As Türkiye was on edge with a war next door, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) gathered its top figures at its headquarters in Ankara for an ambitious campaign. The convention entitled “At Service of the Nation, Together With The Nation” was an event to promote the party’s campaign promises for the 2028 elections. The CHP unrealistically seeks to reschedule it and advocates for an early election, though it does not wield enough power in Parliament to press for an early vote.
Monday’s event was opened by the Office of the Presidential Candidacy of the CHP, which picked disgraced former Istanbul mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, as its future presidential candidate, after he was arrested on charges of corruption last year. Imamoğlu is not expected to be released from prison any time soon, as his trial has not commenced and prosecutors seek hefty sentences for a wide array of offenses involving him and associates. Still, the former mayor graced a giant screen at Monday’s convention and, with the magic of AI, addressed the CHP members. The AI Imamoğlu claimed Türkiye needed a “major reform” and the CHP has to come to power to implement it, though he did not elaborate on this reform.
The CHP chair, Özgür Özel, was more specific and vocal than the imprisoned mayor. Indeed, he declared that the CHP would switch to the old parliamentary system from the current executive presidency system if it came to power. “The president will be neutral,” Özel, who ferociously campaigned for Imamoğlu’s presidency before reconsidering the option of running himself or nominating Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, told fellow CHP members.
After elaborating on the usual promises on the economy, Özel said Türkiye would lead “peace and welfare in the Middle East” under the rule of the CHP, which failed to win any general election for decades. He said Türkiye’s stand on foreign policy “would not change based on the U.S. stance,” implying a reassessment of ties with Washington. “We will have access to a visa-free Europe,” Özel also said.
Though Özel painted a bright outlook for the CHP, Türkiye’s oldest party remains mired in turmoil as it grapples with corruption investigations and a wave of resignations.
Senior party officials deny any rift, but tensions are said to be escalating between Özel and Imamoğlu. Imamoğlu is reportedly frustrated by what he sees as a repetitive cycle of rallies and by Özel’s inability to unify the party or quell calls for “renewal” from dissident factions, the Sabah newspaper reported on Sunday. Özel tried to rally the public to support the CHP’s claims that the arrest of Imamoğlu and other CHP mayors on charges of corruption were politically-motivated. Since the March 2025 arrest, CHP held rallies in almost every province, but the Sabah report says the impact of the rallies fizzled over time, unlike in the early days.
The report says Imamoğlu and his allies in the party are discussing the possibility of backing CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Gökhan Günaydın as a candidate for party leader should a sharp split with Özel and his team occur. Günaydın has long been considered one of Imamoğlu’s closest associates. Imamoğlu may not have the power to oust Özel, but he was caught red-handed while plotting to garner support for Özel against the latter’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in 2023. In addition, a new crisis is reportedly brewing between Günaydın and fellow CHP Deputy Group Chairs Ali Mahir Başarır and Murat Emir, both known for their closeness to Özel. The three are said to be increasingly estranged, the report says.
Günaydın recently called for “self-criticism” from party leadership over the “Mesut Özarslan crisis.” Özel publicly rebuked those remarks in sharp terms. Özarslan, the mayor of Keçiören in Ankara, has parted ways with CHP after a well-publicized spat with Özel on WhatsApp.
Özel was elected CHP leader in 2023 with significant backing from Imamoğlu, support that remains a subject of debate within the party. The convention in which Kılıçdaroğlu narrowly lost his post triggered deep divisions that have persisted. Imamoğlu is said to frequently remind Özel and his team of his decisive role at that convention, underscoring the weight of his support in shaping the party’s internal balance of power.
