Turkish Court Voids CHP's 2023 Congress, Reinstating Kilicdaroglu as Borsa Istanbul Drops 6%
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 21
Turkish Court Voids CHP's 2023 Congress, Reinstating Kilicdaroglu as Borsa Istanbul Drops 6%
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 21
An Ankara appeals court annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress, removing Ozgur Ozel as chairman and restoring former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
The ruling cited irregularities in the congress and reversed a lower court’s 2025 decision that had found the case lacked substance.
CHP leaders rejected the decision as a judicial coup, gathered in Ankara to plan legal action and called supporters to protest at party headquarters.
Borsa Istanbul fell 6% and triggered a market-wide circuit breaker, while Turkish sovereign bonds suffered their sharpest selloff since late March.
The decision deepens pressure on Turkey’s main opposition, already hit by a broad judicial crackdown since 2024 as jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu remains its 2028 presidential candidate.
After a historic election win, can Turkey's opposition survive the government's judicial onslaught?
With its leader ousted, will Turkey's opposition now turn to its old guard to fight back?
Will this political shock be the final blow to Turkey’s fragile, crisis-ridden economy?
Turkey’s Main Opposition Survives Legal Onslaught: CHP Leadership Secured Amid 500+ Arrests, Judicial Pressure, and Erdogan’s 2028 Strategy
Overview
On October 24, 2025, a Turkish court dismissed the case seeking to annul the CHP’s 2023 congress and remove its leader, Ozgur Ozel, because the party had already held an extraordinary congress in September 2025 that reaffirmed his leadership. This made the legal challenge irrelevant and led to a perception of reduced political uncertainty. Observers saw the court’s decision as a positive sign for the stability of Turkey’s main opposition party, and the removal of this legal threat was widely viewed as a favorable development for the country’s broader political landscape.