CHP Takes Istanbul Leadership Seizure to Constitutional Court

The CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency is bringing the dispute over its seized provincial administration and building to the Constitutional Court (AYM) today.

The party is challenging the earlier precautionary measure that transferred the elected Istanbul provincial administration to a temporary trustee-led management, calling the intervention unlawful and politically damaging.

The application’s demand and conclusion section includes a sharp warning: “If this unlawful intervention continues, it will cause irreparable damage. Therefore, we request a precautionary measure to immediately prevent the temporary administration from continuing its duties.”

CHP Argues Political Rights Are Being Violated

Journalist Barış Terkoğlu shared details of the petition, which argues that the case threatens the functioning of Türkiye’s largest provincial party organization.

The submission states: “The issue subject to this individual application is the prevention of Türkiye’s largest provincial organization—determined by the results of the 2024 local elections—from performing its duties. The case filed at the Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance seeks to replace the elected provincial administration through non-existent judicial pathways. The lack of legal basis and the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office being accepted as a party violate the freedom of political organization and activity within a political party.”

The petition further demands that all decisions in the related case be deemed null and void, and asks for an urgent injunction:
“If this unlawful intervention continues, it will result in irreparable harm; therefore, we request an immediate precautionary measure preventing the temporary administration from continuing its duties.”

Background: How the Crisis Started

The dispute began after a lawsuit challenging the CHP Istanbul Provincial Congress.
The Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance appointed Gürsel Tekin as trustee (“kayyım”) to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Administration.

In response, CHP held two separate congresses, both of which elected Özgür Çelik as provincial chairman—first in an extraordinary congress, then again in the regular congress.

CHP’s central leadership appealed the court’s trustee appointment to the Regional Court of Appeal, but the objection was rejected.
The court upheld Tekin’s trusteeship, most recently rejecting another CHP appeal and ruling that his mandate as trustee must continue.

A High-Stakes Constitutional Challenge

By taking the matter to the Constitutional Court, CHP seeks:

• The reinstatement of its elected Istanbul leadership

• A ruling that the rights of a political organization have been violated

• The cancellation and nullification of all judicial decisions enabling the trustee appointment

• An urgent injunction to block further execution of the temporary administration’s authority

The outcome could have far-reaching implications not only for CHP’s internal governance but also for broader debates concerning judicial intervention in political party administration.