27.11.2025 09:46
The leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, spoke for the first time regarding the former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's call for "political purification" and "being brave in the resolution process." Responding to Kılıçdaroğlu's words in a video that has been viewed 20 million times, Özel stated, "The evidence-less indictment of a politicized judiciary cannot be valued. The CHP will not pour concrete over İmamoğlu. I hope that Kemal Bey's statement will remain an exception in the party's history. I will also invite him to the congress."
Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu recently made a call for purification in a video message he published and harshly criticized the party's decision not to send a representative to İmralı.
ÖZEL'S FIRST RESPONSE TO KILIÇDAROĞLU'S WORDS
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel responded for the first time to Kılıçdaroğlu's words in the video that garnered 20 million views in an interview with Cumhuriyet newspaper. Stating that the politicized judiciary's evidence-free indictment cannot be valued, Özel said, "CHP will not pour concrete over İmamoğlu. I hope that Kemal Bey's statement will remain an exception in the party's history. I will also invite him to the congress."
"PREVIOUS CHAIRMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO CRITICIZE"
Özel's complete response to Kılıçdaroğlu's words is as follows: "Since the chair in CHP is inherited from Atatürk, the approach to both the current chairman and previous chairmen needs to be very careful. I have this attitude: Previous chairmen have the right to criticize, but we, as the current chairman, do not have the right to criticize them. We must show loyalty. We have always approached the issue this way. We have not had a different attitude for the past two years. Today, we do not intend to abandon this."
"WE ARE STRUGGLING TO PREVENT REACTIONS"
Of course, the last statement caused a serious reaction among the party base and those who place hope in CHP. We are struggling to prevent these reactions. CHP is the owner of the commission idea regarding the resolution process and has put a 29-article democratization package on the table. Despite all the attacks against it, it has withstood the demands to withdraw from the table. While it had already determined its stance on going to İmralı, the criticism of this stance and the quick reaction to it, while the party's history, conscience, and political position have been determined by common sense, has greatly saddened the party.
On the other hand, we had seen the arrival of March 19 as a mechanism for a coup long before. Someone who had previously held a political position went to Istanbul on a special mission. Since the day he arrived, he had been preparing. Judges and prosecutors speak with their decisions. It is unacceptable to value an indictment written by a politicized judiciary that is so politicized that it would give an interview to a pro-government newspaper and cannot be based on any concrete evidence.
"THERE IS NO MEANING IN VALUING THE INDICTMENT"
CHP has experienced similar things in the past; there have been attacks on mayors, and similar allegations have been made. If you consider today's situation as evidence, there have been allegations that could be considered as evidence. CHP will not be part of an action that aims to isolate Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is shown as a presidential candidate by 15.5 million people today, by doing what we did not do back then; in his own words, 'pouring concrete over him.' 65% of the public thinks the indictment is political. 95% of the CHP base sees it as political. Under these circumstances, the person I describe as the head of the government and its judicial branches is desperate. Here, there is no meaning in valuing the indictment. There is no justifiable side to it. There is no point in discussing our friends in public over an unprecedented case.
"I WILL ALSO INVITE KEMAL BEY TO THE CONGRESS"
I must express that I am struggling as the current chairman in these two aspects. But we must maintain our calmness and common sense. Ultimately, I will also call Kemal Bey and invite him to the congress. I hope that Kemal Bey's statement will remain an exception in the party's history. If there is something I need to do for this, I will do it. I will also invite him to the congress."