Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate Muharrem İnce apologized to young party supporters for his silence on the night of the elections on June 24, for which he was strongly criticized
“During the campaign, as a human being, I of course had faults,” İnce tweeted on Tuesday.
“However, I didn’t do anything to embarrass or betray the trust of the 15 million people I represented as a leader,” İnce said, admitting that he had delayed giving an explanation.
After the election mostly young supporters of İnce criticized him mainly on social media for failing to give a convincing explanation for his silence, sparking rumors that İnce had been threatened by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He later denied such rumors.
İnce also stressed that he could not deliver a speech on election night for reasons that were out of his hands but again avoided a further explanation.
CHP deputy Erdal Aksünger yesterday argued that party officials left İnce alone that night, failing to share the election results received from local branches, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.
İnce, on the other hand, called on his supporters on to leave “speculation” aside and to focus on a “bright future” as he stated that they are at the starting point of a better Turkey.
Meanwhile some CHP delegates close to İnce were collecting signatures for a petition to force an emergency convention to change party management. According to Aksünger, they collected more than 350 signatures in three days out of the 625 they must gather in 15 days.