The Turkish judiciary has triggered a huge political earthquake in Turkey this Thursday after the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal announced a ruling annulling the congress held in late 2023 at which the country’s main opposition party — the Republican People’s Party (CHP) — elected Özgür Özel as its general secretary, restoring Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the party’s leader.
The 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice concluded its review on appeal of the ruling issued on 24 October 2025 by Ankara Civil Court of First Instance No. 42, concerning the claims filed seeking the annulment of the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held in early November 2023; in that ruling, the court of first instance had determined that “it was not necessary to make a decision because the case has become moot”.
However, after admitting the appeal, the Regional Court of Justice has now ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and has declared the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Elective Congress – held on 4 and 5 November 2023 – null and void by “absolute nullity”, annulling it with retroactive effect from the very date of its holding, according to the Turkish news agency Anatolia.
The ruling states that, as a consequence of this absolute nullity, all congresses held subsequently – both ordinary and extraordinary – within the party are also annulled, as are the decisions adopted at them. The court ruling states that “due to the cancellation of the ordinary and extraordinary congresses and of all decisions adopted at those congresses, the situation will revert to the state prior to the 38th Ordinary Elective Congress held on 4 and 5 November 2023, and the general secretary Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the party bodies shall remain in their posts as they were prior to the date of the congress”.
The court suspends Özgür Özel as president until final ruling is issued
Furthermore, the court also rules that the CHP’s Istanbul Provincial Congress held a month earlier – on 8 October 2023 – as well as all decisions adopted at that congress, must also be annulled for the same reason. “It has been decided that the General Secretary Özgür Özel, who assumed office through the congress held on 4 and 5 November 2023, which is absolutely null and void, as well as the members of the Central Executive Committee, the members of the Party Council and the members of the Higher Disciplinary Board, shall be provisionally suspended from their duties,” the court states in its ruling.
“General Secretary Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who held the post prior to the congress held on 4 and 5 November 2023, together with the members of the Party Council and the High Disciplinary Board, shall provisionally assume their duties until the court decision becomes final. This provisional precautionary measure shall be forwarded to the Supreme Electoral Council, the Ankara Provincial Electoral Board, the Çankaya Fourth District Electoral Board and the Ankara Governor’s Office so that the necessary steps may be taken,” the ruling adds.
The decision was adopted unanimously but can be appealed to the Supreme Court within two weeks; however, as stated in the ruling, in any case it suspends Özel as leader of the CHP until a final decision is reached following the expected appeal. As soon as the ruling of “absolute nullity” of the 2023 congress became known, the party’s current leadership convened an emergency meeting at its headquarters in Ankara.
Divisions and internal power struggles within the CHP
The ruling is a severe blow to the current leadership of Turkey’s main opposition party. Since Kılıçdaroğlu – who faced significant criticism following his defeat in the 2023 presidential election – was removed from the CHP leadership at the November 2023 congress, bringing an end to his 13 years in office, the main opposition party has been riven by a deep internal division between Özel’s supporters and the followers of the veteran Turkish politician.
In a video released yesterday in Turkey before the court ruling was known, Kılıçdaroğlu made a forceful and solemn public statement on political integrity, morality and the internal situation of the CHP amidst the severe internal tensions and power struggles affecting the main opposition party; in the recording, Kılıçdaroğlu stated that he would not remain silent in the face of those demanding he keep quiet and called for an “internal purge” within the party, alluding to possible cases of corruption.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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