The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) expelled 48 members on Oct. 16, including several high-profile figures and politicians closely associated with the party’s former leadership.
The move marks another development in the rift that intensified after Kılıçdaroğlu, who had previously served as CHP chairman, was reinstated following a court ruling over alleged irregularities at the party’s 2023 convention.
Kılıçdaroğlu had lost the leadership race at the convention to Özgür Özel.
Özel resigned from the CHP on July 24, taking 90 lawmakers with him to establish the New Party.
The CHP’s High Disciplinary Board, formed following Kılıçdaroğlu’s return to the party’s leadership, decided to expel 48 members, including Aylin Nazlıaka, İlhan Cihaner, Gül Çiftçi, Selin Sayek Böke, Kerim Rota, Sevgi Kılıç and Serkan Özcan, all of whom are known to be close to Özel.
The party had referred these figures to its disciplinary board, seeking their definitive expulsion with immediate precautionary suspension, on the grounds that they had acted in coordination with another party while remaining members of the CHP.
The party’s Central Executive Board, also known as the party’s top leadership team, had been debating the status of several members for months, particularly Böke and Çiftçi.
The politicians, known for their close ties to Özel, were reportedly allowed to remain in the CHP as a precaution while the Supreme Court of Appeals’ ruling in the absolute nullity case remained pending.
A few months ago, CHP spokesperson Müslim Sarı said, “If you are a member of a political party, you are expected to act in accordance with the responsibilities that membership entails. In other words, you cannot belong to one party while campaigning for or working in the interests of another.”
