Full Breakdown
Court Orders Temporary Removal of CHP Leadership Amid Vote-Buying Probe
5/21/2026, 8:58:28 PM
Legal Ruling and Immediate Effect
On 10 November 2025, the Ankara Regional Court of Justice 36th Civil Chamber ordered the temporary removal of Özgür Özel and his administration from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and reinstated former chair Kemal Kiliçdaroglu and his executive team as party leaders.
Background: 2023 Congress and Allegations
The dispute originates from the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress in November 2023, where Özgür Özel, backed by Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, defeated incumbent Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. The losing faction alleged vote-buying, money, benefits and promises of office, prompting multiple lawsuits that merged into a single case before the Ankara 42nd Civil Court in February 2025.
Main Actors
Key figures include former CHP chair Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, his executive team, Özgür Özel (the party’s chair at the time of the ruling), Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (suspended and arrested in March 2025), former Hatay mayor Lütfü Savas (civil-suit complainant), and Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli, who publicly called for the opposition’s removal.
Timeline of Key Legal and Party Events
Nov 2023 – CHP congress elects Özel. Jan 2024 – Prosecutor opens vote-rigging probe (Article 112). Feb 2025 – Civil suits merged before the Ankara 42nd Civil Court. Apr 6 2025 & Sep 21 2025 – CHP holds 21st and 22nd Extraordinary Congresses to preserve leadership. Oct 24 2025 – Court declares the annulment suit moot. 10 Nov 2025 – Regional Court orders Özel’s removal and Kiliçdaroglu’s reinstatement.
Political Significance
The ruling follows the CHP’s breakthrough in the 2024 local elections, where it surpassed the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for the first time in 24 years. Opposition leaders see the court action as a politically motivated attempt to undermine their gains; the government frames it as enforcement of electoral law.
Official Judicial Reasoning
The Ankara 42nd Civil Court, in a 22-page decision on 10 Nov 2025, noted that party organs had been re-elected at subsequent congresses and certified by district election boards, concluding no legal interest remained in annulling the 2023 congress. The Regional Court, deeming the earlier suit moot, still ordered Özel’s temporary removal to resolve the leadership dispute.
Opposition Critique
CHP officials, led by Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, describe the investigations and court orders as a “judicial takeover” intended to punish the party for its 2024 local-election successes. They argue the legal actions are politically motivated retaliation and point to the simultaneous suspension of more than 30 opposition mayors as evidence of a broader crackdown.
Conflicting Figures & Unresolved Issues
Sources differ on the exact number of removed mayors, citing “more than 30” versus a precise “thirty-one” since the 2024 elections. Moreover, while the Ankara 42nd Court declared the annulment suit moot, the higher Regional Court later intervened, creating a procedural inconsistency that remains under appeal.
Outlook and Appeals
The Ankara Regional Court’s order is being appealed, and the CHP has indicated it will contest both Özel’s removal and the reinstatement of its former leadership before higher courts. Observers expect the legal dispute to continue shaping Turkey’s opposition dynamics ahead of the next national election cycle.
