CHP mayors lead backchannel talks between rival factions
Leading figures in Türkiye’s main opposition party are reportedly intensifying diplomacy between rival leadership camps as internal turmoil continues to grip the organization following a contested court ruling that reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been split between factions aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu and ousted leader Özgür Özel since a judicial decision annulled the party’s 2023 convention and temporarily restored the former chair and his team to authority pending further legal proceedings.
According to daily Hürriyet, CHP’s Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Mersin Mayor Vahap Seçer and suspended Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar have entered the mediation effort, holding initial talks with Kılıçdaroğlu.
Their involvement follows earlier efforts by senior party figures Engin Altay, Gürsel Erol and Ali Öztunç.
