Overview
- A court in Ankara this month annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress and ordered Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu reinstated as party leader, a ruling that has not been overturned.
- Police cleared the CHP headquarters in Ankara and expelled Özgür Özel after the court decision, with the interior minister saying the use of tear gas and rubber bullets was carried out at Kılıçdaroğlu’s request.
- Kılıçdaroğlu moved into the party headquarters, vowed a 'clean and completely transparent' party congress and announced plans to purge officials he calls corrupt, but he has not set a date for a vote.
- Özel rallied thousands in nearby demonstrations demanding an immediate internal election and has positioned himself as the grass‑roots alternative to a court‑installed leadership.
- Polls and public statements by 262 writers show widespread skepticism about the court move and low voter support for Kılıçdaroğlu, raising concerns that the split will weaken the CHP and improve President Erdoğan’s political leverage.