Former CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu denies involvement in banners with his face on them, targeting Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu
Former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has denied involvement in banners that read "No vote for those who stabbed you in the back!" with his face on them, referring to Mayor İmamoğlu who pioneered a change within CHP leadership. Kılıçdaroğlu said he was not campaigning and was “sitting quietly on the sidelines as requested” because of the argument that “there will be an emotional rupture, voters will not come to the polls” if he does so.
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Former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on March 27 denied involvement in banners with his face on them, targeting Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The banners, allegedly hung by “Kılıçdaroğlu Volunteers” in Istanbul, read "No vote for those who stabbed you in the back!," referring to Mayor İmamoğlu who pioneered a change within CHP leadership a few months ago, replacing Kılıçdaroğlu with Özgür Özel after the former’s defeat in the presidential election against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In a social media post, Kılıçdaroğlu deemed the banners “fake,” denying any involvement.
Kılıçdaroğlu said he was not campaigning and was “sitting quietly on the sidelines as requested” because of the argument that “there will be an emotional rupture, voters will not come to the polls” if he does so. But, “I am the one who was unfairly and brazenly criticized by saying 'Why is Kılıçdaroğlu silent, why is he not working for the election'.”
He said he opposed “all the insults against” CHP leader Özgür Özel, and tried to protect the CHP’s corporate identity at every opportunity. “I am the one who repeatedly called for support for all the candidates of my party, I am the one who emphasized that the Republican People's Party has the power to win all 400 municipalities and that our target is all municipalities.”
“Despite all this, I am the one who was slandered as 'Kılıçdaroğlu wants his party to lose the election',” he added, once again emphasizing that he fully supports all of the mayoral candidates of the CHP.
Turkey will hold local elections on March 31.
In May, Kılıçdaroğlu lost against Erdoğan in the second round of the presidential election, while his CHP failed to meet expectations of near 30 percent vote share in the general elections as it remained at 25.35%.
After his defeat, some CHP seniors have demanded a radical change in party leadership and management, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
In the party congress held in November, “revisionist” candidate 49-year-old Özgür Özel, who was also CHP parliamentary group chair, put an end to Kılıçdaroğlu's 13-year long CHP leadership.