İYİ Party Chimes in on CHP’s Astonishing Transformation
New Leadership and Potential Cooperation: Changes in the CHP Congress
Following the 38th Ordinary Congress of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), there have been significant changes in the party’s leadership and management. The focus now is on the next steps that Özgür Özel, the new chairman, will take, as well as the possibility of reconsidering relations with the İYİ (Good) Party before the upcoming local elections. The initial comments from the İYİ Party regarding the congress results and the messages conveyed at the event have been noteworthy. CNN TÜRK Ankara Representative Dicle Canova provided detailed information on these matters.
According to Canova, Özgür Özel will first receive his certificate of registration, following which he will officially take over as the chairman. The party council meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, where general evaluations and the road map for the new process will be discussed. The party’s Central Executive Board (MYK) will be formed on Sunday or Monday.
The first meeting of MYK is set to occur on Monday, November 13, according to the current plans. This meeting holds great significance as it will shape the initial decisions on numerous critical topics.
In the İYİ Party, evaluations during the congress revolved around the dagger debate and messages related to cooperation in the local elections. The İYİ Party members closely monitored these discussions.
The impact of the changes in the CHP leadership after the congress has been a subject of interest. Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ Party, had made remarks regarding six specific issues, which were reportedly “confirmed” by the CHP congress. When asked for further details, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of the CHP, presented the results of public opinion polls that indicated a potential risk in his candidacy for the presidential election. The polls showed that Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş were more favored candidates. It is noteworthy that even though İmamoğlu and Yavaş were leading in the polls, some congress participants expressed criticism towards Kılıçdaroğlu’s insistence on his candidacy.
During the Kılıçdaroğlu era, there were comments suggesting that certain messages regarding the party’s relationship with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and terrorism were misguided. Kılıçdaroğlu aimed to centralize the party, but there were opinions that his strategy was flawed.
Regarding the political changes and the new direction of the party, Özgür Özel’s mention of Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş in his speech drew attention. While some dismissed this as mere populism during the congress, it will be important to observe Özel’s actions and statements outside the event without prejudice.
People are keen to understand how the changes will unfold and what policies the CHP will develop for Turkey. There is curiosity about the kind of opposition stance they will adopt.
With regards to potential cooperation in the local elections, some members of the İYİ Party maintain that decisions are made by the Party Assembly and that the party will field its own candidates in all 81 provinces. However, they also express that no reconsideration has been discussed, as this decision was not made in opposition to the CHP or Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. They emphasize that the decision to act independently as an alternative for Turkey is firm and unlikely to change. Nonetheless, the door for discussion remains open, as they state that if an offer or visit occurs from Meral Akşener, the matter will be shared with relevant bodies to assess any changes within the Party Assembly.
I also questioned İYİ Party members regarding their thoughts on Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s statement, “I entered the election with daggers on my back.” The party members responded that they did not find it appropriate to associate this statement with Meral Akşener, as she handled the process transparently. They stated that “daggering” refers to hidden actions behind the scenes, whereas Akşener openly discussed the criteria for a winning candidate since the formation of the party and referred to the survey results. Akşener’s message was clear: she analyzed whether Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu fulfilled these criteria.
The changes in the CHP congress have set the stage for new dynamics and a possible re-evaluation of alliances. It remains to be seen how the new leadership will shape the party’s vision and whether cooperation can be achieved in the upcoming local elections. These developments in the political landscape will undoubtedly shape the future of Turkish politics.
