Lawsuit over CHP convention sparks leadership row
ANKARA
Former CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is facing a legal challenge that could invalidate its 2023 convention and potentially return former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the helm, stirring divisions within the party’s ranks.
The case over vote rigging claims into the convention that brought current leader Özgür Özel is set to be heard in an Ankara court on June 30. A ruling in favor of the claim could pave the way for Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement.
On June 23, a delegation including Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş visited Kılıçdaroğlu, urging him to preemptively decline the position in the event of a court annulment.
Kılıçdaroğlu refused, according to private broadcaster Halk TV, citing concerns that the party could otherwise be placed under a court-appointed trustee.
The CHP leadership has pushed back against the lawsuit’s premise, arguing that the court does not have the authority to declare such an event "absolutely null."
In response to speculation, the party held an extraordinary convention on April 6, reaffirming Özel’s leadership with the backing of 1,171 delegates.
"No one who was not elected at the convention can govern the CHP,” Özel told daily Cumhuriyet. "It would be a historical mistake to accept a position after [a decision of] absolute nullity."
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the party's jailed presidential candidate for next elections, also expressed opposition to Kılıçdaroğlu’s stance.
"I am faced with a great sense of betrayal," İmamoğlu told Halk TV. "I will never accept these words. It has hurt me deeply, I feel indescribably bad."
For his part, Yavaş issued a plea for party unity on June 27, calling for an end to the infighting.
"My greatest wish during this process is for our previous chairman, our current chairman and all party members to stand together as one fist and whole," he said in a written statement. "Otherwise, there would be no point for any of us, including me, to engage in politics."
Meanwhile, 10 CHP lawmakers issued social media statements defending Kılıçdaroğlu and criticizing internal backlash.
The "organized attack" on Kılıçdaroğlu is "unacceptable," the messages said, adding such remarks "go against the party’s culture and traditions."
