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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has expelled long-time member Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed yesterday by a court as interim head of the party’s İstanbul provincial branch, party leader Özgür Özel announced during a live broadcast .
Özel’s move came hours after a court suspended the results of the CHP’s 2023 İstanbul congress, citing allegations of vote-buying and other irregularities. In an interim decision, the court ruled that the claims were “approximately proven” and imposed a temporary injunction, suspending the existing provincial leadership from their posts. It appointed a new interim board led by Tekin, a former MP and senior party figure.
The provincial congress is a step in the party leadership election process. Local delegates elected at this stage go on to form part of the national delegate body, which ultimately votes to choose the party leader. As the province with the largest number of delegates, İstanbul plays a key role in determining the party leadership.
Özel, who joined a live broadcast late yesterday on the pro-opposition network Halk TV, said, “Gürsel Tekin has been expelled from the CHP. No one who was not elected by CHP members can enter our headquarters or provincial offices,” adding that the party would not comply with the court’s decision and would expel anyone who accepted the interim leadership post.
Since the ruling is a temporary injunction, the CHP can decline to implement it for now, though doing so could lead to a separate civil lawsuit challenging its noncompliance. Özel said the party’s legal team is reviewing the decision and will file an objection.
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Implying that the court’s move was politically motivated, Özel remarked, “They think, ‘We can’t defeat the CHP, so let’s eliminate it altogether.’ This nation will not allow a party founded on the battlefields to be shut down by a first instance court,” referring to the CHP’s founding during Turkey’s war of independence.
Later, Tekin responded to Özel’s remarks by saying he did not recognize the expulsion decision. In a written statement shared during a program on TV100, he said, “I do not accept this decision. You cry about [the ruling] AK Party’s judiciary, but you’re acting even worse. You cannot expel me or refer me to the disciplinary board without asking me or granting me a right to defense.”
Tekin had publicly announced his resignation from the party in Feb 2024, citing a departure from the CHP’s founding principles following Özel’s election to the party leadership. However, Özel revealed yesterday that Tekin had not officially formalized the resignation.
Internal rift
The developments reflect an internal power struggle between two blocs within the main opposition party. Tekin is known to be aligned with former party chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had led the CHP for 14 years before being defeated by Özel in Nov 2023.
Earlier this year, investigations were launched into alleged irregularities during both the national and İstanbul provincial congresses won by the bloc led by Özel. If courts confirm wrongdoing in these cases, the current party leadership could be removed.
Some observers close to the CHP interpret the lawsuits as part of a broader effort by the government to oust Özel and reinstate Kılıçdaroğlu.
The internal power struggle began after Kılıçdaroğlu lost the May 2023 presidential election to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Despite criticism over his candidacy due to his perceived low chances, Kılıçdaroğlu ran and lost in what was seen as Erdoğan’s most challenging election in his two-decade rule due to Turkey’s severe economic crisis.
Following the defeat, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, one of the CHP’s most popular figures and currently in pre-trial detention on corruption charges, launched a “change” movement within the party. Backed by İmamoğlu, Özel defeated Kılıçdaroğlu at the November 2023 congress. Allegations of misconduct in local and national congress processes later surfaced, leading to the current judicial challenges.
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Since İmamoğlu’s detention, which caused nationwide protests in March, the CHP has faced a broad crackdown, with multiple corruption investigations launched against its municipalities. The mayors of the metropolitan cities of Antalya and Adana, along with 12 district mayors, have been suspended from office.
The CHP sees these moves as part of the government’s efforts to undermine its gains in the 2024 local elections, where the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its most significant loss in 23 years in power. (VK)