Parallel leadership camps within the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are preparing competing moves ahead of a weekly meeting in parliament on June 16, deepening a crisis triggered by a court ruling that reinstated former Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his administration.
According to the daily Milliyet, Kılıçdaroğlu is considering appointing replacements for Ali Mahir Başarır and Gökhan Günaydın after requests for their expulsion removed them from their positions as the party’s deputy parliamentary leaders.
The positions are considered critical to organizing and managing the CHP’s weekly group meetings in parliament.
Party sources cited by Milliyet said Kılıçdaroğlu has not yet made a final decision on whether he will personally address the gathering.
The faction aligned with the ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel, however, says they intend to organize the meeting and argues that Kılıçdaroğlu’s camp lacks the necessary quorum, as at least 46 lawmakers are required for the meeting to proceed.
If Kılıçdaroğlu moves ahead with appointing replacements for Başarır and Günaydın, Özel’s allies are weighing a vote of no confidence to remove the new figures.
The dispute follows competing meetings held last week by both camps.
Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel had initially scheduled parliamentary speeches at the same time, causing confusion and confrontations among supporters outside the assembly.
After calls for restraint from Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Kılıçdaroğlu relocated his gathering to party headquarters. Özel proceeded with the parliamentary meeting and addressed some 100 CHP lawmakers.
About 20 lawmakers attended Kılıçdaroğlu’s event, while roughly 20 others stayed away from both gatherings, citing neutrality or scheduling conflicts.
Meanwhile, the Özel faction plans to submit more than 850 signatures collected in support of convening an extraordinary convention on June 17. According to Milliyet, supporters are considering accompanying the submission with a large gathering of delegates and local organizations.
The internal dispute intensified after a controversial court ruling annulled CHP’s 2023 convention and restored Kılıçdaroğlu and his administration. Özel has rejected the court’s decision as politically motivated and illegitimate.
Although Özel previously described the possibility of leaving CHP or forming a new party as a “doomsday scenario,” reports suggest growing disciplinary measures and resistance to a new convention may increase pressure in that direction.
Expulsion requests have so far affected nine lawmakers and two mayors.
The Özel-aligned camp has also raised concerns that invalidating the 2023 convention and leaving the congress cycle effectively extended beyond six years could create uncertainty over CHP’s eligibility to participate in future elections.
Kılıçdaroğlu’s camp rejects that interpretation, arguing the court ruling constitutes a case of force majeure.
