An ongoing court case that threatens to remove the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been delayed until October 24.
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| Court case threatening Turkish opposition leadership delayed until October Court case threatening Turkish opposition leadership delayed until October |
The case concerns a November 2023 party congress that saw the election of current party leader Özgür Özel, who replaced longtime chairman and former presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Prosecutors representing plaintiffs from Kılıçdaroğlu’s wing of the party have alleged irregularities in the election process and that votes for Özel were bought in exchange for bribes.
The Monday morning (September 15) decision to delay the court case was announced around 11:00 local time.
Critics and opposition leaders argue the case is an attempt to defang Turkey’s largest opposition party and replace its leadership with a government trustee amidst months of increasing legal pressure on the CHP, which has seen the removal of the party’s Istanbul leadership, the arrest of Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, and more.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has denied direct involvement in the case and has framed it as an internal schism within the CHP, describing the party as mired in corruption and infighting.
Threat of ‘nullification’ looms large
A much-discussed facet of the case targeting the CHP’s leadership is the threat of ‘mutlak butlan’, a Turkish legal term loosely translated as ‘nullification’. In the event of the removal of CHP leadership, a ‘mutlak butlan’ decision would also nullify all party decisions taken since Özel’s November 2023 takeover, including the chairman’s April 2025 reelection as well as a recent decision to hold another party congress in late September designed to shield party leadership from potential removal.
In addition to the potential ‘nullification’ scenario, several other possibilities had been discussed related to how the case may be resolved. Prior to the delay of the case Monday morning, the temporary removal of party leadership had also been rumored. Another possibility would have been the appointment of a trustee party administration tasked with holding a new party congress within 45 days. The CHP has also argued that any objections to the party’s November 2023 congress should have been submitted to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) within two days, making current objections invalid.
Medyascope'u destekle. Medyascope'a abone ol.
Medyascope’u senin desteğin ayakta tutuyor. Hiçbir patronun, siyasi çıkarın güdümünde değiliz; hangi haberi yapacağımıza biz karar veriyoruz. Tıklanma uğruna değil, kamu yararına çalışıyoruz. Bağımsız gazeteciliğin sürmesi, sitenin açık kalması ve herkesin doğru bilgiye erişebilmesi senin desteğinle mümkün.
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CHP Istanbul head speaks to Medyascope
Özgür Çelik, the chairman of the CHP’s Istanbul branch who was recently removed from leadership by a court decision the party has refused to recognize, spoke to Medyascope following the announcement of the delay of the court case:
“A month before my term was supposed to end, the CHP’s Istanbul headquarters was besieged. A lawsuit was filed against our party’s congress, despite our second congress that saw a vote of confidence and reelection of our chairman. They are working to damage the CHP’s reputation in society, but we will continue to make sureTurkey’s real problems remain on the agenda.”
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
