CHP Faces Internal Divide Over Extraordinary Congress Call

Özgür Özel and his team are gathering signatures to call for an extraordinary Republican People's Party (CHP) congress to renew party confidence.

This internal mobilization occurs as the party navigates a leadership dispute and legal challenges that threaten the legitimacy of its recent organizational decisions. The tension reflects a deeper struggle for strategic control over Turkey's main opposition party.

The move follows a legal challenge seeking a ‘mutlak butlan’ — or complete nullification — of the 38th ^[1] Ordinary Congress. While some reports indicated the court rejected the lawsuit, other accounts suggested the possibility of a decision that would create significant organizational uncertainty.

To counter this instability, Özel’s team scheduled party-wide meetings to collect signatures on April 6, 2024 ^[2]. These efforts were aimed at securing a mandate through an extraordinary congress to stabilize the party's leadership structure.

Former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has also been outlining a strategic response to the dispute. Kılıçdaroğlu has targeted the current party management in his critique of the party's direction.

"A nation's future is shaped by the mind, conscience, and morality of politics," Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The conflict centers on the 38th ^[1] Ordinary Congress, which opened on Sept. 4, 2024 ^[3], in Sivas. The events at the Sivas congress have become the focal point of the legal battle over whether the proceedings were valid or subject to nullification.

Meetings to coordinate these efforts have taken place at the CHP headquarters in Ankara. The party now faces a period of potential restructuring if the signature drive succeeds or if legal challenges regarding the 38th ^[1] congress result in a mandate for new elections.