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The leader of Türkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ozgur Ozel announced Tuesday the expulsion of a party member who accepted appointment to lead the party's Istanbul branch, escalating an internal power struggle within the organization.
CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel said the party expelled Gursel Tekin after he agreed to accept the Istanbul provincial chairmanship position, replacing the current chairman Ozgur Celik. The move comes amid ongoing legal disputes affecting the party's leadership structure.
"We anticipated this. We were aware of it," Ozel said regarding tensions with the Istanbul provincial management and Celik's potential removal from his position.
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The chairman revealed that legal cases are pending in both Ankara and Istanbul, with six cases consolidated in the capital and four combined cases proceeding in Istanbul. These legal proceedings appear to be connected to the leadership dispute.
Ozel defended the current Istanbul chairman, stating that "Ozgur Celik is our Istanbul Provincial Chairman. He is at his post and continues his duties."
The expulsion was swift and decisive. "We expelled from the party the person who announced he would accept the position," Ozel said, referring to Tekin's willingness to take on the contested role.
The CHP leader explained the procedural steps taken: "As a precautionary measure, meaning party membership ends the moment the decision is made, we cautiously referred him to the High Disciplinary Board and expelled him from the party."
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