Turkish court rules to remove leadership of main opposition party

Turkish court rules to remove leadership of main opposition party Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 15:59 Court ruling removes current CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and reinstates former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu Ozgur Ozel of the Republican People's Party (CHP) speaks during a protest marking one year since the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul on 18 March 2026 (Yasin Akgul/AFP) Off A Turkish court has suspended the leadership of the main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), provoking outrage from the party's membership. A court in Ankara ruled for the temporary removal of chairman Ozgur Ozel and his team, to be replaced by former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his allies. The Court of Appeals ruled that the CHP's 38th Ordinary Elective Congress held in November 2023 – at which Ozel was elected – was null and void due to allegations of vote rigging. All subsequent extraordinary and ordinary congresses held after that date are ruled null and void as well, according to the ruling. The CHP, the oldest political party in Turkey, has won record victories against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in recent elections in the country. The party's imprisoned presidential candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu, has been shown in repeated polls to be capable of beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an election. It is unclear if the new ruling invalidates Imamoglu's candidature, which was decided at a party primary in March 2025. The party has the right to appeal to the Court of Cassation within two weeks. Kilicdaroglu, who led the party between 2010 and 2023, was hailed for widening the party's appeal, but his loss at the 2023 presid...

Original source: Middle East Eye