Analysis: Will Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu Try to Reclaim CHP Through the Courts?

Former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is facing growing accusations of attempting a political comeback via legal intervention, as Turkey’s main opposition party continues to reel from internal turmoil and external pressure. A controversial lawsuit aiming to annul the 2023 CHP congress has fueled speculation that Kılıçdaroğlu may seek to retake the leadership post he lost to Özgür Özel. Prominent political commentator Murat Sevinç weighs in on the implications of such a scenario.

A Legal Shortcut to Power?

In recent weeks, Turkey’s political discourse has been consumed by the lawsuit that challenges the legitimacy of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) congress held in 2023—where Kılıçdaroğlu was ousted and Özgür Özel elected as the new chairman. The case, set for a critical hearing on June 30, has stirred deep concerns within opposition ranks, particularly among those who fear a court ruling in favor of annulment could pave the way for Kılıçdaroğlu’s return to power—not through democratic means, but via judicial intervention.

Murat Sevinç, a respected academic and columnist, takes issue not just with the lawsuit itself, but with the silence and ambiguity of Kılıçdaroğlu throughout the legal process. In his words, millions of opposition voters—along with the current CHP leadership—had hoped the former leader would take a clear stance to neutralize the crisis.

“Instead of stepping forward to protect the legitimacy of the party’s internal process, Kılıçdaroğlu has remained quiet, raising the suspicion that he may be waiting in the wings for a favorable court ruling.”

A Record of Contradictions

Sevinç, who has both supported and criticized Kılıçdaroğlu over the years, notes the complexity of evaluating his legacy. From the “March for Justice” in 2017 to his controversial support for lifting parliamentary immunities in 2016 (which led to the imprisonment of HDP MPs), Kılıçdaroğlu’s political career has been marked by both progressive and conservative turns.

Quoting political scientist Behlül Özkan’s analysis published in Turkish Studies, Sevinç recalls the idea of Kılıçdaroğlu as a “man of the state”—a figure who has often prioritized institutional order over democratic disruption. This profile, Sevinç argues, could explain why Kılıçdaroğlu seems to be entertaining, or at least not rejecting, the possibility of returning through judicial means.

“This is not a naïve or inexperienced politician. He knows the implications of every word and action. And yet he remains silent—if not complicit.”

A Legacy at Risk

Sevinç argues that had Kılıçdaroğlu stepped aside gracefully after losing the 2023 presidential election and later the party chairmanship, he would likely have retained a place of respect among CHP voters. Instead, his refusal to offer any self-criticism or distance himself from anti-democratic maneuvers is putting his legacy at serious risk.

“Someone who ran for president and received nearly half the votes should have something more to say than ‘I was betrayed.’ Not for the sake of the public, but for his own dignity.”

Özgür Özel’s New CHP and Its Unwelcome Success

The current CHP, led by Özgür Özel, has delivered strong results in the 2024 local elections and demonstrated unexpected resilience after the March 19 arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. That moment, Sevinç suggests, marked a turning point—both for the opposition and for the ruling AKP, which likely expected a demoralized opposition but instead found a mobilized and defiant base.

This resurgence has placed CHP under immense pressure. According to Sevinç, the party has now begun facing the kind of tactics once reserved for the pro-Kurdish movement: judicial harassment, politically motivated prosecutions, and attempts at delegitimization.

“The new CHP—Özel and İmamoğlu included—have become unwanted adversaries. And it’s telling that in this moment, Kılıçdaroğlu has not stood beside them, but apart from them.”

A Question of Dignity

In what appears to be a sharp criticism of backroom maneuvers, Sevinç rebukes the idea—allegedly voiced by Kılıçdaroğlu’s confidants—that legal paths are preferable to public rallies or political engagement. The suggestion that Kılıçdaroğlu could resume leadership via court decision, rather than popular support, strikes Sevinç as both “astounding” and “insulting.”

He recalls journalist İsmail Saymaz’s reporting, which cites anonymous CHP sources who claim Kılıçdaroğlu does not support public rallies, prefers legal routes, and sees no problem in reclaiming his old post. To this, Sevinç responds:

“If all these reports and speculations are true, and Kılıçdaroğlu does indeed attempt a legal return, then as poet Can Yücel once put it: If we don’t call a collaborator a collaborator, what do we call him?”

The Risks of Undermining Hope

Sevinç ends on a cautionary note. The opposition electorate is no longer what it was before March 19. People are mobilized, alert, and more hopeful than they have been in years. Any move perceived as undermining that energy—especially by a former leader now viewed as part of the past—will likely backfire.

“Kılıçdaroğlu should avoid being remembered in history with bitter words. If he takes this path, he won’t take the opposition with him. The CHP will not break, the people will not surrender, and a new path will inevitably be found.”

In closing, Sevinç invokes İsmet İnönü—one of CHP’s founding figures—with a phrase that has become iconic in Turkish political culture:

“A new world will be established… and Turkey will take its place in it.”

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