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Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was reinstated as chairman of the Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) following a court ruling in May, said he would take the party to a new congress as soon as possible.
Speaking to Sozcu TV on Friday, Kilicdaroglu answered journalists' questions for the first time since the court annulled the CHP's 2023 congress and restored the party's previous leadership.
"I will definitely take the party to a congress as soon as possible. There is still the Court of Cassation stage of the case and an injunction decision," Kilicdaroglu said.
He stressed that the party would hold an ordinary congress rather than an extraordinary gathering.
"At most, it will take four to five months. There are provincial chair elections and delegate elections. You cannot hold it with the old delegates anyway. It is impossible because the court annulled it. Why? Because there were allegations of irregularities," he said.
Asked about criticism directed at him following his return to the party leadership, Kilicdaroglu defended his decision to accept the court's ruling.
"What would have happened if I had not accepted the ruling of absolute nullity? The governor's office would have appointed a trustee, a district governor, here. Would you want that?" he said.
Kilicdaroglu argued that the court ruling restored not only him but also the CHP Party Assembly and other party organs to their pre-congress positions.
He also suggested that internal opponents feared reforms he intends to carry out.
"Why are they afraid of me? On what grounds are they afraid? They are afraid because I am going to carry out a cleansing process," he said.
"Every kind of criticism can be made within this party. There is a strong culture of objection within this party. People express their objections, and party chairmen and administrators listen to them fully. But dirty relationships have never been tolerated in this party. Nor has this party ever sheltered those who become involved in such dirty relationships."
The CHP continues to grapple with a leadership dispute triggered by the court's decision to invalidate the party's 2023 congress over alleged procedural irregularities and order a new leadership vote.
An Ankara court in May annulled the CHP's 2023 leadership election over allegations of vote buying and reinstated Kilicdaroglu as interim chairman.
The ruling temporarily restored the party's pre-congress administration under Kilicdaroglu to oversee preparations for a fresh congress, while CHP officials have denied allegations that the original leadership contest was tainted by misconduct.
The decision sparked protests within the CHP. Party headquarters were briefly surrounded by police following the ruling.
Meanwhile, suspended chairperson, Ozgur Ozel, who was removed from office under the court decision, has called for an extraordinary congress, arguing that the party cannot be governed under what he described as an imposed leadership.
More than 800 CHP delegates this week submitted petitions demanding an extraordinary congress to elect a new party leader.
Political observers cited by Turkish media say Kilicdaroglu now faces mounting pressure to quickly organize a new congress, though questions remain over the timing of the vote and the future balance of power within the party.
The CHP's 2023 congress saw Ozel defeat Kilicdaroglu, ending the latter's more than decade-long tenure as leader of Türkiye's main opposition party.
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