The transparency movement initiated by CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's press aide Atakan Sönmez against the waste of luxury vehicles and irregular allocations at the party headquarters has created a great resonance within the party. Sönmez's public disclosure of the use of luxury vehicles and mysterious allocations of armored vehicles in the past has become the most concrete indicator of the CHP's vision of “accountability” in the new era.
HALKWEB/ DİLEK BOZKURT Özgür Özel's harsh statements targeting Sönmez over the vehicles displayed in the garden of the headquarters, representing the waste cordon of the past period, were interpreted as “guilt psychology” and “a reflex to defend old habits” in the political lobbies.
Revealing the Truth Caused Discomfort
Atakan Sönmez's documented stance for the proper use of party resources has panicked the circles that are disturbed by the disclosure of the luxury office vehicle reign. The fact that Özgür Özel had to personally confess to the armored vehicle conundrum registered in the past and the vehicle allocations carried out through Aziz İhsan Aktaş revealed how accurate and justified the investigation initiated by Sönmez was.
Özel's characterization of the institutional audit activities as “assassination of dignity” and his attempt to create polemics over Sönmez's professional background were evaluated as classic target deflection tactics of politicians who cannot respond to concrete documents.
”Our Guide is Transparency and People's Money”
Sources close to Atakan Sönmez stated that the purpose of the vehicles displayed in front of the headquarters was not to defame anyone, but rather to break ties with the old luxury management approach that was carried out with the money of the people and the party. Sönmez's professional journalism background and experience in the media prevented disinformation, party members said:
”Atakan Sönmez has argued that no truth should remain hidden in front of the party's signboard. The armored car scandals and underhanded allocations have proved how justified Sönmez is in carrying out a clean-up operation. CHP's money should be spent for the people's power, not for the luxury of individuals.”
Despite Özgür Özel's efforts to obstruct and target Özgür Özel, it is clear that this institutional purification and austerity move led by Atakan Sönmez has garnered great appreciation and support from the CHP base.