Cracks in the intra-party democracy of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are showing despite the fight between the dissidents and the current administration being skillfully kept hidden for a long time.

A new video by former Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu angered supporters of his successor, Özgür Özel, while finding support among loyalists of Kılıçdaroğlu, who still serves as a lawmaker in the party. In the video, Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated his call for the party to purge itself of those involved in the corruption and had a send-off for Özel, who earlier claimed Kılıçdaroğlu chose to "be a marble of the palace instead of becoming soil where flowers bloom.” He was referring to the Presidential Complex CHP seeks to deride.

CHP’s supporters accuse Kılıçdaroğlu and like-minded members of betraying the cause of the party to defeat the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kılıçdaroğlu was the last hope of the CHP to defeat Erdoğan in the 2023 elections but suffered a defeat despite support from other opposition parties. After the loss, his public image gradually eroded, and he became pariah-like. Özel dealt a second blow after defeating Kılıçdaroğlu in an intra-party election in November 2023, though former CHP members claim that the election was tainted by supporters of Özel, who "bought votes” for the new chair.

Özel always had kind words for Kılıçdaroğlu, and likewise, Kılıçdaroğlu abstained from outright criticism of his successor after handing over his post. Yet, dissent in the party against the Özel administration slowly climbed, particularly over Özel’s unwavering support for several mayors of the party accused of rampant corruption. Kılıçdaroğlu unleashed a thinly unveiled tirade against Özel. "This party is entrusted to us, and we cannot stain it. The party knows when to purge itself (of corruption),” Kılıçdaroğlu stated.

"Dirty politics destroys morals and eventually sets its sights on this nation’s money. We have to keep the politics clean. This responsibility belongs to members of the CHP. This is a great tree that did not bow down to anyone, a party that was closed down, went through the coups, but did not submit. The CHP does not stray from its path to govern, to instill hope in people. Some people expect me to remain silent. Hear me now: I don’t negotiate the interests of my nation and party for anything. I defy your defamation and threats. I stand for truth,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks quickly made the rounds on social media, but Özel kept quiet for hours. On Thursday, his first reaction was made public in an interview with Gazete Pencere. The CHP chair was still careful not to hurt Kılıçdaroğlu’s feelings, but his sardonic comments about the former chair’s video will likely irritate the predecessor. "My comments about being a marble of the palace were not toward Mr. Kemal. I am surprised he was offended. I would expect him to oppose the nullification,” he said. He was referring to the possible verdict in a case regarding the vote-buying allegations that may render Özel’s administration invalid. Kılıçdaroğlu had earlier signalled that he was ready to be appointed as a trustee if the court ruled for the nullification of the Özel administration.

A few days before Kılıçdaroğlu’s video surfaced, a group of dissidents held an event in Istanbul hosted by Gürsel Tekin, a former Kılıçdaroğlu aide who was appointed by a court as trustee to the CHP’s Istanbul branch after the other chair was suspended from duty on suspicion of buying votes for his own election. Kılıçdaroğlu’s video was retweeted within hours by more than a dozen lawmakers who were nominated in the previous elections by Kılıçdaroğlu, while Ali Haydar Fırat, a former member of the CHP’s party assembly known for his pro-Kılıçdaroğlu views, issued a manifesto to "salvage the party” hours after the former chair’s remarks. "The CHP cannot be a shield for those enriching themselves by exploiting public resources,” Fırat said in his manifesto, referring to corruption allegations at CHP-run municipalities.

Kılıçdaroğlu still has little support compared to Özel within the party. Chairs of the CHP’s branches in 81 provinces issued a joint statement on Thursday and reaffirmed that they stood with Özel, "the will of the voters and laws of the party,” without referring to Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks.

"Our walk to power cannot be reversed through political engineering,” they said in a statement, a reiteration of the CHP’s habit to accuse critics of the party of "working for the government,” a pattern most common among social media users.

Tuğrul Abanoz, chair of the party’s branch in the Akçakoca district of Düzce, was more direct in his reaction. Abanoz ordered the removal of a large photo of Kılıçdaroğlu adorning the walls of the party’s office, where pictures of the CHP’s former chairs, including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, were on display. "If you return after absolute nullification, you can always find a new chairman here to hang your photo on this wall again,” Abanoz said in a news conference on Wednesday, directly addressing Kılıçdaroğlu.