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An Ankara court on Monday ordered Türkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to submit comprehensive delegate lists from its upcoming convention and Istanbul provincial congress, postponing the trial challenging two party conventions until Oct. 24.
The Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance is hearing a lawsuit seeking to cancel CHP's 38th Ordinary Convention held Nov. 4-5, 2023, and its 21st Extraordinary Convention on April 6, 2025.
Judge's ruling specifically requires CHP to provide delegate lists from the Sept. 21 extraordinary convention, including merger records and complete name lists of all delegates, including those who participated and those who did not, as well as those who voted and those who abstained.
The court also demanded similar documentation from the Istanbul provincial congress.
Attorney Onur Yusuf Uregen, representing convention delegates, argued that the Supreme Election Board's (YSK) recent decision on the Istanbul provincial congress cancellation established that disputes beyond ballot box issues fall under civil court jurisdiction.
"Our lawsuit is based on violations of public order and complete illegality, and such legal defects can be raised at any time without limitation periods," Uregen stated in court.
Uregen claimed criminal activities compromised the convention's integrity, noting that the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has filed criminal cases against numerous party members, with immunity removal proceedings ongoing for some current leaders and lawmakers.
He requested the court to provisionally remove from office CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel and other party officials elected at the disputed November 2023 convention, calling for the reinstatement of former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and previous party council members until a final ruling.
CHP attorney Caglar Caglayan countered that the YSK holds exclusive jurisdiction over congress elections and their cancellation, arguing the civil court lacks authority in this matter.
"The 'criminal organization' description the plaintiffs are trying to establish doesn't even exist in the indictment. It's clear the plaintiffs are trying to achieve through imagination," Caglayan said.
Caglayan criticized what he described as increasing pressure on CHP, stating: "Unfortunately, the pressure on CHP has become so intense that even our provincial office relocation notification is not being registered."
The defense attorney argued that absolute nullity requires a violation of specific legal provisions and cannot be derived from general conclusions. He noted that CHP has already held an extraordinary convention addressing these issues, with delegates collecting sufficient signatures to call another extraordinary convention on Sept. 21.
Caglayan also challenged the standing of plaintiff Lutfu Savas, former Hatay mayor, claiming Savas could not benefit from membership rights when the lawsuit was filed.
Following arguments, the court rejected all provisional measure requests from the plaintiff's attorney, stating these had been previously evaluated. The court ordered relevant decisions from Ankara's 26th Criminal Court and 3rd Civil Court to be added to the case file.
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The case stems from separate lawsuits filed by Savas and several delegates challenging the November 2023 convention. These cases were consolidated at Ankara's 42nd Civil Court on Feb. 14.
The legal proceedings follow an investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into alleged irregularities at the November 2023 convention.
CHP attorneys subsequently requested postponement of the Sept. 8 hearing, citing the party's foundation week celebrations from Sept. 4-9 and organizational events mandated by Article 86 of the party charter.
The court granted the request, rescheduling to today, Sept. 15, before issuing the latest postponement to Oct. 24.
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