Internal conflict lingers in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) after last month’s court verdict for absolute nullification that reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the party chair. The ousted leader Özgür Özel and his supporters resist Kılıçdaroğlu’s reign amid rumors of an ultimate split between two camps.
Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel recently came at odds over who will make traditional parliamentary group speech and finally settled to have separate speeches, Özel at the parliament (as parliamentary group chair of the party) and Kılıçdaroğlu at the CHP headquarters. This time, the Özel camp plans to obstruct Kılıçdaroğlu’s attempt to speak at the parliament on Tuesday. The party spokesman Müslim Sarı has announced last week that the reinstated leader would take the pulpit at the parliament on Tuesday while Kılıçdaroğlu sent letters to all lawmakers urging “unity.” Kılıçdaroğlu formally applied to the presidency of the parliament to make his speech but Özel vowed not to allow it. Özel told a newspaper last week that the parliamentary group meeting can only be held if party’s administrative board unanimously approve it or one fifth of the CHP lawmakers consent. The administrative board is dominated by pro-Kılıçdaroğlu figures but majority of CHP lawmakers are sided with Özel.
Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, is scheduled to hold two meetings on Tuesday as well, a convention of the party assembly and the administrative board. The administrative board is expected to issue new decisions for disciplinary action for CHP members siding with the Özel camp. It already launched proceedings with several figures close to Özel, including lawmakers and removed heads of provincial branches who openly declared support to ousted Özel. He is also expected to discuss a petition by the Özel camp for the party to hold an extraordinary convention. Özel is confident to take back his chair through a by-election in the convention and managed to collect signatures from hundreds of delegates for the petition. Kılıçdaroğlu, however, is unwilling to hold a new convention, citing that the party’s appeal to a higher court for overturning the verdict to annul Kılıçdaroğlu’s tenure is still pending. Media outlets reported Özel would also file a lawsuit to take back his chair if Kılıçdaroğlu rejects the idea of a new convention. If the Kılıçdaroğlu administration do not issue approval for a new convention by June 26, the delegates will file a criminal complaint at the court on the grounds of violation of party’s charter.
Özel insists on staying in CHP despite the split between two camps that worsened with resignations and expulsions of pro-Özel figures but he also has plans to establish a new party. Though he called it as “worst-case scenario” sources close to Özel speaking to media outlets say the plans are being developed to that extent and Özel even came up with the name of “March” for his future party. The word is frequently invoked by Özel in his speech who believe that he can lead Türkiye’s oldest party for a “march to power” in the next election, after more than two decades of election defeats to ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Supporters of Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu, in the meantime, continue trading barbs either in public or social media. Tensions between two camps erupted into a brawl on Sunday night when Utku Gümrükçü, appointed by the Kılıçdaroğlu administration for party’s Izmir branch arrived at the building to take office. Pro-Özel groups confronted Gümrükçü and his supporters and held a vigil overnight amid heated arguments with the pro-Kılıçdaroğlu camp. In the early hours of Monday, Gümrükçü finally settled in and hailed taking office “without bloodshed.” “I am not here to fire anyone but certainly, there will be splits in this process. I am willing to work anyone who want to stay,” he told journalists.
Izmir, Türkiye’s third largest city, is also a CHP stronghold and the only metropolitan city AK Party failed to win municipal elections. City’s incumbent mayor Cemil Tugay tendered his resignation from the party last week, in protest of Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement.
Referring to the legal process taking place within the party, Gümrükçü said: "Whether this legal process ultimately produced a correct or incorrect decision is a separate matter for debate. The party leadership that served before the 2023 convention, and that had previously held positions in this party, was reinstated through a court ruling and legal procedures. This can be criticized and discussed. However, court decisions are implemented, and the consequences of that implementation are now lawful. (The Özel camp) repeatedly stated that they did not recognize Kılıçdaroğlu. They questioned our Izmir lawmaker and disciplinary board chairman Mahir Polat’s legitimacy. When I was appointed, they claimed that 'the Central Executive Board has no authority in this matter, the party Assembly is illegitimate, they cannot dismiss the provincial chairman, I do not recognize them.' Then they allowed slogans such as 'Traitor Kemal' to be chanted against Kılıçdaroğlu.”
Emphasizing that party problems can be resolved internally if the party is strong, if members genuinely feel they belong, and if unity prevails, Gümrükçü said: "The party leadership made such a decision. The process evolved from statements (by the Özel camp) like 'I won't meet with Gümrükçü,' 'They are more AKP (AK Party) than the AKP,' and 'We'll offer them tea and send them away,' to a complete refusal to meet. While we were having coffee before, the doors were shut down to us suddenly. Then, in an effort to ease tensions, we sent flowers through party members, but the people delivering them were manhandled and thrown out of the CHP building. There were attempts to block a possible transfer of authority using firefighting equipment, water hoses, and barricades placed at the doors to prevent CHP members from entering the CHP building. Throughout this period, statements were continuously made that escalated tensions.”
