visits and programs, visited tradesmen in Balıklı Park and then went to the CHP Gaziantep Provincial Presidency. Kılıçdaroğlu attended the "103 Young Member Joining Ceremony on the 103rd Anniversary of the Republican People's Party, the Century-Old Plane Tree of the Republic" organized by the Provincial Presidency, where he made self-criticisms within the party and gave critical messages to young people and party members.
"ATATÜRKISM IS NOT ABOUT GETTING STUCK IN THE PAST"
In his speech at the ceremony, Kılıçdaroğlu emphasized that CHP youth must improve themselves and know history very well, and drawing attention to the understanding of Atatürkism, he said: "Atatürkism is not about getting stuck in the past. Atatürkism is about building the future. How will we build the future? We will build it with democracy. If we can crown our Republic with democracy and ensure the rule of law, we will have truly crowned the Republic with democracy. We will attach importance to labor and honest work, we will attach importance to working, but CHP youth must be knowledgeable and know their history. You cannot build the future without knowing the past."
"WE DID NOT GO, WE DID NOT SIT AT THE POOR MAN'S TABLE; THE FAULT IS OURS"
Reminding that CHP had much higher vote rates in Gaziantep in past years, Kılıçdaroğlu made an open self-criticism regarding the loss of votes in the city: "If our votes are falling, the responsibility is not with the people of Gaziantep, the responsibility is with us, the fault is with us. We did not go, we did not sit at the poor man's table, we did not drink his tea or coffee; we sat in our places like kings and said, 'Hey citizen, vote for me'; they won't buy that. You will go, you will sit at his table, you will have a gift package in your hand, you will sit at the poor man's table and listen to his troubles."
"BEING A CHP MEMBER IS DIFFICULT; YOU WILL BE CLEAN AND KNOWLEDGEABLE"
Stating that the only way to win the people's trust is to stand by those in need, Kılıçdaroğlu said he had instructed the Women's Branches to support an 85-year-old woman who had to work in Osmaniye. Underlining that being a CHP member requires a heavy responsibility, Kılıçdaroğlu concluded his speech as follows: "You will be clean, you will be cultured, you will be knowledgeable, you will produce solutions to problems. For this, one needs to have an advanced intelligence and a great accumulation of knowledge. Young people who have just joined us; you are my hope, you will build the future. We do not confine our knowledge to our own memory; we open our doors to those who vote for us and those who do not. There is no other 103-year-old party in Turkey; in the world, the number of such century-old, deeply rooted parties is only four or five."