YouTube leak sheds light on internal power struggle in CHP after election defeat

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After the defeat in the May elections, the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition in Turkey, has been embroiled in discussions about 'change,' spearheaded by İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. A portion of İmamoğlu's recent online meeting with senior party figures has now been leaked on YouTube.

The 14-minute video, titled "Here's the Betrayal of the Century! Historic Betrayal to Kılıçdaroğlu!" was uploaded today on a YouTube channel called "Truth of Change," established on July 18.

The channel's cover photo shows İmamoğlu alongside 13 other CHP executives and Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, who is facing expulsion from the party due to his anti-refugee stance, accompanied by captions like "Betrayal to CHP" and "The Gang That Made Kılıçdaroğlu Lose the Election."

Interestingly, among the individuals present in the meeting are names considered close to CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who have long served as members of parliament and have faced criticism for the election defeat: CHP Parliamentary Group Chair Özgür Özel, Deputy Group Chair Gökhan Günaydın, MP Engin Altay, and Party Council members Tekin Bingöl, Muharrem Erkek, Onursal Adıgüzel, and Bülent Tezcan.

The identity of the ninth person in the meeting is not entirely clear. While it was suggested at the beginning of the recording that the person might be Party Council member Selin Sayek Böke, it remains uncertain.

Testing waters for a an extraordinary congress

In the leaked video, İmamoğlu can be heard saying, "Good Sunday to everyone." However, it is not clear which Sunday the meeting took place on.

The CHP heavyweight also implies that some members were dismissed from local party organizations due to their opposition to Kılıçdaroğlu.

The mayor and other members also discussed the issue of convening the party assembly. Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Günaydın appears to have taken the initiative to collect signatures from Party Assembly members to convene the assembly, which includes 60 individuals. He mentions having obtained seven signatures and expresses confidence in gathering more signatures, such as from MPs Veli Ağbaba or Murat Emir, bringing the total to 16.

İmamoğlu also notes that in a previous similar meeting, they had discussed "whether there could be an extraordinary congress and whether there is a basis for it."

CHP in the aftermath of the elections

During the election period, İmamoğlu's name was among the potential candidates for the presidency, and he was even informally nominated by the Good Party, the second-largest party in the opposition alliance. After Kılıçdaroğlu's defeat in the elections, İmamoğlu consistently called for a "change" in the party leadership. However, he did not explicitly announce his own candidacy, nor he openly called for Kılıçdaroğlu's resignation.

Kılıçdaroğlu, facing intense criticism, refused to step down but replaced all members of the Central Executive Committee and initiated the process of congresses in local branches. He did not rule out the possibility of running in the general congress, which could take place as early as October.

Within the CHP, opposing voices to the party leadership demand an early congress and a change in leadership before the upcoming local elections in March. They argue that without such changes, the ruling bloc, victorious in the general elections, may also reclaim major cities like Istanbul and Ankara from the CHP in the local elections.

By winning the 2019 local elections in İstanbul, İmamoğlu had ended the 25-year rule of the ruling party and its predecessors in the metropolis.

Who said what about the leak?

Speaking to reporters today, İmamoğlu also responded to questions about the leak, saying that what they did was "not secret."

"Party matters are discussed with party members. They are discussed with party officials and Party Council members. We discuss them with both former and current parliamentarians, district chairpersons, and many others. There is nothing more natural than this.

"Since the election, we've had around 200 similar meetings, and there's nothing secretive about them. Even today, we continue to have such meetings. The topics discussed are all about the party's affairs. However, I won't talk about any details in your presence. I will continue discussing them at those tables."

Regarding a question of how the video was leaked, İmamoğlu said, "We will investigate and look into it to find out who likes to do such things. Whether it's from within the party or from outside, we will thoroughly examine it. But when it comes to party matters, we will continue to speak openly from our hearts, just like discussing family matters, and we will closely monitor all the processes to reach sound decisions."

Following the leak, the Central Executive Committee of the CHP held an unusual second meeting this week. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Party Spokesperson Faik Öztrak stated that the party headquarters had no knowledge of the said online meeting.

"As our party's congress process is progressing rapidly, we do not condone meetings that deviate from our party's traditions, disregard hierarchy, and lack ethics.

"We support competition, but we also do not approve of any attempts to damage our party during this process. Our party's chairperson and the Central Executive Committee are determined to bring the century-old Republican People's Party safely to port. And they will achieve this." (VC/VK)