The Republican People's Party (CHP) has officially descended into a power struggle between its current Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the popular mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, who on Wednesday released a defiant statement for change at Türkiye’s biggest opposition party following the crushing defeat in the May elections.
While refraining from an outright challenge against Kılıçdaroğlu, Imamoğlu unfurled the flag of his revolt with a new website urging CHP supporters and critics alike to "contribute to change in the CHP, in Türkiye and the administration."
"We’re looking at an opposition structure that has failed to be effective or an alternative administration," the welcoming statement on Imamoğlu’s website read as a preface to the manifesto he will release this week.
Pointing to the six-party Nation Alliance the CHP has helmed since 2018, which was what helped Imamoğlu get elected in the 2019 mayoral polls, Imamoğlu argued the experience of partnership could "not be overlooked" and said the bloc had "missed its opportunity to bring about change in Türkiye" in the latest vote.
Kılıçdaroğlu conceded a presidential win to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in both the May 14 first round and May 28’s runoff while the Nation Alliance lost a parliamentary majority to People’s Alliance, led by Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) with three other parties.
Since then, Kılıçdaroğlu has been subject to public outcry demanding his resignation in a movement that found backing within CHP ranks, as well.
"We couldn’t meet the demands of the opposition voters who were let down by the defeat," Imamoğlu’s statement said. "We can neither dump the blame for this great defeat on the electorate nor make any sound assessments for the future without facing this plain fact and the reasons for our loss."
The mayor insisted the people of Türkiye expected change from the opposition and claimed such "patient and rational" transformation was "very well possible."
"Pretending nothing is wrong and insisting on old errors while this need is wide out in the open is failing to understand the feelings of millions suffering due to this defeat," Imamoğlu said.
A determined willpower for change, questioning of political attitudes, and institutionalizing intraparty democracy at the CHP will unlock a rejuvenation in the entire opposition, according to the mayor.
"This path we have embarked on to come to power and elevate our country by changing is an open invitation to all citizens," he said.
Several prominent members have so far slammed the CHP leader’s insistence on clinging to his seat, with the heads of 81 CHP branches even releasing a joint declaration for "change independent of persons" last month.
Refusing to acknowledge the backlash, Kılıçdaroğlu has justified his stay by citing the need for stability for the local elections in March 2024.
When Imamoğlu, who has become a favorite contender to replace him, first rallied to transform the CHP, Kılıçdaroğlu’s rebuttal was quick, arguing he should instead focus on next year’s mayoral race to preserve CHP’s hold on Türkiye’s biggest metropolitan.
Imamoğlu, however, has been restless, charging up a covert campaign and gathering support for what many expect to snowball into a formal challenge at CHP’s upcoming congress later this year.
When asked about Imamoğlu’s potential, Kılıçdaroğlu recently remarked: "The CHP elects its chairperson in its congresses... Candidates come out and compete... The CHP does not present the chairpersonship 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."
For Imamoğlu, his endeavor is not about "coveting rank or status" for himself but he also said he would leave the CHP if the change he demands does not come.
The mayor is also 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 2024.
His website precedes a manifesto his team said would respond to CHP ranks questioning the reasons for change.
He also convened 18 CHP provincial chairs at a secret meeting earlier this week, a move that drew the wrath of Istanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu who said: "Someone like Imamoğlu could never run for Istanbul mayor if it weren’t for Kılıçdaroğlu."
The mayor’s ambition looks increasingly possible to trigger a standoff between him and Kılıçdaroğlu and further drag the CHP into chaos right before the local election.
Furthermore, the disarray across the Nation Alliance, particularly the second-biggest Good Party’s (IP) fallout with the CHP, could spell another major defeat if they fail to recoup in time.