“I love the General Chair, but the country more”

The CHP’s presidential candidate Muharrem İnce came public with the proposal he had conveyed to CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for an extraordinary congress, honorary general chairship and group chairship and responded to the reactions emanating from party management. İnce said, “My concern is not with polemics or position, but with Turkey. My concern is not negotiations. I said the proposal I made would be a hope for Turkey, otherwise we would lose the local elections. I stand by this view of mine.” With reference to the B Plan if Kılıçdaroğlu does not convene the congress, İnce remarked, “Statements are currently being made from around thirty provinces. This will be resolved. My aim in this is nothing like to threaten.” To the question as to whether today’s Central Executive Committee will call for an extraordinary congress, he commented, “That is the most correct thing. It would be very fitting. We can convene without undergoing any attrition. There will be no difficulties, but the organisation will do it the other way. It will convene very soon. It will convene, there is no difficulty in that.” Responding to Cumhuriyet’s questions on his Erzurum visit, İnce conveyed the following messages:

 -My concern is not negotiations (call for a congress): I will not reply to his excellency the General Chair through the press. I do not consider this correct. My concern is not with polemics or position, but with Turkey. We have a legitimately earned 31% and we can make this 31 into 51. We must not squander and destroy this hope. I consider this to be correct. I made a proposal to his excellency the General Chair. It is not correct for the organisation and public to have no knowledge of this proposal I made. In that case, there would be negotiations behind closed doors. My concern is not with negotiations. I conveyed a truth about Turkey first to his excellency the General Chair. I then came public with this proposal. Our organisation and citizens have a right to know this. I mean, 4.5 million people did not vote for the CHP but voted for the presidential candidate. These people have the right to know this.

 -Otherwise we’ll lose the local elections, too: I said the proposal I made would be a hope for Turkey, otherwise we would lose the local elections. I said I didn’t want to be in a race, in competition. He’ll be honorary general chair and I need to start work immediately as general chair at the congress. I stand by this view of mine. I don’t think there is anything incorrect here. I will never engage in impoliteness. But, beyond politeness, there are concerns over the future. I feel concern over my country’s future. I feel concern over young people’s future.

 -It would be fitting for him to convene it: A new claim, a new face, a new rhetoric. We can do this. I said I would not ask for a congress. The General Chair has the power to convene congress. If he does so, this will be very fitting and will be correct. But, if party management says, “Let’s retry something that’s been tried,” count me out of it. You cannot get a different result from trying the same thing. If you want to get a different result, you must try different things. If there are winds of change a wall is not to be erected but a windmill in front of the winds of change. Let us erect a windmill so as to do something useful. Some may wish to place a wall in front of the winds of change, but I want to set up a windmill not a wall.

 -There are statements from around thirty provinces (concerning the initiative to collect signatures from the organisations): Statements are currently being made from around thirty provinces. This will be resolved. My aim in this is nothing like to threaten. I want to walk in a big brother - little brother relationship again. I absolutely don’t want to hurt his excellency the General Chair. I love the General Chair but I love Turkey more. I want to get our future back. Our future has disappeared. From now on - OK, politeness and love, there are these - but there is also the future. I see Turkey’s future as more important than İnce’s or Kılıçdaroğlu’s future.

 -There is no new party (claim that he will take over at the top of the DDP): I absolutely have no such plan.

 -Does the AKP wish to meddle with the CHP?: Why should the AKP wish to meddle with the CHP? Isn’t the AKP happy with this management of the CHP in your opinion? The AKP has won every election it has contested. The AKP is happy with this business so why should it want to meddle? The AKP will wish to meddle inside the CHP when it loses to the CHP. The AK Party wishes to preserve the CHP’s current position so that it is beaten once more.

 -When will congress convene?: In the shortest time. It will convene very soon. It will convene, there is no difficulty there.

 "Genel Başkan’ı seviyorum ama ülkeyi daha çok..."