CHP leader urges mayors to focus on serving their cities, not on politics

ANKARA

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has urged Istanbul and Ankara mayors, Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş, to stay away from daily political debates and focus on serving their respective constituencies instead.

“Our mayors will be successful. They will exert all their efforts into their cities and will stay away from politics as far as possible. This is what I want [from them]. Both Mr. Ekrem and Mr. Mansur will be successful,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on Sept. 25.

İmamoğlu and Yavaş won the local elections in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey’s two largest cities in 2019, against the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) candidates. Both men are considered to be potential presidential candidates of the opposition alliance by the CHP, the İYİ (Good) Party, the Democrat Party and the Felicity Party.

“It’s not right to start a discussion about presidential candidates,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, citing that the decision depends on consultations with the components of the alliance.

Noting that a protocol outlining the road map of the alliance in government will have to be crafted and signed by the parties, Kılıçdaroğlu said, “What is our opinion? The person we elect as the president will be symbolic. Who will be in the strong executive structure? The prime minister.”

Both Kılıçdaroğlu and İYİ Party Leader Meral Akşener believe that Turkey has to quit the current executive-presidential system and adopt a strengthened parliamentary system with a symbolic president and a strong prime minister.