Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was searching for a political and legal path forward on Friday after a court ruling ousted its leader and annulled its congress.
A court in Ankara on Thursday ordered the removal of Özgür Özel and the current party administration from their positions. It ruled that the 2023 party congress, during which Özel was elected chair, was invalid due to irregularities.
The court ordered that former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the party's previous leadership temporarily take over the party's administration.
The verdict, which is not yet final, has deepened a years-long internal rift and added uncertainty within the CHP by also voiding subsequent congresses, the new party program, bylaw changes and decisions taken under Özel’s leadership.
Özel rejected the ruling and said the party would appeal to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) and the Supreme Court of Appeals, while insisting the struggle would remain within the CHP rather than through the formation of a new political party. He also vowed to personally remain “day and night” in the CHP’s headquarters in Ankara.
