Türkiye’s main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been plunged into fresh turmoil as party leader Özgür Özel ordered new disciplinary action against six more party members accused of siding with internal critics, while party defections are continuing.
CHP officials confirmed that six party members were referred to disciplinary boards after greeting and shaking hands with Istanbul provincial chair Gürsel Tekin, a figure associated with the party’s dissident wing. The move comes amid an escalating crackdown on voices critical of the current leadership, a long-running rift that has followed the party since its contentious 2023 congress.
At the center of the dispute is Abdulvahap Göçer, the CHP mayor of the Yazıhan district in Malatya province, who was earlier referred to the party’s disciplinary committee with a request for expulsion. Göçer, an outspoken critic of the party leadership, has accused senior figures of sidelining internal democracy and marginalizing elected local officials.
Tekin recently traveled to Malatya to show support for Göçer. Party officials say that Malatya Deputy Mayor Abdullah Günhan and five CHP municipal council members who welcomed Tekin at the airport were subsequently referred for disciplinary action.
All six are believed to be aligned with the party’s opposition faction.
A decision on Göçer’s case is expected on Feb. 5. He has rejected the accusations against him, saying he has committed no wrongdoing and arguing that dissent should not be treated as a disciplinary offense.
Previously, in his statements, Göçer said the party had been “occupied by interest-based groups” and vowed to continue what he described as a struggle to restore internal accountability.
Since Özel assumed the CHP leadership, party insiders estimate that hundreds of members have faced disciplinary proceedings. During his first year in office, nearly 400 party members were reportedly referred to disciplinary bodies, according to critics. Last year, similar action was taken against party members who called for an investigation into allegations linked to an ongoing legal dispute over the party’s congress results.
Several prominent figures, including former lawmakers and senior party officials, were expelled during that period, fueling accusations that the leadership is attempting to silence dissent ahead of key political contests.
On the other hand, tensions within the opposition were further inflamed this week by developments in Aydın province. Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, who left the CHP last year to join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), filed a criminal complaint against Özel, accusing him of defamation.
Özel had claimed that Çerçioğlu and other mayors were pressured into defecting to the AK Party under threat of prosecution. Çerçioğlu rejected the allegation as baseless, saying Özel’s remarks were false, damaging to her reputation and intended to mislead the public. She said legal action was necessary to protect her personal rights and the dignity of the office she holds.
Çerçioğlu, who had been active in the CHP since 2002, officially joined the AK Party in August 2025 during the party’s anniversary celebrations.
The defections of several mayors from the CHP to the ruling AK Party, including Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, have fueled debate in local politics.
Alongside the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality, the mayors of Söke, Yenipazar and Sultanhisar have also recently joined the AK Party, with additional switches reported in Yalova’s Altınova district and in Istanbul, where the Beykoz deputy mayor changed parties.
In Istanbul’s Gaziosmanpaşa district, following the arrest and removal from office of CHP Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe as part of criminal investigations into CHP-run municipalities, the municipal council elected an interim mayor, with the AK Party-backed candidate Eray Karadeniz winning the vote due to the party’s council majority.
The party changes have pitted the two sides against each other, with the CHP claiming the defections occurred under pressure, an allegation the AK Party rejects. Government officials say the mayors joined the ruling party voluntarily in pursuit of providing better services to their constituents.
As disciplinary cases and party defections mount, the developments underscore deep fractures within Türkiye’s main opposition, raising questions about internal democracy and unity at a time of heightened political competition nationwide.
