TİP leader Baş says wouldn’t nominate İmamoğlu as their mayoral candidate for being contractor

Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) leader Erkan Baş said they would not nominate Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as their mayoral candidate because of being a contractor.

Wednesday January 10 2024 10:54 pm

This file photo shows Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and TİP leader Erkan Baş

Duvar English

Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) leader Erkan Baş on Jan. 10 said they would not nominate Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), as their mayoral candidate.

Baş made the comments during a live broadcast on Sözcü TV. When asked regarding their roadmap for their upcoming local elections, Baş said “There are a few decisions we made that are now finalized. I say this to set an example. We will not field contractors in any district or provincial metropolitan municipality. We will not even write any contractor to the city council. Why? We completely challenge this profit-seeking municipality mentality.”

“(İmamoğlu) cannot be our candidate, we will not nominate a single contractor. Why not? They are contractors, they have business relationships with the municipality,” he added.

Exceeding expectations, the TİP garnered four parliamentary seats, out of 600, in the 2023 general elections. The party currently does not run any municipality.

Topics 2024 local elections Workers' Party of Turkey