A high-stakes legal case in Ankara targeting the internal elections of Turkey’s main opposition party has raised concerns over judicial overreach and political engineering, with potential consequences that could upend the leadership of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and destabilise its organisational structure.
The case centres on the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress, held on 4-5 November 2023, where Özgür Özel defeated long-standing party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu after 13 years at the helm. Özel’s victory was widely viewed as a generational shift in opposition politics following the CHP’s performance in the 2023 general elections.
Shortly after the congress, former CHP Mayor of Hatay Lütfü Savaş and a number of other congress delegates lodged a legal complaint alleging vote-buying, delegate manipulation and other procedural irregularities. The complaint was consolidated at Ankara’s 42nd Civil Court of the First Instance, with the first hearing held on 26 May 2025.
While the court declined to impose immediate interim measures, it requested detailed records and adjourned the case to 30 June 2025. Witnesses reportedly testified that some delegates had been offered cash in return for their votes.
Separately, Ankara’s Chief State Prosecution indicted 12 individuals, including the jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, over alleged manipulation during the congress. The indictment reportedly names Kılıçdaroğlu as a ‘victim’, with prosecutors seeking prison terms of one to three years for the accused.
Should the Ankara court annul the 2023 congress, the consequences would be severe: Özel’s leadership could be voided, and the CHP itself placed under judicial trusteeship. This would mirror past state takeovers of opposition-held municipalities, with a court-appointed trustee overseeing party affairs until a new congress is organised, within 45 days. It is likely that such a move would force a full-scale reassessment of delegate mandates and local organisational structures.
Observers warn that judicial interference in the CHP’s internal affairs could erode the party’s stability ahead of crucial national elections. Some commentators suggest the lawsuits form part of a broader effort by government-aligned actors to weaken the opposition through legal means.
The outcome of the case also intersects with ongoing legal challenges faced by İmamoğlu, fuelling broader fears over the politicisation of the judiciary and the blurring of lines between legal oversight and political manoeuvring.
If the court annuls the congress, Kılıçdaroğlu could make a temporary return, while the party risks internal fragmentation. If the case is dismissed, Özel may emerge with stronger legitimacy—but lingering legal uncertainty could still cloud his leadership.
The court’s ruling, expected at the next hearing on 30 June, may mark a turning point not only for the CHP’s future but for the role of law in party politics in Turkey’s increasingly centralised political system.
