• Ozgur Ozel, leader of Turkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), waves during a rally called by the CHP in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem Imanoglu in Maltepe, on the outskirts of Istanbul on March 29, 2025 (AFP)

Turkiye's main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold an extraordinary congress on Sunday in a bid to counter what it describes as a potential attempt to impose a government-appointed trustee on the party.

The decision follows separate investigations launched by prosecutors in both Ankara and Istanbul into alleged irregularities surrounding the party’s most recent convention.

In Ankara, prosecutors are examining claims that votes were bought during the CHP’s 38th ordinary convention held on November 4–5, 2023.

Simultaneously, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into allegations that provincial elections held ahead of the convention were manipulated and violated electoral laws.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel addressed the situation on March 21, stating, “They want to appoint a trustee to [Mustafa Kemal] Ataturk’s party."

"We will announce to all of Türkiye that we have prevented trustee attempts by taking the party to an extraordinary convention."

The investigations come amid widespread protests triggered by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key CHP figure, on corruption charges last month.

The April 6 convention will also include a leadership vote, with Ozel seeking re-election. There has been speculation about whether former party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, or a candidate he endorses, would enter the race.

Kilicdaroglu, who led the CHP from 2010 until being unseated by Ozel in 2023 following his defeat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has expressed support for the decision to hold a congress.

However, he announced on Thursday that he would not be running for leadership at the party’s extraordinary congress.

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“I will not be a candidate for chairperson at the extraordinary congress that our party will hold this weekend. I thank all my brothers working, insisting and gathering signatures for my candidature,” Kilicdaroglu wrote on social media.

His statement follows a recent push by his allies to rally support for a potential challenge to Ozel at the 21st extraordinary congress.

“The reason why I am not candidate, is because I do not want our party to get stuck in intraparty rows and divert attention to other areas other than our fight,” Kilicdaroglu clarified, referring to the CHP's campaign against the arrest of Imamoglu and the lead-up to the 2028 presidential race.

After losing the 2023 presidential election to President Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu was defeated in an internal party vote in November, paving the way for Ozel’s rise. Since then, Ozel has led the CHP to a historic victory in the March 31 municipal elections, surpassing the party’s traditional 25% threshold.

Party infighting

Despite this success, his leadership faces continued challenges amid corruption allegations and internal divisions.

Party infighting persists, with Kilicdaroglu's loyalists opposing Ozel’s leadership and Imamoglu's supporters positioning themselves for future control. This internal struggle has fueled uncertainty about the party’s direction ahead of the next general elections.

Ozel’s position, however, has been strengthened following Imamoglu’s arrest, as he has emerged as a central figure in the opposition. He has led large-scale protests, including nightly demonstrations and a mass rally in Istanbul, calling for Imamoglu’s release.

Ozel, a former pharmacist, has also spearheaded a petition campaign demanding early elections and continues to organize weekly protests, rotating between Turkiye’s provinces and Istanbul districts.

The CHP, which has convened 58 congresses to date—38 of them ordinary—will hold this extraordinary session under the slogan “The will is the people’s.” A total of 1,323 registered delegates will vote to elect the party chair, 60 members of the Party Assembly (PM), and 15 members of the High Disciplinary Board (YDK).

To qualify as a candidate for chairperson, one must obtain written nominations from at least 5% of the delegates. The general chair is elected by secret ballot with an absolute majority. If no candidate secures a majority in the first two rounds, the third round determines the winner by simple majority. Meanwhile, candidates for PM membership must be nominated by at least 10 delegates.

Read more: Turkiye arrests 1,400+ in protests supporting detained Istanbul mayor