Turkish Court Annuls CHP Congress and Reinstates Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as Party Leader

AFP

Demonstrations across Türkiye.

Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), lodged an appeal with the Supreme Election Council on Friday against a court ruling that annulled the party’s general congress and reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as party chairman.

On Thursday evening, the 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal ruled to invalidate the CHP’s Extraordinary General Congress — the party’s 38th General Congress — held in November 2023, along with the Istanbul provincial congress held in October 2023, during which current party leader Özgür Özel and the existing party leadership were elected.

Under the ruling, the leadership of the CHP automatically reverts to Kılıçdaroğlu. The decision has triggered widespread controversy across Turkish political circles, with critics describing it as political interference and an example of the judiciary being politicised in a move aimed at creating divisions within Türkiye’s largest opposition party.

Government officials and figures from the ruling party have denied any interference in the judiciary, insisting that the ruling was entirely legal and not politically motivated.

The court based its decision on what it described as “serious violations of the delegates’ freedom of will”, including allegations of cash payments, promises of employment, and party nominations in exchange for votes. It also cited claims that some delegates were pressured into photographing their ballots, thereby breaching voting secrecy.

According to the court, these actions “went beyond procedural irregularities and amounted to a clear violation of public order and the rule of law”.

As part of the ruling, Özgür Özel was removed from his post as a “precautionary measure”, while Kılıçdaroğlu was reinstated as interim party leader until the verdict becomes final and a new congress is held.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s immediate responsibility is expected to be organising an extraordinary congress to elect a new leadership.

Meanwhile, Özel rejected the ruling and pledged to challenge it, vowing to continue protesting “day and night” from inside party headquarters. He described the decision as “a coup against the will of the people and the voters”.

Following the verdict, protests broke out in the capital, Ankara, and several other areas, with demonstrators condemning the court’s ruling. Some CHP supporters reportedly tore down posters of Kılıçdaroğlu while chanting slogans against him and accusing him of betrayal.


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