İstanbul mayor insists on 'change' in CHP leadership

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After the defeat in the May elections, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has been engaged in 'change' discussions, spearheaded by İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who once again said that the public wants a change in the party's leadership.

İmamoğlu based his statement on the feedback received through the "Change for Power" website, which he launched on July 4 to collect citizens' opinions and suggestions. He said today on Twitter that more than one million people visited the site and over 100,000 opinions and suggestions were submitted.

A committee comprising political science, sociology, and communication experts analyzed citizens' views and suggestions, considering age, gender, and geographical location. Communication experts conducted emotion analysis using NLP (Natural Language Processing) and carried out micro-level analyses with semantic search tools.

The mayor listed some highlights from the received feedback:

• The public desires a change in the party's leadership and administration, focusing on both generational and visionary aspects.
• They expect a clear vision and policies that cater to the needs of the community, promoting an inclusive democracy and secularism.
• Strengthening connections with the party's base and developing a democratic, service-oriented opposition structure, language, and approach are expected.
• People desire a party structure that embraces change and innovation.
• Encouragement of structures that engage the youth, empowering them and addressing their demands.
• They want stronger communication and to hear about the vision for change.
• Emphasizing grounded politics and a commitment to Atatürk's principles.

Internal struggles in CHP

The May elections were seen as the most challenging for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), due to economic difficulties. However, despite this, the AKP and its allies secured a majority in the parliament, and in the second round of elections on May 28, Erdoğan was re-elected for the third time, receiving over 52% of the votes.

The unexpected loss in the elections triggered significant public and internal backlash against CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who ran for the president despite his relatively low popularity.

İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was among the potential opposition candidates for the presidency during the elections, led the criticism within the party. However, despite his two months of demanding "change," İmamoğlu neither directly called for Kılıçdaroğlu's resignation nor declared his own candidacy for party leadership.

In the 2019 local elections, İmamoğlu ended the AKP's 25-year rule in İstanbul and won the election. Nevertheless, he now suggests that if there is no change in party leadership, the municipalities they won in 2019 may also be lost in the upcoming local elections in March 2024.

On the flip side, Kılıçdaroğlu kicked off an open-ended congress process within the party, affirming his openness to change. Nevertheless, he hasn't firmly declared whether he will run as a candidate in the congress.

He said if the party delegates nominate him, he would be willing to continue his role. Furthermore, Kılıçdaroğlu made it clear that they are not actively seeking a new candidate for the İstanbul mayoral elections, and İmamoğlu will remain their candidate. (VC/VK)