İmamoğlu scolds CHP district head in front of cameras

İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition CHP, scolded CHP Sultangazi district head Kemal Avseren in front of cameras over the low attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. “If you do not announce the ceremony to (CHP) members, it is a disgrace,” İmamoğlu told Avseren. Some regarded the moments as an indication of the tension between İmamoğlu and the CHP management as the former demanded “radical change” within the party following the electoral defeat.

Wednesday September 27 2023 09:08 pm

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu (L) scolding CHP Sultangazi district head Kemal Avseren during a groundbreaking ceremony of a nursery on Sept. 27.

Duvar English

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on Sept. 27 scolded CHP Sultangazi district head Kemal Avseren in front of cameras.

Complaining about the low attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony of a nursery in Sultangazi district, İmamoğlu told Avseren “If you do not announce the ceremony of the metropolitan municipality to (CHP) members, it is a disgrace.”

After he was warned about the presence of the media, İmamoğlu said, “It doesn't matter.”

The footage of the moments drew attention on social media as some regarded it as an indication of the tension between İmamoğlu and the CHP management.

İmamoğlu is among CHP officials who have been signaling the need for a change in party leadership since party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s presidential election loss to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Earlier in July, İmamoğlu chaired a Zoom meeting of CHP officials which drew the ire of his party’s management.

Aside from the presidential election, the CHP received 25.41 percent of the votes in the May 14 parliamentary elections, falling short of expectations and ending up having 169 seats in the parliament out of 600 while leaving the majority to the ruling alliance. 39 deputies out of 169 were from other alliance parties.

The CHP will hold its general congress on Nov. 4-5. The party leader will be elected on the first day, whereas the Party Assembly and High Disciplinary Board members will be elected on the second day.

İmamoğlu announced that he will run again for the local elections to be held on March 31, 2024 in his municipality.