CHP group leader Özgür Özel and General President Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu held separate group meetings on May 30, 2024 [1].
The simultaneous gatherings signal a deepening divide within the party as leadership navigates an internal eviction crisis and the potential loss of its General Center premises [3].
Özel convened a meeting of CHP deputies within the Turkish Grand National Assembly. During the proceedings, he addressed the possibility of internal disciplinary actions and the party's future operational base. "Beni de partiden ihraç edebilirler, mücadeleyi bırakmayız," Özel said [4].
While Özel focused on the parliamentary wing, Kılıçdaroğlu held a separate meeting at the CHP General Center in Ankara [1]. This visit followed a period of scheduling uncertainty; some reports indicated the visit was originally planned for May 28, 2024 [2].
The split-room strategy highlights the tension surrounding the party's physical and political headquarters. Özel said that the struggle for leadership and coordination would continue regardless of where the party is based. "Genel merkezden atılsak, Meclis'te devam," Özel said [5].
He further noted that if the official office at the General Center is lost, the parliament would become the primary site of their political struggle [4]. The internal turmoil has coincided with legal scrutiny, as the chief public prosecutor's office launched an investigation after the General Center became a site of conflict [6].
Despite the scheduled meeting at the General Center on May 30, 2024 [1], conflicting reports emerged regarding Kılıçdaroğlu's actual movements. While some sources confirmed his presence at the center, other reports said he remained at home throughout the day to monitor events [7].
“"Beni de partiden ihraç edebilirler, mücadeleyi bırakmayız"”
The decision by Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu to hold concurrent meetings in different locations suggests a fragmentation of authority within the CHP. By establishing the Turkish Grand National Assembly as a secondary power base, the party is hedging against the loss of its physical headquarters while managing a leadership struggle that may lead to further expulsions.
