Ozel Allies Quit 28 of 57 CHP Seats to Force Chairman Vote Within 45 Days
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 11
Ozel Allies Quit 28 of 57 CHP Seats to Force Chairman Vote Within 45 Days
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 11
Summary
Twenty-eight of the CHP's 57 party assembly members resigned, a move Ozgur Ozel's office said legally topples the body and requires an extraordinary congress within 45 days.
The resignations aim to overturn last month's court ruling that annulled the CHP's 2023 congress, removed Ozel as chairman and reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
The clash escalated after Kilicdaroglu sought to expel nine Ozel loyalists a day earlier; his spokesman said the court-appointed leadership would prepare a congress roadmap but could not set a date yet.
Turkey's main opposition was polling roughly level with President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party before the ruling, and the CHP crisis has deepened concerns over democracy while potentially improving Erdogan's chances before the next election due by 2028.