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Kemal Kilicdaroglu, reinstated as chairman of Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) following a court ruling, said Saturday that he would organize a new party congress “as soon as possible,” but did not provide a specific date.
“I will bring a ballot box for the party congress before you as soon as possible,” Kilicdaroglu said during an address at CHP headquarters in Ankara.
“We will hold a clean, completely transparent party congress,” he added.
“Our party members will build our party's safe harbor. We will all go to that safe harbor together.”
Kilicdaroglu visited party headquarters on the final day of Eid al-Adha. A photograph shared by his team on social media showed him seated at his desk with a copy of the party’s bylaws prominently displayed in front of him.
The remarks came as rival factions within the CHP exchanged fresh accusations following a court ruling that reinstated Kilicdaroglu as the party’s legal chairperson pending a new congress.
Supporters of former CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel gathered at a rally in Ankara, where some participants criticized Kilicdaroglu for accepting the court ruling and returning to party headquarters.
At the same time, Kilicdaroglu hosted a separate gathering at CHP headquarters, defending the court’s decision and accusing his opponents of harming the party through alleged corruption, personal ambition and political misconduct.
“Did we build this party so that its reputation could be trampled in courtrooms?” Kilicdaroglu told supporters.
Referring to CHP as a legacy entrusted by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, he questioned who had dragged the party into legal disputes and accused unnamed figures of betraying it through “personal ambitions” and “backroom calculations.”
“People ask me what I will do. What I will do is clear. I will demand accountability,” he said.
Ozel, whose 2023 election as party chairperson was annulled by the court, called for an urgent congress and challenged Kilicdaroglu to compete in a new vote.
“I’m ready to compete against whichever delegate you want, against every delegate. Set a date for the convention,” Ozel told supporters.
“Let’s put it before the 2 million CHP members and let the people choose whom they want. If I get less than 85%, I won’t run as a candidate.”
“I’m not afraid of the convention; I want a primary election with the participation of all members,” he added.
Ozel also argued that the party should not be led by a court-appointed administration.
“The CHP cannot be run by an appointed leader,” he said.
“We have a historic opportunity before us. The CHP can emerge from this chaos and turbulence stronger than ever.”
The latest confrontation followed a decision by Ankara’s Regional Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling declaring the CHP’s November 2023 congress legally invalid under the principle of “absolute nullity.”
The ruling temporarily restored Kilicdaroglu’s pre-congress administration and tasked it with organizing a new leadership vote.
The case stemmed from lawsuits filed by CHP delegates and former Hatay Mayor Lutfu Savas, who challenged the legitimacy of the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress, where Ozel defeated Kilicdaroglu and ended his 13-year leadership of the CHP.
Plaintiffs alleged delegates were offered money, political favors, municipal positions, and employment opportunities in exchange for supporting Ozel.
In 2024, Ankara prosecutors launched a separate investigation into allegations of vote rigging linked to the congress process.
Ozel and his allies have consistently denied the accusations and described the legal proceedings as politically motivated.
The ruling has reopened a leadership struggle that has divided the CHP since the 2023 congress.
Ozel’s supporters argue that the decision represents judicial interference in the internal affairs of Türkiye’s largest opposition party and have called on members to defend the outcome of the congress.
Kilicdaroglu’s supporters, however, maintain that the allegations surrounding the vote cannot be ignored and argue that accountability is necessary to restore the party’s credibility.
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