Turkey's main opposition party faces a deepening crisis as rival leaders Ozgur Ozel and Kemal Kilicdaroglu announced competing meetings following a court ruling that reinstated Kilicdaroglu. The internal conflict could benefit President Erdogan.
The internal conflict within Turkey's main opposition party weakens its ability to challenge President Erdogan, potentially impacting the country's political landscape and democratic trajectory.
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is embroiled in a leadership crisis after a court annulled its 2023 congress and reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who had lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 presidential election. The court cited irregularities in the congress that elected Ozgur Ozel as chairman.
Both Ozel and Kilicdaroglu announced plans to address party lawmakers, leading to competing meetings. Ozel's supporters gathered in the parliamentary hall, while Kilicdaroglu announced a separate meeting at party headquarters.
Kilicdaroglu stated he would purge the party of corruption, a charge the ousted leadership denies and calls a politically motivated "coup." The CHP has faced judicial scrutiny since 2024, with hundreds of members detained on corruption charges, which the party refutes.
Analysts suggest the internal strife within the CHP could benefit President Erdogan, potentially allowing him to call early elections and extend his rule. The CHP holds 138 seats in the 600-seat assembly, and about two-thirds of its deputies voted to make Ozel the head of its parliamentary group following the court ruling.
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