The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) heads into a fresh confrontation on June 9 as both its ousted and reinstated leadership factions claimed they would address the party’s weekly meeting in parliament.
“Tomorrow... the group meeting where I will speak will be held. It is not possible for us to entrust that podium to someone appointed, not elected,” Özgür Özel said after a meeting of his ousted leadership’s top committee on June 8.
Özel had earlier announced he would travel to attend memorial services for late Manisa Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek but reversed that decision after allies of reinstated CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu signaled they intended to hold the meeting.
“I suggested that... neither we nor they should hold the meeting, and we could discuss this later. This was rejected,” Özel said.
“I will commemorate Ferdi Zeyrek from the podium. I invite our members to tomorrow’s group meeting both to commemorate Ferdi Zeyrek and to support his party.”
Özel also warned against escalating tensions within the party.
“We are facing a palace mindset, a palace plan, that is trying to manage the party with the results of the 2020 convention, held without an audience during the pandemic,” he said, accusing the rival camp of attempting to organize what he called a “pirate meeting.”
The CHP has been divided between factions aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel since a judicial decision annulled the party’s 2023 convention and temporarily restored the former and his team to authority pending further legal proceedings.
Özel renewed his call for Kılıçdaroğlu to convene a new convention and said that if the former leader were elected there, his team would accept the result.
The CHP held its first weekly meeting in parliament after the court decision on June 2 under Özel’s chairmanship. Although he had lost his leadership position, lawmakers later elected him as parliamentary leader with backing from the overwhelming majority of CHP deputies.
However, figures aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu have questioned the legitimacy of that vote.
CHP spokesperson Müslüm Sarı, speaking for the reinstated leadership, argued that the parliamentary election was procedurally flawed.
“Can an election be held without the knowledge of the party leader?” Sarı told daily Cumhuriyet. “The group leader works under the authority of the party leader.”
