The ousted leader of the Turkish opposition, Özgür Özel, continues to challenge Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu following the latter’s reinstatement as leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), insisting that he is the one who continues to lead the main opposition party despite the interim order included in the ruling issued by the Turkish courts on 21 May, which declared the election of Özel at the party congress in November 2023 to be “completely null and void”.
Özel, who yesterday visited the city of Izmir to see party members who remain in custody or are on trial, said in subsequent statements to the press, speaking about the serious internal crisis within the CHP, that “the annulment decision (issued by the Ankara Supreme Court) does not strip me of my mandate. The Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) is not actually annulling my mandate nor is it saying ‘I have cancelled it’. I am the elected leader of the party,” he stated in comments reported by the Turkish news channel CNN Türk.
The Turkish politician also maintained that the ruling – issued unanimously by the court – contains legal flaws, and insisted that he remains party leader despite the ruling’s provisions: “This is a completely illegal decision, which states that I cannot exercise certain powers related to the party leadership until the court ruling is final,” he declared.
Özel defends his election as parliamentary group leader
He also referred to his recent election as leader of the party’s parliamentary group, during a vote that took place after the ruling was announced and before the police cleared the CHP headquarters in Ankara on Sunday, following violent clashes and after Özel’s supporters refused to allow access to MPs aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu.
Özel, who was elected leader of the CHP parliamentary group on Saturday in a hastily convened vote with the support of 95 MPs, and who is using this election to demonstrate that he continues to enjoy his party’s support following the court ruling, defends the legality of the election; however, Kılıçdaroğlu has submitted a request to the presidency of the Turkish parliament to annul it, arguing that the vote is invalid.
“In accordance with the provision stating that, if the group presidency becomes vacant, a new president must be elected immediately at the first closed-door meeting, we met in accordance with the procedure at the request of the group leadership — which was not me, but the 12 colleagues who make up that leadership — and we held a new election for the group presidency. We also informed Parliament of this and it was duly recorded,” he stated defending the legality of the measure, whilst pointing out that Kılıçdaroğlu – not being a Member of Parliament – cannot chair the parliamentary group.
“Those who accuse us of stealing votes want to prevent a CHP congress”
In his statements to the press, Özel also reiterated his call for the urgent holding of a CHP congress – something Kılıçdaroğlu wishes to postpone at least until the end of the year and once the ruling is final – accusing his critics of wanting to prevent party members from casting their votes.
“Those who say ‘you stole the votes’ (at the 2023 congress) are shying away from the congress,” emphasised Özel, who reiterated his proposal to organise a broader vote involving the party’s nearly 2 million members, arguing that this would dispel any doubts about who should lead the CHP. “I am prepared to stand in an election… This would set a very good example for Turkey and would put an end to all the debates,” he stated.
Whilst the Turkish opposition remains mired in a deep crisis, the latest reports suggest that the party’s new leadership has decided to postpone a scheduled meeting of the Party Council; the move is significant because this is a body – comprising the CHP president and 60 elected members – which is responsible for defining the party’s strategy and policies, approving budgets and election manifestos, and which can also convene an extraordinary congress by a simple majority.
The cancellation may well be a response to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s fears that the Party Council could be dominated by Özel’s supporters seeking to force an extraordinary congress, which Kılıçdaroğlu wishes to avoid at all costs at this time. Elaborating on this situation, Kılıçdaroğlu is also reported to have informed CHP MPs that the meeting which the parliamentary group usually holds once a week at the parliament in Ankara is, for the time being, suspended until further notice.
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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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