The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is already divided but all eyes are still on the party’s parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
In the Turkish political tradition, group meetings offer a platform for the chairs to relay the party’s views on current developments and broadcast live on national television. The CHP, however, now has two chairs: Özgür Özel, who was ousted from the office over a vote-buying trial, and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, his predecessor who was reinstated as the outcome of the same trial.
Özel last week defied the Kılıçdaroğlu administration and spoke at the parliamentary group meeting, this time as parliamentary group chairperson of the party. His speech was peppered with criticism of the Kılıçdaroğlu administration and the former leader now apparently decided to hit back as he announced he would address the lawmakers at Tuesday’s meeting at Parliament. It is unclear whether Özel will attempt to make the speech in the presence of the chair, who was branded as “traitor” by Özel’s supporters. But all signs show he is intent to defy Kılıçdaroğlu. Özel was scheduled to attend an event to honor a late mayor of the CHP in his constituency Manisa but media outlets reported that he scrapped the plans and will be at the parliament on Tuesday.
It is the first time at Parliament that a party is sharply divided yet all members still retain memberships. The CHP is notorious for disrupting the parliamentary sessions in the past but this time, it is likely that the parliamentary group meeting will be a chaotic occasion as the anger is brewing over Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement.
