Imprisoned Journalist Recounts Meeting with CHP Leader Kılıçdaroğlu

Imprisoned journalist İsmail Arı has shared striking details from a meeting with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP), in a letter sent to the newspaper BirGün. Arı recounted being summoned to a meeting room under the guise of a "ministry visit," only to find Kılıçdaroğlu waiting for him.

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One month ago, Kılıçdaroğlu, who clearly told me he would accept the absolute nullity, I understood from what he narrated that he never expected to lose the convention by saying 'the convention was bought' and that he still cannot digest this defeat.

Arı, who had only spoken with Kılıçdaroğlu twice by phone before, described the face-to-face encounter as a surprise. During their conversation, Kılıçdaroğlu discussed recent developments within the CHP. Arı interpreted Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks as indicating he did not anticipate losing the party convention, believing the convention was "bought." Arı noted that Kılıçdaroğlu still seemed unable to process this defeat.

Furthermore, Arı reported that Kılıçdaroğlu claimed he does not read or follow negative news coverage about himself. This statement, along with Kılıçdaroğlu's accusations of "theft" against individuals he had previously supported in parliamentary and mayoral roles, left Arı deeply surprised and dismayed.

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He says he 'never reads and follows' the news containing 'negative' assessments about himself, while accusing the people he enabled to serve as MPs and mayors for years of 'theft'. I don't know how many days in my life I've been this surprised.

"I don't know how many days in my life I've been this surprised," Arı wrote. "I couldn't overcome my shock and sadness for a long time." Arı stated that he followed the events at the CHP headquarters, which he termed a "disgrace to democracy," and Kılıçdaroğlu's role in them, from prison. He concluded by questioning why a politician who claims to love his country and people would inflict such harm upon them.

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Why would a politician who claims to love his country and people do this harm to his country and people?