In a major escalation against Turkey's opposition, a court has overturned the 2023 leadership election of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The ruling removes current chair Özgür Özel and orders former longtime leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu to take over as interim head. The decision sent Istanbul's BIST 100 index down more than 6%.
The case centers on allegations of vote buying at the party’s 2023 congress. Prosecutors claim Özel secured his election by pressuring delegates with promises of jobs and kickbacks. An Ankara court dismissed the case last October, but prosecutors appealed-and the court reversed its own ruling.
Critics call the ruling a politically motivated attack on Turkey's oldest opposition party, which scored a crushing victory over President Erdogan's AK Party in 2024 local elections. The CHP has denied all charges, accusing the government of orchestrating a "political coup" through the judiciary.
Kılıcdaroglu, 77, lost several elections to Erdogan. Özel, by contrast, led the CHP to a landslide local win and became the face of major protests sparked by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last year. İmamoğlu, widely seen as a viable challenger to Erdogan, faces multiple legal cases he says are politically motivated.