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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has signaled that it may push for unrest if courts issue more verdicts against its members, following the suspension of its Istanbul head on allegations of vote-buying in an intraparty election.
The party gathered directors of its branches in 81 provinces on Thursday outside its Istanbul offices, in support of suspended Istanbul chair Özgür Çelik. Çelik joined the group that also marked the foundation anniversary of Türkiye’s oldest party.
Çelik and his administrative staff at the CHP’s Istanbul branch were suspended from office on Tuesday by a court tackling a complaint by a CHP member over alleged vote-buying and irregularities in the 2023 election of Çelik. Trustees, including prominent CHP member Gürsel Tekin, were appointed to the branch. Tekin’s appointment and his acceptance of the duty drew the ire of the incumbent CHP administration, who promptly moved to expel Tekin, a former lawmaker and deputy director of the party.
As in previous investigations of the party and its municipalities on corruption charges, the CHP claims court orders are politically motivated. The government denies the claims, emphasizing the judiciary’s independence and urging the CHP to await the outcomes of ongoing investigations and trials.
CHP Chairperson Özgür Özel appeared at the Istanbul offices Wednesday and defied the court order. “If we accept it, it will mean that we are in denial of the election,” he said, expressing support for Çelik and his administration. Özel said the party had launched a petition among delegates who elected Çelik to hold another extraordinary election for Istanbul and reinstate him. Technically, Çelik cannot return to office through an election; he must be cleared in the ongoing investigation to be eligible.
Özel returned to Ankara on Thursday to speak at events for the anniversary of CHP and invoked symbols of the CHP’s past glory, pledging “a new era” for his party that has been defeated in every general election since 1950. “We are as determined as we were 106 years ago,” he said, referring to the struggle for independence launched by former Ottoman officer Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who went on to become the founder of the Republic of Türkiye and the CHP.
Özel, who has been less hawkish than his predecessor against the government in his first days in office, even sought “normalizing” ties with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). But this brief softening of the climate ended shortly after the 2024 municipal elections, where the CHP scored significant gains for the first time in decades. When investigations were launched against the CHP-run municipalities on charges of widespread corruption, Özel shifted his tone and scrambled to rally the opposition supporters against the investigations. The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, who is accused of taking bribes and rigging public tenders, escalated the CHP’s rhetoric against the government and gradually, Özel sought to incite people to take to the streets.
Thursday’s remarks marked a sharp shift in the CHP’s policies—from an inclusive party that once reached out to rivals to an opposition movement mobilizing every means to protect its mayors and push for early elections. Özel has long sought to build his reputation as opposition leader capable of challenging the AK Party, but Imamoğlu’s arrest intensified calls for elections before the scheduled 2028 vote.
The CHP often goes to great lengths to conceal dissent within the party, defending disagreement among different factions as merely a clash of opinions in a democratic climate. However, recent developments, particularly Tekin’s acceptance of Çelik’s seat and the former’s subsequent expulsion, underscore a deepening divide. Tekin, a lifelong CHP member, was close to Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who still has names close to him in the party after Özel defeated him in a 2023 election. A trial on that election will have its next hearing on Sept. 15, and a verdict there may render Özel’s tenure as null and void. Kılıçdaroğlu has already expressed his intention to take over the party if Özel is suspended from office by the court and Tekin’s rapid acceptance of leading the Istanbul branch of the CHP likely heightened infighting in the party, where Kılıçdaroğlu may stage a comeback after his low-key departure in the wake of a devastating loss in the 2023 general election to Erdoğan.
The CHP convened its central executive board on Tuesday after Çelik’s suspension and media reports say the party discussed a new road map in the face of the ruling that may also influence the upcoming hearing about the “shady election” that brought Özel to power. The Sabah newspaper reported on Thursday that the CHP will likely hold a rally at its headquarters on Sept. 15 in parallel with the hearing, similar to almost daily rallies it holds since the arrest of Imamoğlu. Some party members close to Kılıçdaroğlu are reportedly planning a counter rally. The Sabah report claimed that Özel’s remarks promising to expel anyone accepting being a trustee from the party angered supporters of Kılıçdaroğlu. According to party sources speaking to Sabah, if expulsions are pursued, it could trigger the most significant wave of resignations in CHP history, from grassroots members to members of Parliament.
The party leadership’s sudden expulsion of Tekin has also fueled criticism, especially given the lack of action against Ertan Yıldız, a CHP member who was arrested alongside Imamoğlu on charges of corruption and collaborating with authorities to present evidence against Imamoğlu and his criminal network.
Özel’s implied threat of riots in response to a possible annulment decision for his rule on Sept. 15 has deepened divisions within the party.
