Ousted Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Özgür Özel launched a two-day tour of southeastern Türkiye on June 26 as reinstated chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu canceled a planned appearance in Istanbul amid the leadership crisis within the main opposition movement.
Özel was welcomed in Diyarbakır by party members and supporters at the airport before beginning a series of public engagements aimed at rallying backing for his faction following last month’s court ruling that restored Kılıçdaroğlu to the CHP leadership.
The ousted chairman greeted supporters on the tarmac before visiting local shopkeepers. He also met farmers, held talks with civil society representatives and concluded the day with a gathering of young people.
“Today, after the appointment of a trustee to our party’s will, we have left the buildings behind and we are walking,” Özel said during his visit. “We are walking with those who love us all over Türkiye.”
The dispute stems from a court decision last month that invalidated the CHP’s 2023 convention over alleged irregularities, overturning Özel’s administration and reinstating former leader Kılıçdaroğlu and his team.
Özel is expected to continue his tour in Gaziantep on June 27, where he plans to demonstrate support for Vakkas Acar, the CHP’s provincial chair removed by the restored leadership. His itinerary includes meetings with residents in local markets and bazaars.
Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu canceled a scheduled appearance at an annual Alevi observance in Istanbul, saying he wanted to “prevent the gathering from becoming the focus of political controversy, tensions and exploitation.”
“We will not be a part of this shame and this burden,” he said in a post on X. “It would be more correct, meaningful and appropriate not to physically attend the Ashura event due to the atmosphere that has arisen.”
The parallel schedules come as Özel’s allies prepare to intensify their legal challenge to the party’s leadership dispute.
According to reports, his team is expected to file a lawsuit this week arguing that the resignation of 27 members of the CHP’s Party Assembly has deprived the body of its quorum and rendered it unable to function.
Özel’s allies say this would require an extraordinary convention under the party’s bylaws to elect a new leadership.
His supporters have collected more than 800 delegate signatures calling for an extraordinary vote. The reinstated leadership, however, says the court ruling prevents such a gathering and insists the party should instead proceed with its regular congress schedule as of September.
