ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish appeals court delivered a significant blow to the nation’s primary opposition movement Thursday by invalidating the 2023 party election that brought its current leader to power.
The decision strikes another damaging blow against the Republican People’s Party, known as CHP, which has been battling numerous legal challenges aimed at its leadership and elected representatives.
The appeals court in Turkey’s capital Ankara invalidated the CHP leadership election that installed Ozgur Ozel as party chairman, mandating his replacement with former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
While a lower court previously rejected allegations of voting irregularities and improper conduct in Ozel’s election last year, Thursday’s appellate ruling reversed that earlier decision.
The court order triggered urgent discussions at CHP headquarters in Ankara, creating additional obstacles for opposition efforts to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than 20-year grip on power. Substantial crowds assembled outside the building while law enforcement set up protective barriers.
Turkey’s next presidential contest is scheduled for 2028, though Erdogan retains the authority to schedule an earlier election. His primary political rival, Istanbul’s CHP mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, has been behind bars since March of last year while facing trial on corruption accusations.
The appellate court’s ruling temporarily removes Ozel and the party’s executive leadership from their positions. Kilicdaroglu and officials who served before the November 2023 party congress will assume their roles on an interim basis.
Speaking to broadcaster TV100, Kilicdaroglu urged party supporters to stay composed. “Our party is a very large party and it will solve its own problems internally,” he said. The 77-year-old leader was ousted after leading the party for 13 years without securing victory in any nationwide elections.
Ozel, for his part, worked to energize his base of support.
“I am not promising you a path to power through a rose garden,” he posted on X following the ruling. “I am promising you the ability to endure suffering but never surrender. I am promising you honor, dignity, courage and struggle!”
The CHP plans to contest Thursday’s decision before the Supreme Court in the near future.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who previously handled multiple CHP cases as Istanbul’s top prosecutor, characterized the court’s decision as one that “reinforces our citizens’ trust in democracy.”
Numerous political analysts have argued that the legal actions targeting the CHP — primarily focused on corruption accusations — are politically driven attempts to weaken the party before upcoming elections. Government officials, however, maintain that Turkey’s judicial system operates independently without political interference.
Erdogan has governed Turkey since 2003, initially as prime minister before assuming the presidency. His winning streak faced a significant setback in 2019 when CHP candidates captured control of multiple major municipalities during local voting. In Istanbul, Imamoglu became a compelling and charismatic leader whom many believed capable of defeating Erdogan.
