Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the head of Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has implied that his party’s popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, his potential challenger, should not run for CHP leadership after the opposition suffered a crushing loss against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in last month’s elections.

"There is no way I’m going to allow the Istanbul mayoralty, won by the votes of Istanbulites who authorized a CHP administration, to fall into the hands of the AK Party," Kılıçdaroğlu told a televised interview on Thursday amid a growing rift at the party over a lack of accountability for the defeat.

Praising Imamoğlu as a "successful mayor" of the CHP, Kılıçdaroğlu claimed the party had achieved the potential to win 22 constituencies in the last elections and argued they could win the said 22 districts, as well as "most of the metropolitan municipalities."

"There wouldn’t be any problem then. Mr. Imamoğlu will continue his duty," Kılıçdaroğlu said, indicating that Imamoğlu, who has become a favorite contender to replace him, should run for mayor again at next year’s local elections and avoid the race for the CHP’s top seat.

Imamoğlu has been vocal about "voluntarily leading the demand for change" within the party and on Thursday called the party’s group meeting earlier this week "a letdown that did not meet his expectations over said change."

When a reporter described the situation as Imamoğlu’s desire to be "handed power like a father transfers a company to his son," Kılıçdaroğlu dismissed the idea, as well as the implication that Imamoğlu shouldn’t compete.

"That could be taken out of context," he said. "Anyone can be a candidate. I’m merely expressing my opinion as the party chairperson. Everyone must first preserve and expand their current seats," he stressed.

According to Kılıçdaroğlu, any change must be on "legal grounds with a proper congress and candidates."

He further rejected rumors he would place his candidacy at the upcoming CHP congress later this year, saying: "I’ve never said I am running for CHP chair again. It’s another story if I am nominated. I cannot take hostage the willpower of our delegates."

Since May 28’s runoff handed Erdoğan another five-year term and the CHP-led six-party opposition bloc Nation Alliance failed to secure a parliamentary majority on May 14, the CHP has been in turmoil with increasing backlash at Kılıçdaroğlu, who is held responsible for the bloc’s loss.

After meeting with him a day earlier, heads of CHP branches in all 81 provinces on Thursday emphasized "change independent of persons" in a joint declaration that stopped just short of an outright call to replace Kılıçdaroğlu.

The CHP leader’s candidacy was kept under wraps for months and the bloc’s second-biggest Good Party (IP) initially objected to his nomination, before being convinced to return to the alliance. Kılıçdaroğlu was also endorsed by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is not part of the bloc, along with several smaller parties, credited with boosting his vote, as high as 47.8%, compared to Erdoğan’s 52.18% in the runoff.

The declaration noted that they heeded public criticism and demands from the CHP. "Change is a magic word but it is ideas and principles that will ensure a steady change rather than people. It is obvious that calls for change based on a person-oriented ‘savior’ rhetoric, calls that do not include addressing structural and functional shortcomings will not produce healthy results. Nobody including our chairperson is exempt from criticism and we accept constructive criticism," the declaration said. "We, provincial chairs, certainly support a change."

Mayor’s endeavor

Around the same time, Imamoğlu both echoed the CHP cadres by claiming the party must "rebuild the opposition and adopt a winning model" and revealed he found the declaration "distasteful."

"I don’t think the provincial chairs’ manner in this declaration, which is full of such suggestive remarks and conveyed as if it’s a personal conversation, is right. It feels like it has two faces," he said but added: "Intra-party change must be our indispensable principle. We must not forget that each minute we resist change further widens the gap between us and the people."

Saying that his candidacy for CHP leadership was not yet "discussed," the Istanbul mayor claimed he had "never coveted rank or status" for himself.

"It’s true that I demand a total transformation and I am prepared to steer it but this describes the process not my desire for status," Imamoğlu contended but pointed out his "strong assertion to win in elections, be it local or general."

On whether he would leave the CHP if the change he demands does not come, Imamoğlu remarkably said: "If I had failed my duty, if I had lost an election, I would do as you ask but I have no such failure. As someone who hasn’t done anything shameful as mayor of Istanbul, I have no intention of leaving the party. If someone has experienced these things, then they should consider it."

The mayor is currently facing a lawsuit that could bar him from politics and wipe out his odds before he has a chance to run for either CHP leadership or in mayoral elections in March 2024.

Alliance balance

As for the Nation Alliance, which first joined forces in 2018, the approaching polls could spell another major defeat if they fail to recoup in time.

While Imamoğlu had nothing but praises for the IP and attributed his 2019 victory to their support, Kılıçdaroğlu addressed criticism of CHP that smaller parties in the opposition alliance won more parliamentary seats thanks to competing under the CHP.

Except for the IP, four parties with barely 1% support countrywide ran under the CHP’s banner and won 40 parliamentary seats, leaving 169 seats for the CHP itself. The IP secured 9.6% support on its own, translating to 43 lawmakers.

Kılıçdaroğlu remarked that it wouldn’t make a difference if the party had won 200 seats. "It’s about Türkiye and those joining forces for democracy," he said and urged the six parties to form a group at Parliament to defend the principles in the joint declaration the bloc released as part of their election campaign.

A ‘welcome’ addition

Meanwhile, on Friday, the CHP welcomed into its structure a small party with very little political support that competed in its parliamentary lists on May 14.

"The Party for Change in Türkiye (TDP) has officially become integrated into the CHP," founder Mustafa Sarıgül announced.

The TDP has always acted in the interests of Türkiye and never coveted rank or status, claimed Sarıgül who won a parliamentary seat as a deputy from the Erzincan province thanks to the CHP.

Praising the May 28 runoff as "a powerful symbol of resistance against the administration," he argued it was the CHP who "built that resistance" and "showed an honorable stance."

Sarıgül bemoaned the backlash targeting Kılıçdaroğlu and the CHP since the elections and declared the TDP was "merging with the CHP to shoulder their struggle and support their cause."

"It’s time to unequivocally support (Mr.) Kılıçdaroğlu. He is the one who can put the Turkish state back on track," he said.

Asked about the ongoing commotion for change at its partner, Sarıgül said: "The necessary change already happened at its central executive committee. Anyone can run at the upcoming congress. The CHP and Türkiye both need Kılıçdaroğlu now more than ever."