CHP braces for court showdown as leadership dispute intensifies

Summary:

A high-stakes court case challenging the legitimacy of CHP’s 2023 party congress is set for June 30. While party officials dismiss the case as a political maneuver with no legal merit, tensions between current leader Özgür Özel and former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu are escalating. Speculation of a potential court-mandated leadership reversal — or even a caretaker trustee — has sparked internal divisions and raised fears of early elections.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) is facing one of its most turbulent periods in recent memory as a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of its 38th Ordinary Congress nears a critical hearing on June 30. The case, filed by a group of former delegates and controversial local figures, alleges procedural irregularities during the congress in which Özgür Özel was elected party leader, replacing Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu after 13 years at the helm.

Though the party went on to become the leading political force in the March 2024 local elections — marking its first national-level victory in nearly five decades — the internal power struggle continues to cast a shadow. The lawsuit’s outcome could potentially annul the party congress, triggering a leadership vacuum and possible state intervention.

Could the court annul the CHP congress?

Pro-government media outlets have speculated that the court may issue a “nullification” ruling, effectively undoing the results of the 2023 congress and reinstating the Kılıçdaroğlu leadership. Some even claim the court could appoint a trustee (kayyum) to run the party.

However, senior CHP officials strongly reject this possibility. “This is a 101-year-old party and the main opposition force in Turkey. No legal or political force can seize it from the people,” one senior official said, dismissing the case as a distraction. “June 30 is just another date on the calendar. We will continue our rallies, our parliamentary work, and our outreach efforts.”

Another insider added: “If anyone wants to lead this party, they should go through the congress. No one gets to take the helm through the courts. That’s not how our party works.”

Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel at odds again

The case has reignited tensions between Özgür Özel and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Özel recently claimed that Kılıçdaroğlu had assured imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu that the congress was “clean.” But Kılıçdaroğlu’s lawyer Celal Çelik contradicted this, calling Özel’s remarks unethical and misleading. Özel fired back, suggesting Çelik was overstepping his bounds and promising to look into his standing within the party.

Adding fuel to the fire, CHP MP Turan Taşkın Özer, a known Imamoğlu ally, supported Özel’s account, stating that Kılıçdaroğlu had indeed described the congress as “completely legitimate.”

With these conflicting narratives, the party appears increasingly divided. While Özel pushes forward with his post-election mandate, Kılıçdaroğlu’s circle remains influential and vocal.

Provincial leaders prepare for legal fallout

Ahead of the June 30 hearing, CHP’s provincial chairs convened in Ankara to craft a unified strategy. They issued a statement expressing full support for Özel and signaling readiness to “defend the party against any political assault.”

Some chairpersons reportedly criticized Kılıçdaroğlu’s faction for failing to de-escalate tensions, arguing that even in the event of a court-ordered reversal, the former leader should not accept reinstatement. The final statement was toned down after intervention from senior figures in major cities, but the internal rift remains raw.

A second meeting is expected before June 30 to finalize contingency plans in case the court rules to invalidate the congress. Scenarios under consideration include swiftly organizing an extraordinary congress to reassert Özel’s leadership.

Legal experts: Trustee unlikely, but risks remain

According to legal analysts, appointing a trustee to a political party requires extraordinary conditions, typically involving total organizational paralysis — which is not the case in the CHP. Past rulings by Turkey’s Court of Cassation have also emphasized the narrow limits of judicial interference in internal party affairs.

Nevertheless, party insiders are not taking chances. They are preparing to defend the legitimacy of the congress and take rapid legal and political steps if necessary.

Is Erdoğan planning a snap election?

Amid the CHP turmoil, speculation is mounting over a potential snap presidential election. Pollster Kadir Atalay from PİAR Research claims that government insiders are eyeing November 9 for an early vote. The plan, he says, is to capitalize on possible chaos in the CHP — particularly if the court overturns the 2023 congress — and push for snap elections that would allow President Erdoğan to run again despite constitutional term limits.

“Unless Parliament calls for early elections, Erdoğan cannot run under Article 101,” Atalay noted. “But if the CHP is thrown into disarray on June 30, the government could move quickly to take advantage.”

Atalay emphasized that this is not a mere prediction but a “well-sourced rumor” circulating in Ankara’s political corridors.

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