Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel met with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş on April 22, pressing calls for a by-election amid a series of legal actions against CHP-run municipalities.
The CHP has intensified its push for a by-election following renewed investigations and detentions involving opposition-controlled local governments. Özel has also suggested the party could consider aligning a potential by-election with early general elections, saying it would be open to “any kind of electoral compromise” if a nationwide vote were called.
Under Turkish law, a by-election becomes mandatory if vacancies reach 5 parliament of the total parliament, or 30 lawmakers. Currently, eight seats are vacant due to deaths and resignations.
While the opposition could theoretically reach the threshold by coordinating the resignation of at least 22 additional lawmakers, any such move would still require approval from the parliamentary General Assembly, where the ruling alliance holds a majority.
Özel previously said he would raise the issue with Kurtulmuş in coordination with representatives of 13 political parties. “Mr. Numan needs to take responsibility, do what is necessary, and demonstrate a clear stance,” he said on April 8. “We all have responsibilities before history, as well as before the nation.”
His push for a by-election comes despite firm resistance from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who on April 6 dismissed calls for early elections and said the government remains focused on its current agenda.
Meanwhile, 19 people, including Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel, were detained and later arrested in Istanbul as part of an investigation into CHP-run municipalities.
Authorities are probing allegations including bid rigging, forming an organization for criminal activity and bribery tied to the municipality. Prosecutors launched the investigation on April 18.
CHP Istanbul provincial head Özgür Çelik condemned the arrests in a post on X, calling them “part of an ongoing coup attempt against the will of the people."
Adıgüzel also denied all charges during his statement and described the allegations as a “political and reputational assassination."
