CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır's statements on the nomination process of Hasan Ufuk Çakır, who switched to the AK Party today, sparked a debate within the party.
Başarır said on SZCTV that CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, former group deputy chairmen Engin Altay and Engin Özkoç, and Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba opposed Hasan Ufuk Çakır's nomination, “We all opposed it. We begged, ‘Don't nominate this man.’ I went to his room and begged. It was discussed for minutes in the PM. No one wanted it. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not listen to any of us.”.
The response to this statement came from a PM member of that period who attended the Party Assembly (PM) meeting where the candidate lists were discussed.
I spoke to one of the PM members of that period who attended the meeting where the candidate lists were discussed.
I quote exactly what he said:
“There was no discussion for any candidate in that meeting. There was no discussion even for Sadullah Ergin.
I think Mr. Ali Mahir is either misremembering or... https://t.co/tFk5joKbmb
- Atakan Sonmez (@atakansmz) January 7, 2026
Speaking to journalist Atakan Sönmez on the issue, the then PM member argued that there was no discussion on any candidate at the PM meeting and said, “There was no discussion on any candidate at that meeting. There was no discussion even on the name Sadullah Ergin. I think Mr. Ali Mahir is either misremembering or confusing the events.”.
Who and how did the CHP nominate candidates?
The fact that every deputy who resigned from the CHP and joined the AK Party was described as ‘close to Kılıçdaroğlu’ brought the debate on the criteria used by the former members of the CHP's ‘candidate selection commission' to select candidates back to the agenda.
For the May 14, 20203 General Elections, the party's candidate nomination commission consisted of CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke, CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Engin Özkoç, CHP Party Spokesperson Faik Öztrak, CHP Deputy Chairpersons Veli Ağbaba, Onursal Adıgüzel, Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, Muharrem Erkek and Bülent Tezcan.
Engin Özkoç was the commissioner responsible for Mersin.