Gürsel Tekin resignation raises controversy, ambiguity

“I will continue to renew myself in politics, to serve the CHP and to take to the road with the strength of spring,” he tweeted on Friday. He also told his followers that he is open to all helpful opinions in this process, although he may not respond to each comment.

In a surprise move, Tekin handed in his resignation from his position as CHP deputy chairman and his post on the party's Central Executive Board (MYK) on Thursday. His resignation was accepted by the party's leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Sources close to the CHP indicate that Tekin's resignation might be linked to fighting inside the CHP. Mustafa Özyürek, a former deputy chairman of the CHP, accused Kılıçdaroğlu of “eliminating even those closest to him.” He said Kılıçdaroğlu's concept of “the new CHP” is a fantasy. “The problems going on today inside the party are not among the old CHP'ers but the new CHP'ers. It looks like the new CHP's members are at a crossroads.” He accused the party of not holding elections in provincial and district chapters in a democratic way. “If a leader doesn't trust the delegates who chose him, if he doesn't trust his comrades, the voter will naturally question that leader.”

Another former deputy chairman of the CHP, Mehmet Sevigen told Today's Zaman that the lack of democracy inside the party is the cause. “When we were in power, we were never cruel to anyone. The fight inside the CHP is not an ideological fight, but rather a fight caused by the CHP's failure to give new hope to the masses.”

Speculation was rampant following the shock resignation. According to an article published on the news site gundem.com written by Barış Yarkadaş, Tekin resigned because he was unhappy with the general headquarters' involvement in the elections at the local and regional chapters. He warned Kılıçdaroğlu two times previously, according to the article, that he would walk out if the general administration attempted to influence the votes of delegates in electing presidents to local units. The article also claimed that CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu promised Tekin, who was against the undemocratic attempts to influence the local units, the central administration would stay out of the delegates' business, but later talked with CHP members Erdoğan Toprak and Nihat Matkap to carry out certain “operations” at local units. The three agreed on certain candidates to be “supported” in leading some of the local units.

Meanwhile, CHP Deputy Chairman Nihat Matkap made a statement on Friday regarding Tekin's quitting. He said he was greatly sorry over the resignation and added that any information indicating he had issues with Tekin was not a reflection of the truth, responding to questions in the press. Matkap said: “I have no issues with Mr. Tekin. I also don't think making evaluations based on other people's comments without a direct statement from Mr. Tekin is proper.”

There have also been reports that suggest what lies behind Tekin's decision to resign may be a rift between him and the party administration over the new chairman to be elected to the party's İstanbul branch. Tekin was appointed deputy chairman after a lengthy struggle and much infighting between Kılıçdaroğlu and the supporters of the Deniz Baykal and Önder Sav camps.

Previously, he was the chairman of the CHP's İstanbul provincial branch, a highly important position as the İstanbul branch has the greatest influence within the party. In June of last year, he had to step down as provincial chairman and was replaced by Berhan Şimşek, who also resigned from the post in January of this year.