Özgür Çelik, the district head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)’s Istanbul branch, has been removed from office by a Turkish court following allegations of irregularities in the party’s 2023 leadership selection process.
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| Istanbul district head of Turkey’s largest opposition party removed Istanbul district head of Turkey’s largest opposition party removed |
In addition to Çelik, the decision also removed the CHP’s entire Istanbul top brass that formed Çelik’s administration.
Gürsel Tekin, another CHP member from a competing wing of the party, was installed in Çelik’s place. Following his appointment Tuesday, Tekin told reporters:
“I will do everything I can to keep the CHP out of the courthouse. Our party is not being transferred to a trustee. We will lead the CHP to a party congress in unity and solidarity. All the members of my delegation are CHP members. The CHP is our home, our nest, our everything. Rest assured: the CHP will be governed by CHP members.”
Prosecutors are requesting a three-year prison sentence for Çelik due to his alleged involvement in leadership selection irregularities.
Move follows months of legal pressure on the CHP leadership
For months, Turkey’s largest opposition party has been threatened with the possibility that its current leadership would be removed and replaced by state-appointed trustees.
In June, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor issued an indictment alleging irregularities in the party’s 2023 leadership selection process in which current party chairman Özgür Özel defeated previous chairman and former presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdağoğlu.
Hoping to fend off the threat of a leadership replacement, the CHP held a party congress in April in which Özel was reelected as party leader.
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Critics allege that efforts to replace the CHP leadership are attempting to exploit divisions in the party between Özel-supporting and Kılıçdaroğlu-supporting wings. Tuesday’s new appointee to the CHP’s Istanbul district leadership, Gürsel Tekin, comes from the Kılıçdaroğlu-supporting wing of the party.
The threatened removal of Özel and potential reappointment of Kılıçdaroğlu would essentially turn the CHP from a legitimate opposition party to a puppet of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), critics argue.
Removed Istanbul head Özgür Çelik was originally elected in October 2023 in what was seen as a blow to the Kılıçdaroğlu wing of the party. Çelik is widely seen as an ally of Özel and imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
