Özgür Özel’s Response to Questions on Presidential Candidacy
Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) of Turkey, in an interview with Nefes newspaper, answered questions regarding the presidential candidacy and his party’s stance. He emphasized that he has never had any intention or ambition to run for candidacy, stating that the candidate he supports is Ekrem İmamoğlu. Özel added that if no obstacle arises concerning the educational certificate, İmamoğlu will be ready to run, and in case of any problem, the Republican People’s Party will determine its candidate in a participatory manner—one who has the ability to defeat Erdoğan.
Regarding the İmralı Commission, Özel explained that his party’s decision not to participate in this commission and not to visit the island was considered correct by the public. According to him, the Republican People’s Party, within the framework of its historical integrity, supported the establishment of the commission, and the report presented—despite criticism from some parties—was endorsed by writers and intellectuals. Özel stressed that the Kurdish issue must be resolved through a process simultaneous with democratization, and that the approach of “first solve the problem, then democratization” is not reassuring for society.
In response to a question about rumors concerning the presidential candidacy, Özel said that he is already Erdoğan’s rival and that the Republican People’s Party will nominate a candidate capable of defeating him. He once again emphasized that he personally has no claim or intention to run.
Özel also commented on the crash of the plane carrying the Chief of General Staff of Libya, stating that it is still too early to draw conclusions, but an electrical malfunction has been reported, and that this plane had previously been used to transfer mercenaries to Libya and Ukraine. He added that these suspicions must be clarified and noted that the crashes of drones in various regions of Turkey have raised serious concerns about military and strategic objectives.
