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The Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance has postponed the trial regarding the annulment of the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress and 21st Extraordinary Congress to Sept. 8.
The court ruled that it would await the outcome of an appeal concerning a jurisdiction dispute in a related criminal case.
The hearing was attended by CHP lawyers Caglar Caglayan and Mehmet Can Keysan, along with attorney Onur Yusuf Uregen representing the delegates who filed the lawsuit.
The judge confirmed that the party’s bylaws, effective as of Nov. 4–5, 2023, were included in the case file and addressed various intervention requests submitted since the previous session.
Lawyer Uregen, representing the plaintiffs, opposed the intervention requests, stating they were an attempt to delay the case.
Uregen argued that the congress was null and void due to the congress chairman Ekrem Imamoglu's lack of impartiality, claiming this was established in the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's indictment and the 26th Criminal Court's reasoned decision.
"Many crimes were committed involving numerous perpetrators under Imamoglu's coordination for candidate Ozgur Ozel to win the general chairmanship election," Uregen stated, noting that 12 people faced charges while investigations continued against more than 100 suspects, including nine parliamentarians.
Uregen alleged that delegates received bribes and monetary or in-kind benefits before the congress: "Many delegates and their relatives were given jobs contrary to law and public interest in municipalities managed by mayors supporting Ozgur Ozel, before and after the congress. Fake tenders were awarded contrary to the law and public interest in municipalities managed by mayors supporting Ozel. Pressure was applied that employees and their relatives would be fired from municipalities managed by mayors supporting Ozel if they did not support Ozel."
Uregen claimed that organized pressure was applied to candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu to withdraw from candidacy, and false information about his withdrawal was spread, manipulating delegates and the congress' will.
"The congress chairman interfered with vote counting procedures, illegally canceling 18 votes cast for Kilicdaroglu in the first election, creating the perception that Ozel would win and manipulating delegate will," Uregen stated.
Defense lawyer Caglar Caglayan requested acceptance of the intervention requests and argued the court should rule on lack of jurisdiction, by stating: "The congress presidium consists of 9 people and decisions are made by majority vote. The congress chairman was not on duty during the congress, having transferred his duties to the election board judge, and the proceedings were conducted by the election board judge," Caglayan said.
Caglayan argued that judicial courts lack the authority to review political party congress elections according to Supreme Election Board decisions and Supreme Court precedents.
"Political party congresses consist of two stages. All objections regarding elections are made to the election board and the election judge makes final decisions. Judicial courts do not have the duty to review procedures and results in political party congress elections," he added.
Caglayan claimed the lawsuit filing period had expired and the case should be dismissed due to the statute of limitations.
"Political parties must be managed by those elected in their congresses. Removing these people through courts and leaving the party to someone else's management is contrary to the spirit of the law," Caglayan stated.
Defense lawyer Mehmet Can Keysan also requested case dismissal and acceptance of intervention requests.
Intervening parties' lawyers agreed with CHP officials' statements and requested case dismissal.
Plaintiff's lawyer Uregen stated: "We do not have a trustee appointment request. There is no need to wait for the criminal trial result for this case. The delegate will have been cumulatively compromised. There is a matter of irregularity here, and this irregularity should be evaluated and revealed in court. This is not a political case; it is a legal case."
After hearing arguments, the court accepted the intervention requests and decided to await the conclusion of the appeal regarding the jurisdictional ruling in the criminal case, postponing the hearing to Sept. 8.
CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Basarir spoke outside party headquarters following the postponement decision.
"If one of our elders wants to become general chairman, neighborhood elections begin, and from there, like Mr. Ozgur Ozel, he comes before the delegate, the delegate tests him, and if he succeeds, he wins," Basarir stated.
Basarir assessed that the case had no basis in procedure or substance, arguing that if the case were accepted, there would be no "election security" in Türkiye.
"I am sure this case will come out in our favor on September 8. This case should be dismissed on September 8 as well. No one has the right to damage law and justice this much," Basarir said.
CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Ozgur Celik, who came to party headquarters for a provincial chairmen's meeting, answered journalists' questions.
"CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress is as pure as mother's milk. Those looking for irregularities and stains from neighborhood congresses to the congress can look at AK Party's congresses and conventions," Celik stated.
Celik challenged claims about apartment distribution, saying: "Let's go and knock on the door of the apartment in Istanbul and ask 'Were you given an apartment at the congress?' I will resign from both the Istanbul Provincial Chairmanship and the party."
Former CHP General Chairman Hikmet Cetin expressed hope that the opposition would rally around the CHP and that party unity should be achieved.
When asked, Cetin stated he had not met with former CHP General Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu recently.
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