Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu once again indicated Saturday he would stay at the helm of his party despite calls for a change of leadership in the main opposition.
"I am the chairperson of the Republican People's Party. I am the current captain of the CHP and my duty is, as I mentioned in my group meeting speech, to bring the CHP to a safe harbor," Kılıçdaroğlu told Serbestiyet.
He claimed further that he had no greed in staying in the position of chairperson.
The calls for resignation came after the CHP, partnered with five others under the Nation Alliance for the landmark elections, also performed poorly in legislative polls, securing a total of 212 seats and losing the majority to the Justice and Development Party-led (AK Party) People’s Alliance in the 600-member Parliament.
Kılıçdaroğlu, who never once won against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the last dozen elections, has been criticized for lacking a general flare that would excite voters since long before he was named the joint presidential candidate of the six-party opposition bloc.
After May 28, public outcry escalated into outright demands for him to step down, a move that found backing within CHP ranks, as well.
CHP’s popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu has been "voluntarily helming" calls for change, arguing that CHP needs "self-criticism" and "somebody must answer."
Being asked about his opinion on Imamoğlu as a potential candidate for the CHP chairpersonship, Kılıçdaroğlu said: "The CHP elects its chairperson in its congresses... Candidates come out and compete... The CHP does not present the chairmanship to anyone on a gold plate. This behavior is not in the tradition of the CHP. Of course, every CHP member, including (Mr.) Ekrem can be a candidate for CHP chairperson."
One of the statements Kılıçdaroğlu has used to explain his clinging to the seat has been that local elections are approaching and that stability should continue until then.
"We are assertive about the 2024 local elections and will gain new metropolitan municipalities," he said.
"Local elections have different dynamics. Candidates are highly important in these elections. Candidates that gain the admiration and trust of the people, also draw votes from people of other parties," he added.
The six-party opposition coalition had partnered with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which ran under the Green Left Party (YSP) in order to skirt a lawsuit against it, in the May vote. The HDP had endorsed Kılıçdaroğlu as a presidential candidate, however recently, the party signaled that they could appoint their own candidates for local elections.
"The YSP may field candidates (in Istanbul and Ankara)," Meral Danış Beştaş, a senior YSP official, said. "We've received tough criticism from our party base for not fielding a candidate in the presidential elections."
"The Green Left Party is a party that believes in democracy and that we respect. With the candidates we will nominate, we will aspire to gain votes from all segments of society, regardless of which political party they voted for in the past. This was the policy we followed in the March 31, 2019 elections," Kılıçdaroğlu elaborated.
The YSP’s role remains critical for victory in local elections after it helped the CHP claim Istanbul and Ankara in 2019 by not fielding candidates.
"At this point, there is no mayor that has lost the gratitude of the voters. All of our mayors have the support of the voters with a higher rate than in the previous vote," he concluded.