Ankara: A court in Ankara has ordered the removal of the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP). The state news agency, Anadolu, reported that the ruling led to the ousting of ‚¬€œzgr ‚¬€œzel and the current party leadership from their positions. ‚¬€œzel addressed his supporters, promising to endure and not surrender, emphasizing honour, dignity, courage, and a fighting spirit in his message on X.
According to Ghana News Agency, the court's decision declared the 2023 party congress, where ‚¬€œzel was elected chairman, retroactively invalid. This ruling affects all subsequent party congresses and their resolutions. Allegations have surfaced regarding whether delegates were bribed to vote for ‚¬€œzel during the 2023 leadership contest, a case that has hovered over the party for years. ‚¬€œzel has called for an extraordinary meeting in Ankara to address the situation.
As reported by the newspaper Cumhuriyet, CHP supporters were encouraged to gather outside the party headquarters in Ankara through text messages. The police have set up barricades around the area. The CHP leadership has denied any wrongdoing, and while the case was initially dismissed in October, it was later reopened.
Turkey's judiciary has been increasing pressure on the CHP for over a year, leading to the detention of hundreds of party members and numerous mayors. Meanwhile, internal power struggles have emerged between supporters of ‚¬€œzel and his predecessor, Kemal Kili§daroglu, who led the CHP for over a decade before losing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election.
The most prominent figure detained so far is former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been held in pre-trial detention since March 2025 on corruption charges. ‚¬€œzgr Celik, the CHP provincial chairman for Istanbul, condemned the court ruling as politically motivated, suggesting it aims to undermine democracy and the people's right to vote.
Political scientist Berk Esen described the situation as a dark day in Turkish history, highlighting the unprecedented attempt to transform the CHP through legal means. President Erdogan, who has been in power for more than 20 years, has exerted significant influence over the judiciary since the introduction of a presidential system in 2018. Erdogan is seeking a constitutional amendment to potentially run again in the next elections, due in 2028.