A lawmaker from Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Hasan Ozturkmen, accused the party’s former leadership of deliberately provoking police intervention during the evacuation of CHP headquarters in Ankara after a court annulled the party’s 2023 congress.
Speaking to Anadolu, Ozturkmen criticized the tensions surrounding the transfer of authority at the party headquarters following the court’s “absolute nullity” ruling, describing the scenes as “deeply upsetting.”
“They deliberately caused the police to intervene in the incident," Ozturkmen said. "Those responsible are the friends who were in the administration at that time.”
The ruling, which invalidated the congress that brought Ozgur Ozel to power in November 2023, has triggered a fierce struggle between rival factions inside the CHP, with both camps accusing each other of undermining party democracy, damaging opposition unity and attempting to seize control of the party through illegitimate means.
The court declared the 2023 congress legally invalid under the principle of “absolute nullity,” automatically restoring the pre-congress administration headed by Kemal Kilicdaroglu until a new congress is organized.
The decision effectively reopened a leadership battle that has divided the CHP since Ozel defeated Kilicdaroglu nearly three years ago.
Ozturkmen criticized the former party management for allegedly refusing dialogue despite ongoing communication efforts after the ruling.
“If you had already designated yourselves as group leaders and left the chairman’s office vacant, why did you wait for the police to enter the building?” he said. “Delegations were in constant contact on Saturday. They knowingly created this scene. It was intended to provoke a reaction against Kilicdaroglu.”
The lawmaker stressed that the ruling was binding under the constitution and noted that discussions had continued with the former administration since Saturday evening to coordinate implementation of the court decision.
“We said we wanted to come to headquarters to discuss how to implement the ruling," he said. "They kept stalling us until Sunday morning by saying, ‘Let’s see, we’ll do it.’”
“When we went there Sunday morning for talks, they did not allow us inside," he added. "For the first time in CHP history, CHP lawmakers were not allowed into the CHP building.”
Referring to calls by the party's parliamentary group chairman Ozgur Ozel, for a swift party congress, Ozturkmen argued that the legal process prevented such a move for now.
“There is currently a Court of Cassation process and an interim injunction decision. The party cannot hold a congress before the Court of Cassation process is completed. At the moment, our party is being administered on an interim basis,” he said.
Background of CHP internal struggle and accusations
A Turkish court has ordered the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to organize a new congress after annulling the party’s 2023 leadership vote over allegations of irregularities.
The ruling followed lawsuits filed by CHP delegates and former Hatay Mayor Lutfu Savas, who challenged the legitimacy of the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress held in November 2023, where Ozgur Ozel defeated longtime chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
According to the court decision, the congress was deemed legally invalid under the principle of “absolute nullity,” a legal doctrine in Turkish law used for acts considered fundamentally unlawful or procedurally defective.
The court ordered the reinstatement of CHP’s pre-congress administration on an interim basis to oversee preparations for a new party congress and leadership election.
The decision marks a major development for Türkiye’s main opposition party, which had been led by Ozel since he unseated Kilicdaroglu in an internal leadership contest nearly three years ago.
Allegations over congress process
The lawsuits alleged that irregularities took place during the congress process, including claims of vote buying, political favors offered to delegates and procedural violations affecting the integrity of the leadership vote.
The plaintiffs argued that the alleged violations compromised the legitimacy of the congress outcome and requested the cancellation of the leadership election.
CHP officials have repeatedly rejected the allegations and submitted legal defenses during the court proceedings.
Meanwhile, Ankara prosecutors launched a separate investigation in 2024 into allegations of vote rigging linked to the congress process.
- Timeline of events
* Nov. 4-5, 2023: Ozgur Ozel defeats Kemal Kilicdaroglu to become CHP chairman at the party congress.
* Late 2023-2024: CHP delegates and former Hatay Mayor Lutfu Savas file lawsuits seeking annulment of the congress.
* Claims: Plaintiffs allege vote buying, political favors and irregularities during the congress.
* 2024: Ankara prosecutors launch an investigation into alleged vote rigging; CHP denies allegations and submits defense to the court.
* May 2026: Court rules the 2023 CHP congress legally invalid under the principle of “absolute nullity.”
* After ruling: Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s pre-congress administration is temporarily reinstated to organize a new congress.
