ANKARA, June 11 – Leadership allies of Turkey’s removed opposition chief Ozgur Ozel have stepped down from the party’s governing body, according to his office on Thursday, stating this action should legally require an emergency party convention to choose a new chairman.
Last month, a Turkish court invalidated the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 2023 convention that put Ozel in the chairman position, pointing to procedural violations. The ruling also restored Kemal Kilicdaroglu to leadership, the CHP’s controversial former head who was defeated by President Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential race.
Critics have characterized the court’s ruling as having political motivations during an extraordinary legal assault on the CHP, which has shaken financial markets and raised alarm about democratic institutions and legal standards in Turkey.
Before the court’s intervention, the CHP was polling at similar levels to Erdogan’s Islamic-influenced and conservative governing AK Party.
This opposition turmoil may strengthen Erdogan’s chances of continuing his over twenty-year leadership of NATO member Turkey in elections set for 2028 or earlier, which political experts suggest could happen sooner if the administration attempts to capitalize on the CHP’s internal conflict.
TENSION BETWEEN REINSTATED AND REMOVED LEADERS
Kilicdaroglu has stated his intention to cleanse the CHP of corrupt practices, referencing investigations involving CHP-controlled local governments. The removed leadership rejects these corruption claims, calling them a politically driven and undemocratic “coup”.
These departures occurred one day after Kilicidaroglu requested the removal of nine CHP members who support Ozel, including four from the governing body. He will lead a party assembly session on Thursday.
According to a statement from Ozel’s office, 28 members from the 57-person assembly have quit, representing the collapse of the party’s governing structure and legally requiring a convention within 45 days.
Zeynel Emre, a spokesperson for Ozel, stated it would now be illegal to avoid calling the convention, since the party assembly and central leadership committee no longer meet minimum membership requirements.
