Ahead of the CHP's 38th Ordinary General Assembly to be held on November 4-5, 27 members of parliament from the 27th term made a statement of support for CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The 27 former MPs' statements and names are as follows:
We, as the 27th Term MPs whose names/signatures appear below, support our General President Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at the CHP 38th Ordinary Congress.
OUR GOAL OF CROWNING THE REPUBLIC WITH DEMOCRACY IS CLEAR!
We never even imagined the possibility of losing. That is why our sadness and disappointment were so deep. But we never lost hope, we never gave up our belief in struggle, because we know that democracy will win in the end.
Had the election been won, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's policies would have been taught as a democracy lesson in universities. Everyone would have taken a share for themselves and success would not have been shared.
However, we lost both the presidency and the parliament. Our chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was declared solely responsible. However, if the sinless one of us had cast the first stone, it would have been seen that we all had a greater or lesser share in the loss of the election.
It is not right to look for a single reason for the loss of the election.
The political parties and democratic forces within the Millet Alliance argued that elections should be held with a single candidate, and the decision was taken accordingly.
The People's Alliance announced Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's candidacy, despite the fact that it was against the Constitution, and apart from the weak objections, it was met with complete acceptance.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's candidacy was announced late, and the discussions on “the candidate who will win” caused him to be worn down.
Meral Akşener's departure from the table has created a major rupture in the electorate that was inclined towards the Millet Alliance.
Some parties of the National Alliance failed to convince their voters to elect Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The fact that our parliamentary candidates were selected by a commission of 8 people through interviews caused the candidates our organizations wanted to be excluded from the list. While the majority of the provincial presidents were not nominated for election, the re-nomination of those who served as deputies for three, four, five and six terms caused serious reactions in the organization.
Now everyone wants change. Some people think that change only means “change of the General President”. Even those who have been at the top of decision-making mechanisms for many years ignore their responsibilities and declare themselves as “change” soldiers. This is unacceptable and unfair.
Despite all its shortcomings, the CHP is the only party that has been able to implement internal party democracy. The unwritten democratic rules of our party, which everyone has internalized, bind us all. These rules cannot be ignored, even “for once”.
Therefore, it is right and democratic that those who announce their candidacy for the General Presidency abide by this rule not only “de facto” but also “officially”.
CHP is the founding party of the Republic of Turkey. It carries the founding will in its roots. It is rooted in these lands with the principles of republicanism, secularism, nationalism, statism, populism and revolutionism. CHP has the will and cadres to ensure renewal, transformation and change.
Our goal is clear!
In our 36th and 37th Congresses, our President Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu set before us the goal of crowning the Republic with democracy in its second century. This goal was unanimously decided upon at our congresses.
Under the leadership of our President Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, it is the responsibility of all of us to steer the ship to a safe harbor and win the Local Elections on March 31st.
Godspeed...
●Ali Haydar HAKVERDİ (Former Ankara MP and PM Member)
●Ali KEVEN (Former Yozgat MP)
●Ali ŞEKER (Former Istanbul MP and PM Member)
●Atila SERTEL (Former Izmir MP)
●Aydın ÖZER (Former Antalya MP)
Burak ERBAY (Former Mugla MP)
Cengiz GÖKÇEL (Former Mersin MP)
●Emine Gülizar EMECAN (Former Istanbul MP and PM Member)
Ismet TOKDEMIR (Former Hatay MP)
Kani BEKO (Former Izmir MP)
●Kemal ZEYBEK (Former Samsun MP)
●Mustafa TUNCER (Former Amasya MP)
●Nihat YEŞİL (Former Ankara MP)
Okan GAYTANCIOĞLU (Former Edirne MP)
Polat ŞAROĞLU (Former Tunceli MP)
Rafet ZEYBEK (Former Antalya MP)
●Servet ÜNSAL (Former Ankara MP)
●Serkan TOPAL (Former Hatay MP)
●Sibel ÖZDEMİR (Former Istanbul MP and PM Member)
●Suat ÖZCAN (Former Mugla MP)
Suzan ŞAHİN (Former Hatay MP)
●Süleyman GİRGİN (Former Mugla MP)
Tacettin BAYIR (Former Izmir MP)
Turabi KAYAN (Former MP for Kırklareli)
Turan AYDOĞAN (Former Istanbul MP and PM Member)
●Ünal DEMİRTAŞ (Former Zonguldak MP)
●Yildirim KAYA (Former Ankara MP and Deputy Chairman)