Ousted main opposition leader Özgür Özel has said the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is awaiting a high court decision on an appeal against a ruling that annulled its 2023 leadership convention, urging authorities to reverse what he called a “historic mistake.”
“Our eyes and ears are on the Court of Appeals on Monday [July 20]. Either the Court of Appeals will reverse this historic mistake, or it will leave this blow to the nation’s hopes for power unaddressed until the fall,” Özel told supporters in the central province of Kırıkkale.
He was referring to the start of Türkiye’s judicial recess on July 20, which will continue until September and during which courts generally operate with reduced activity.
The case was sent to the Court of Appeals after an Ankara regional court processed an appeal against a lower court ruling that declared the CHP’s November 2023 convention “absolutely void.” Özel won the convention’s leadership race, defeating longtime party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Following the lower court’s decision, the CHP under Özel’s leadership appealed the ruling, seeking to overturn the verdict.
He also criticized the appeals process, saying the court had taken around two months to refer the case to the Court of Appeals.
“Never lose hope. We have made all our preparations. Our determination is complete. Either we will take back our party — that is, we will find a way to do so — or we will forge a new path,” Özel said.
“I will not leave anyone helpless... There is absolutely no room for despair. Ultimately, we will resolve this issue in a way that benefits the nation, the people, without fear and without succumbing to threats.”
