A lawsuit was filed against CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu on 27 May 2019 by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the tweets she posted on her social media account. In the indictment prepared, it was stated that Kaftancıoğlu posted on his social media account between July 27, 2016 and October 12, 2017, including the crime of "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In 11 tweets she posted between October 6, 2012 and May 15, 2014, it was stated that he committed the crime of "insulting a public official because of his duty".
"Today in History; The Armenian Genocide has started. We commemorate our Armenian citizens who were murdered, on 19.15 in Taksim "Let him have his tweet, he could not say" PKK terrorist organization "against the PKK terrorist organization, and the words" I say "I say not Atatürk, but Gazi Mustafa Kemal" in the previous week, and his reactions about him are now to the top. carried.
Her statement in relation to Ataturk is essentially important. Mustafa Kemal is the birth name whereas Ataturk (the father of Turks) is given by parliament to him on 17 December 1934 to honor him. Once Kaftancioglu distingushed Ataturk before and after the declaration of republic, Kaftancioglu seemingly distanced herself from Ataturk with regard to events taken place after 1923. Therefore, as a CHP leader of Istanbul city, her words have weight and owe an explanation to party constituents.
However, most people consider this statement as a political fight between "10 December group" vs secular group. In order to remind, there was a group of people in CHP who considers the Ataturk group as "Status quoist". Those group of party elites gather in a hotel on 10 December 2005 in order to prepare a new Constitution which would not contain the description "Turk" whereas proposes a new administration style such as federation. The opposition had been settled at that time but their activities seemingly has not been ended. The group as of today said to be represented by Oguz Salici (VP) and Canan Kaftancioglu (Istanbul city CHP leader).
Her statement creates a big confusion in the party. You might be criticizing the Founding Father of modern Turkey but distancing yourself especially in a party where Ataturk had set up urges great response from CHP. However, as usual CHP neglects the people's disappoinment and keeps distancing itself from the constituents. As long as this would continue, it is more or less granted that CHP will lose votes in coming election.
