ANKARA (Medyascope) — Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been thrown into political turmoil after a court ruling reportedly removed party leader Özgür Özel and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on an interim basis.
The decision follows a legal challenge to the CHP’s 4–5 November 2023 congress, at which Özel defeated long-serving leader Kılıçdaroğlu in a closely contested leadership vote. The case, brought by former party officials, alleged procedural violations, irregular delegate practices and unlawful conduct affecting the outcome.
The court is reported to have accepted arguments based on the doctrine of “mutlak butlan” (absolute nullity), under which the congress is deemed void from the outset. Under this interpretation, the leadership change that brought Özel to power is considered legally invalid.
As a result, the party structure is said to revert to its pre-2023 status, with Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party organs reinstated on an interim basis pending further legal or organisational steps.
The 2023 congress marked the end of Kılıçdaroğlu’s 13-year tenure as CHP leader. He was the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, where he was defeated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The subsequent leadership change was widely seen as part of a broader effort to restructure the party following its electoral defeat.
The current CHP leadership has denied the allegations, arguing the case is politically motivated and intended to interfere with internal party democracy.
The party has faced sustained political and legal pressure in recent years, including investigations involving CHP-run municipalities following its gains in the 2024 local elections. CHP officials have described the actions as part of a wider political campaign against the opposition.
Separately, a court decision in Istanbul last year led to the temporary appointment of an administrator to the CHP’s provincial organisation amid disputes over its internal congress. Istanbul provincial chair Özgür Çelik was temporarily suspended during the proceedings before later returning following internal party processes.
Kılıçdaroğlu calls for “purification”
A day before the ruling, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu released a video titled “To the patriotic and noble citizens of this country.” In the message, he addressed investigations and arrests targeting CHP-run municipalities, saying that keeping politics clean is a moral duty for all politicians.
He said: “The CHP is not a legacy left to us. Our party is a sacred trust. A trust cannot be stained, nor can it be smeared. My brothers, the shadow of this great plane tree can never be a refuge for wrongdoing or corruption. It must be capable of self-purification and internal accountability when necessary, but it will never deviate from its path.”
Istanbul chair pledges resistance
CHP Istanbul provincial chair Özgür Çelik is set to meet district party leaders and members of the provincial executive board at the party’s Istanbul headquarters.
In a statement on X, Çelik said the party is facing what he described as a new phase of political pressure. He said: “We are facing a new phase of pressure that began on 19 March (Arrest of Istanbul Mayor Imamoğlu). They want to dismantle the Republic, suspend democracy, and remove the ballot box from the will of the people. Our nation will not allow this. Turkey will not bow to this oppression.”
Market reaction
Turkey’s stock market fell sharply following reports of the ruling, triggering a circuit breaker mechanism as losses deepened across equities.
Borsa İstanbul was down 0.8% to 13,899.53 points in the first half of trading before extending losses to more than 6% after the news. The banking index dropped by around 8.6%, prompting a temporary suspension of trading.
