Özgür Özel, who was removed from office as the leader of Republican People’s Party (CHP) with a court verdict last month over allegations of vote-buying, called reinstated leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to hold an intra-party election.
Özel, now parliamentary group chair of the party, made his second speech at the parliamentary group meeting since his removal while Kılıçdaroğlu decided to skip the address traditionally done by party leaders. Instead, he attended Tuesday’s administrative committee meetings of the party where new administration under Kılıçdaroğlu would reportedly discuss expulsion of pro-Özel names from the party.
“I invite Mr. Kemal to make a historic decision and end the deadlock in our party, our country,” Özel said in his speech in Ankara. His supporters already mobilized delegates for a petition calling for an extraordinary convention in the party. They believe Özel can win a new vote while Kılıçdaroğlu so far dragged his feet although he pledged that a convention would be held eventually.
Kılıçdaroğlu often repeats that he is seeking to cleanse CHP of “corruption” in reference to vote-buying allegations that reportedly brought Özel to power in the party in November 2023 and corruption allegations engulfing CHP-run municipalities.
Özel said that the party should get rid of “shame of not holding an election.” He noted that it was CHP which introduced elections to Republic of Türkiye. CHP, Türkiye’s oldest party, was established by Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and until first multi-party elections in 1950, de facto governed the country. Since then, the party failed to win any general election alone.
“One way or another, we will take back this party,” Özel said. The former leader hinted at establishing a new party with his supporters but abstained to take concrete action so far.
