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Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is preparing for sweeping changes at its 39th Ordinary Congress in November, with Chair Özgür Özel moving to solidify his grip on the party by sidelining rivals and reshaping internal balances.
Party insiders say the congress will mark the most dramatic shake-up since the controversial 2023 congress, this time targeting figures linked to Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, the Turkish newspaper Sabah wrote Thursday.
The congress, already clouded by legal disputes over past conventions, comes as Özel consolidates his control through what critics describe as a systematic purge of rivals. Since taking office, Özel has referred nearly 400 members for disciplinary action, targeting supporters of former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and others who have questioned the party’s direction.
According to Sabah, Özel will push to replace at least half of the 60-member party assembly and restructure the Central Executive Committee (MYK). No significant changes were made after the 2023 convention, dubbed by critics the “shady congress,” when Özel was forced to allocate nearly a quarter of the party’s assembly to Imamoğlu’s so-called “Istanbul formation.”
This time, insiders say, many of those figures will be cut. “The chairman wants a loyal team around him,” one party source told Sabah, suggesting that Özel is intent on isolating Imamoğlu ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Imamoğlu, jailed since March, faces a string of cases ranging from corruption and tender rigging to bribery and misuse of office during his tenure as Istanbul mayor. Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal network. He has also been convicted of insulting and threatening a public prosecutor, was indicted over alleged forgery of his university diploma, and charged with issuing permits in exchange for bribes and awarding irregular municipal contracts. He is accused of “buying” votes for Özel in the 2023 “shady” congress.
Congress case looms
The power struggle is unfolding under the shadow of a high-profile court case that could upend Özel’s leadership entirely. An Ankara court is set to rule on Oct. 24 on a lawsuit seeking to annul the November 2023 congress that first brought him to power. Filed by former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and other delegates, the case alleges vote-buying and irregularities in the delegate process, demanding the congress be declared “absolutely null and void.”
If the court sides with the plaintiffs, Özel could be stripped of authority, Kılıçdaroğlu’s team reinstated or a trustee appointed to run the party. Even the possibility has rattled the CHP, which has been battling corruption scandals, public dissent and the risk of judicial intervention for months.
In response, Özel engineered a second extraordinary congress on Sept. 21, his second in six months. With 835 out of 917 delegate votes, he secured reelection unopposed in what party officials hailed as proof of legitimacy. Critics, however, saw the vote as a symbolic maneuver designed to insulate him from the annulment case. If the court rules against him, Özel could point to consecutive electoral wins as justification to remain in power.
Speaking to a pro-opposition broadcaster on Thursday, Özel argued the November congress would settle legitimacy questions and render “all these absurd lawsuits irrelevant.”
Uncertain future for rivals
The outcome of the October hearing will be decisive. Should the court reject “absolute nullity,” Özel is expected to push ahead with his plans to reshape the CHP in his image, purging both Kılıçdaroğlu loyalists and Imamoğlu’s allies at the November congress.
Party sources say the congress will also abolish the shadow cabinet system and cut the MYK down to around 15 members, further centralizing decision-making under Özel.
For Imamoğlu, once considered the CHP’s strongest presidential hopeful, the stakes are especially high. With his influence in the party assembly under threat and legal troubles mounting, his position within the party appears increasingly fragile.
Özel on Thursday insisted the CHP remains behind Imamoğlu but would rally around an alternative candidate if legal obstacles bar his presidential run.
For Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, whispers of a return continue to circulate, with some suggesting he could regain influence if the court rules against Özel.
The CHP chair denied the existence of a Kılıçdaroğlu faction within the CHP, insisting he was not at odds with his predecessor.
