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The fifth hearing in the lawsuit seeking to annul the 2023 congress of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) took place today.
The case being heard by the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance began at around 10 am local time (GMT+3).
Three potential outcomes were on the table: the congress could be declared invalid, the lawsuit could be dismissed, or the hearing could be postponed for further proceedings.
The plaintiffs have demanded the annulment of the congress, while the CHP leadership has requested the case be dismissed. A lawyer representing former Hatay Mayor Lütfi Savaş, a member of the plaintiff group, also called for former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to be appointed as interim chair.
The court, after reviewing the parties’ requests, adjourned the case to Oct 23.
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The case stems from allegations of procedural irregularities during the CHP’s 2023 congress, where a leadership change occurred after 14 years. Claims include vote-buying and other forms of misconduct.
Former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and several delegates had filed separate lawsuits in different courts seeking the annulment of the congress. These lawsuits were merged into a single case file on Feb 14. İstanbul’s now-suspended and jailed mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was among the individuals implicated in the case.
The CHP has rejected the allegations and described the case as a politically motivated effort by the government to reshape the party leadership through judicial means.
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The context
The current legal battle traces back to a shift in the leadership of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) following its loss in the 2023 presidential election.
Then-CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was held responsible within the party for the defeat, after running and losing against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in what was widely seen as the most challenging election for him in two decades amid deepening economic troubles.
Following the loss, İstanbul’s now-suspended mayor and a prominent figure in the party, Ekrem İmamoğlu, launched a “change” movement within the party, opposing Kılıçdaroğlu’s continued leadership. Özgür Özel, backed by İmamoğlu, defeated Kılıçdaroğlu at the Nov 2023 congress, becoming the party’s first new chair in 14 years. Under Özel’s leadership, the CHP went on to achieve a major victory in the 2024 local elections, inflicting the largest electoral defeat on Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in its history.
İmamoğlu, a popular political figure since his 2019 İstanbul mayoral win, had long been seen as a potential presidential candidate for the CHP.
Meanwhile, the faction that lost control of the party challenged the congress results, filing multiple complaints over alleged irregularities. In February, investigations were opened into the İstanbul provincial congress and the national congress.
Separately, İmamoğlu was arrested in March on corruption-related charges and suspended from office. The corruption probes have since expanded to other CHP-held municipalities. More than a dozen CHP mayors, including those of İstanbul, Antalya, and Adana, have now been suspended.
In the case concerning the İstanbul provincial congress, a court on Sep 5 issued a temporary injunction removing the elected İstanbul leadership and appointed a new interim administration from the faction that lost the election. The interim group entered the party’s provincial headquarters last week with police escort. The CHP has said it does not recognize the court’s decision.
The outcome of this case is expected to be decisive for the party’s future direction.
(VK)