The main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) held its 35th Ordinary Congress in Ankara on Jan. 16-17, where Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was re-elected as the party's leader with 990 votes out of the 1,238 delegates. Although Kılıçdaroğlu had signaled an intention to make comprehensive changes, four names were not included and only eight deputy chairmen were re-included in his list for the party council candidacy. In addition to the minimal changes, one of the most striking changes was his not including deputy chairman Mehmet Bekaroğlu within the list for party council candidacy. Kılıçdaroğlu has been criticized by CHP members for poorly managing the congress, an indication of this is that his right-hand man, CHP Secretary-General Gürsel Tekin, was not elected for the party council by not receiving enough votes from the party delegation.

Within the list of 60 members for the party council, significant CHP figures such as CHP Secretary-General Tekin, deputy Enis Berberoğlu and Seyhan Erdoğdu in which Kılıçdaroğlu listed as candidates were not elected as party council members.

Furthermore, controversial CHP deputy Gamze Akkuş İlgezdi received 354 votes by party delegation and entered the party, council while CHP sources have reported that Battal İlgezdi and İzmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu had played an active role in the congress results. According to media reports, it was claimed that Kılıçdaroğlu's daughter, Zeynep Kılıçdaroğlu, bought a luxurious apartment after the CHP leader guaranteed the deputyship to Gamze Akkuş İlgezdi, who is the spouse of Battal İlgezdi, mayor of the Ataşehir Municipality in Istanbul. Moreover it was claimed that the İlgezdi family owned 17 luxurious apartments in the same residence complex.