07.04.2025 16:52
Berhan Şimşek, a former member of parliament who claimed that his candidacy for the CHP leadership was not accepted because he submitted 92 signatures five minutes late, explained how he decided to run. Şimşek said, "I came to support Kemal Bey. When he said he wasn't a candidate, my friends said, 'Well then, you should run.' That's how I hastily decided to become a candidate."
CHP held its 21st Extraordinary Congress yesterday in line with its decision to "prevent the appointment of a trustee to the party." While Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal withdrew his candidacy, Berhan Şimşek stated that he had reached the required number of signatures but his candidacy was not accepted due to late submission.
"I WANTED TO SPEAK, THEY DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME"
Speaking to Nagehan Alçı from HaberTürk, Şimşek said, "They did not accept my application because of 5 minutes. I am functioning on 4 hours of sleep; I wrote my speech until 4 in the morning. I collected 92 signatures, everything was ready. However, entering the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center where the congress was held was an issue. I managed to get in, but some of the delegates could not enter, and a lot of time was wasted. I went to the podium and said, 'Look, there were delays like this in the last congress; even with a four-hour delay, you accepted names, these things can happen,' but they did not take it into account. I said I wanted to speak on procedure, but they did not listen to me," he said.
WHY DID HE BECOME A CANDIDATE AT THE LAST MINUTE?
Şimşek stated, "I came to support Kemal Bey. When Kemal Bey said he was not a candidate, my friends said, 'Then you should be a candidate,' and I decided to run for candidacy in a rush. It would not have been proper for me to step forward while Kemal Bey was there; I made the decision when he did not step forward."
HE HAD A DISPUTE WITH ÖZGÜR ÖZEL
Berhan Şimşek, who could not run for the party leadership, had a dispute with Özgür Özel. When Şimşek approached the section where Özel was sitting in the congress hall, it was observed that Özel was trying to calm Şimşek down while he expressed his grievances to the CHP Chairman with gestures full of complaints.
"WHILE I WAS WRITING ON THE WALLS..."
Şimşek expressed that it was wrong to go to the election with a single candidate and a block list, saying, "Mr. Özgür Özel, I congratulate you. Now there is no one at the center, Kemal Bey is not here. You can announce your candidacy for the presidency right now. I feel great sorrow on behalf of my party. Friends, while I was writing CHP on the walls in this party, Mr. Özgür Özel and his companions were walking around in shorts," he had stated.