ANKARA, Türkiye — A Turkish appeals court has effectively removed Özgür Özel as leader of the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, annulling the 2023 party congress that brought him to power and reinstating his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The ruling, issued on Thursday, suspended Özel and the CHP’s executive board after the court cited alleged procedural irregularities in the 2023 leadership vote. The decision reversed an earlier lower court ruling that had found no misconduct in the congress, deepening political turmoil inside Türkiye’s largest opposition party.
Özel had been credited with revitalising the CHP after its defeat in the 2023 presidential election. Under his leadership, the party scored a major victory in the 2024 local elections, defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party in key cities and strengthening its position as the main challenger to the government.
The CHP condemned the ruling as a politically driven intervention, with party officials describing it as a judicial “coup” aimed at weakening the opposition before the next national election. Özel urged supporters to remain firm and said the party would continue resisting pressure, while the CHP announced plans to appeal the decision to Türkiye’s Supreme Court.
Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the CHP for more than a decade before losing the leadership to Özel, called for calm among party members. His temporary reinstatement could reopen old divisions within the opposition, particularly between those who backed Özel’s reformist approach and those aligned with the former chairman.
The decision comes amid a broader legal crackdown on opposition figures. Several CHP mayors and officials have faced investigations or detention, including former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, widely regarded as one of Erdoğan’s strongest potential rivals. Rights groups and opposition parties have accused the government of using the courts to suppress political competition, while Turkish officials insist the judiciary acts independently.
The ruling also rattled financial markets. Türkiye’s main Borsa Istanbul index briefly fell by about 6 percent, prompting market disruptions and reported central bank action to support the lira. Investors have often reacted sharply to signs of political uncertainty and questions over institutional independence.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek defended the ruling as a matter of legal procedure and democratic trust, but critics said the decision further erodes confidence in Türkiye’s political system.
The next presidential election is scheduled for 2028, although Erdoğan retains the power to call an early vote. For now, the court’s decision has thrown the CHP into a leadership crisis at a critical moment for Türkiye’s opposition.
