Kılıçdaroğlu Supporters Speak to Cumhuriyet: 'The Party Became First Thanks to Kılıçdaroğlu'

Supporters of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu gathered at a Bayram (holiday) greeting event, displaying banners with slogans like "It's time for purification" and "A completely clean start for Turkey." The event signaled a continued show of support for the former party leader.

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Others may be dishonorable. We are Atatürk's children. We are honorable people. All the people here today came here with their heads held high.

Barış Bozkurt, a former party official who had previously left after the election of the new leader, Özgür Özel, returned to the party and spoke at the event. He emphasized the integrity of Kılıçdaroğlu's supporters, stating, "Others may be dishonorable. We are Atatürk's children. We are honorable people."

Attendees voiced their reasons for supporting Kılıçdaroğlu. A 21-year-old supporter, Buğra Meral, criticized the current leadership, citing corruption allegations against some mayors and arguing that the new leader's electoral performance was lower than Kılıçdaroğlu's. "He brought 6 parties together, regardless of right or left, Alevi or Sunni, conservative or democrat," Meral said, contrasting the 2023 election results under Kılıçdaroğlu with the 2024 local election results under the current leadership.

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He brought 6 parties together, regardless of right or left, Alevi or Sunni, conservative or democrat. He got 48% of the vote. Özgür Özel got 37% of the vote. Could Özgür Özel have gotten 48% alone?

Another supporter, Kenan Kıran, who had served the party for years, expressed disappointment with the current state of affairs, questioning if his past efforts were for the current leadership's "pleasure, luxury, and reign." He attributed the party's first-place finish in the 2024 local elections not to the current leader's individual strength, but to public anger towards individual mayors and the ruling AKP party.

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I have served this party for years. I went door to door, street by street. Looking back today, I ask myself, 'Did we work for this?' Did we work for them to live in pleasure, luxury, and reign, and to commit so much immorality?