Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the predecessor of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, has recently been vocal about corruption allegations against mayors of his party. The veteran politician spoke to the Sabah newspaper over the weekend, the day the CHP held a new intraparty election in which Özel was the only candidate.
Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated his call to his party to “purge” those involved in corruption, only to face an online campaign of criticism. Özel himself slammed Kılıçdaroğlu in thinly veiled remarks during his election victory speech on Saturday.
The former leader of the main opposition had to confront a spate of criticism and insults over a recent video he released online, in which he invited the CHP to launch disciplinary action against “anyone involved in wrongdoing and corruption.” Every politician, every party can succumb to corruption, bribery, and even treason, but the CHP cannot be associated with bribery, corruption, or contractors of the bribery wheel. It cannot proceed with allegations of corruption. It should purify itself,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in the video.
In his interview with Tuba Kalçık of the Sabah newspaper on Saturday, Kılıçdaroğlu said the CHP cannot be remembered as a party of bribery and corruption.
“Whoever is involved in corruption should be held accountable. This state already has a responsibility to punish corrupt people regardless of their ranks,” he said.
Kılıçdaroğlu said he would defy any opposition to his remarks. “I won’t back down just because of a lynching campaign by fake social media accounts. I spoke the truth,” he said.
He recounted past incidents, including “surviving an assassination attempt in Artvin and another attempt to burn me alive in Ankara’s Çubuk.”
“I never stepped back, back then. It is my duty to speak the truth. We witness moral corruption, as evidenced by this social media campaign against me. I am open to criticism but not to insults. Politicians should be open to criticism,” he said.
“The spiral of corruption and bribery is poisonous. And the CHP is not the only party responsible for addressing it. I have said for years that we do not fear accountability, but we also know how to hold others accountable. The government can, of course, pursue the CHP’s corruption allegations, but it must also answer for its own municipalities, its own bureaucrats and itself. Anyone involved in corruption must be held to account. The state must cut off anyone who is implicated, regardless of their office, status or proximity to power. Only then can the public move forward.
“Politicians are accountable to the people; they do not hold the people to account. Answering for one’s actions is a matter of honor for every CHP member. The CHP should immediately file criminal complaints and libel suits against those who spread false accusations. In the past, there were also corruption allegations against some of my former colleagues. I assigned party members to investigate those claims. At that time, I said the same thing: they should clear their names and return to politics,” Kılıçdaroğlu stated.
Media reports say Kılıçdaroğlu seeks a comeback in the party, and this was evident when he openly said he would accept serving as a trustee for the party if a ruling in a lawsuit seeking to annul the 2023 intraparty election led to the suspension of the Özel administration. Kılıçdaroğlu has denied any ambition.
As Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks were published, the CHP was holding its 39th convention for an intraparty election. Özgür Özel won the election, as he was the only candidate.
In a speech after his win, Özel hit out at Kılıçdaroğlu, who abstained from attending the convention, though he was invited to. Though Özel did not openly name Kılıçdaroğlu in his speech, he said the CHP would “purge” certain people.
“Those who will be purged will be those collaborating with the order. We will purge the party of people seeking to keep the CHP’s vote at 25%,” he said, in reference to Kılıçdaroğlu’s run against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2023 general elections.
The CHP claims corruption allegations against its mayors are politically motivated and social media trolls often accuse Kılıçdaroğlu of “collaborating” with authorities to bring down the CHP.
