CHP Congress Lawsuit Delayed Again as Debate About Attacks on CHP Deepens Conserns

A Turkish court postponed the next hearing in the lawsuit seeking the annulment of the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress until September 15, extending a legal and political crisis that continues to shake Türkiye’s main opposition party. The “absolute nullity” debate has intensified fears of deeper divisions within the CHP, while comments from MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli suggesting the CHP “should not be legally damaged” have fueled speculation about broader political calculations behind the case.

Court Postpones CHP Congress Case to September

The lawsuit seeking the cancellation of the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress was once again postponed, with the next hearing scheduled for September 15.

The case is being heard by Ankara’s 42nd Civil Court of First Instance and centers on allegations that procedural irregularities invalidated the congress in which Özgür Özel replaced former party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu after 13 years at the helm of the CHP.

During the latest hearing, lawyers representing former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and other CHP delegates once again argued that the congress should be declared legally void under the concept of “absolute nullity.”

Attorney Onur Yusuf Üregen claimed the congress chair failed to act impartially and argued that the leadership election was therefore illegitimate.

The plaintiffs requested the court move toward oral proceedings and formally invalidate both the ordinary and extraordinary party congresses.

CHP Rejects Legitimacy Claims

CHP lawyer Çağlar Çağlayan strongly objected to the plaintiffs’ characterization of Özgür Özel as “illegitimate.”

“The purpose is to place a ballot box before the delegates, and the outcome has already emerged. Therefore, the case has effectively become meaningless,” Çağlayan told the court.

Following the postponement decision, Özgür Özel issued a sharply worded statement on social media, describing the legal process as part of a broader political operation against the opposition.

“No conspiracy directed against our party is independent from the March 19 coup attempt,” Özel said.

He argued that the proceedings were not designed to produce a legal conclusion but rather to weaken the CHP politically, undermine its momentum, and exhaust the opposition’s resistance.

Özel also called on supporters to join a rally in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district in solidarity with jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other opposition figures facing judicial pressure.

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“Absolute Nullity” Scenario Raises Stakes

The “absolute nullity” debate has created growing anxiety within CHP circles.

If the court rules that the 2023 congress was legally invalid from the outset, Kılıçdaroğlu could theoretically return to the party leadership through a judicial decision rather than an internal election.

For Özel’s leadership camp, this is viewed as the worst political outcome short of direct state intervention in the party.

Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu supporters reportedly see the possibility of a court-appointed trustee, or kayyum, taking control of the CHP as the most dangerous scenario.

Many party members privately describe the situation as a choice between “forty mules or forty knives,” a Turkish expression used to describe two equally painful outcomes.

The CHP, long known in Turkish politics as “the party of congresses,” now finds its most important internal battle unfolding not in convention halls but in courtrooms.

MHP Signals Concern Over Political Fallout

Comments from Devlet Bahçeli have added another layer of political significance to the case.

Bahçeli recently stated that the CHP “should not be legally damaged,” remarks widely interpreted as a warning against pushing the opposition party into institutional collapse.

According to sources speaking to DW Türkçe, many figures within the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) believe the “absolute nullity” process has dragged on for too long and risks damaging public trust in the judiciary.

MHP insiders reportedly argue that most of the necessary evidence has already been collected and that the uncertainty surrounding the case should not continue indefinitely.

Some within the party interpret Bahçeli’s remarks as a broader strategic message aimed at preserving political balance in Türkiye rather than direct support for the CHP itself.

One MHP official reportedly described the situation by saying, “Sometimes when you try to remove one brick, you may end up damaging the foundation itself.”

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“A Strong Opposition Is Necessary”

Another view increasingly voiced within MHP circles is that Türkiye requires a functioning and credible main opposition party.

According to party sources, an uncontrolled weakening or fragmentation of the CHP could destabilize not only the opposition but also the broader political system.

MHP figures reportedly fear that an opposition consumed entirely by internal crises could create dangerous political imbalances.

This perspective aligns with Bahçeli’s recent call for the CHP to reconnect with society and fulfill what he described as its “historic responsibility.”

Debate Also Fueled From Within CHP

MHP sources reject claims that the “absolute nullity” controversy is being driven solely by the government or judiciary.

Some officials argue that factions within the CHP itself are helping keep the debate alive as part of ongoing internal power struggles.

One MHP source told DW Türkçe that there are actors inside the CHP “waiting with loaded magazines,” suggesting that unresolved rivalries between Özel supporters and Kılıçdaroğlu loyalists continue to fuel tensions.

These remarks coincide with increasingly harsh rhetoric from Özgür Özel directed at elements of the party’s former leadership.

Political observers in Ankara believe the CHP congress case is evolving into far more than a legal dispute. Instead, it is increasingly viewed as a defining struggle that could reshape the balance of power within Türkiye’s opposition and influence the country’s broader political trajectory in the months ahead.

Sources:  BBC Turkish, KARAR