Main opposition’s motto in upcoming convention: ‘Unity and fraternity’

Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has adopted “Unity and Fraternity Convention” as the main slogan of its upcoming extraordinary convention on Sept. 5 and 6.

“Let the convention have a theme which will refute claims of an approaching purge, and which will embrace both the party itself and all of Turkey,” CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, promising that after the convention he will not initiate an "internal purge" of his rivals and their supporters.

CHP executives will accelerate logistical work for the convention after obtaining final consent from Kılıçdaroğlu.

Mustafa Sarıgül, the former mayor of Şişli who ran against current Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş as the CHP's candidate in the March 30 local elections, former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) politician Mansur Yavaş, who was selected as the CHP’s candidate for the Ankara mayoral position but lost by a small margin, and Mehmet Bekaroğlu, former deputy chair of the now-dissolved People’s Voice Party (HSP), have all been reportedly invited by Kılıçdaroğlu to become new members of the Party Assembly at the upcoming convention.

As of Aug. 26, Bekaroğlu confirmed that he has been mulling a proposal personally conveyed by Kılıçdaroğlu to join the party. Bekaroğlu cited “piousness, the regime and the presidency,” as some of the key items that they discussed during their lengthy meeting, which he labeled as “productive.” However, he said he had not yet made his final decision about joining the CHP and added that he would not attend the convention.

Meanwhile, party executives did not rule out the idea of...