Turkish CHP splits: Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel mobilize supporters

Turkey's largest opposition party CHP is in an unprecedented power crisis. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Saturday in Ankara to support their ousted party leader Özgür Özel. At the same time, his predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu entered party headquarters for the first time after a court had installed him as the new chairman.

The two rivals held their speeches in parallel – a scenario that reveals the deep split within the party. Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu mobilized their respective supporters for major rallies to underscore their claims to party leadership. The scenes show how fragmented the CHP currently is and how little clarity exists about future leadership structures.

Court intervention escalates conflict

The conflict arose when a court about a week ago removed Özel and installed Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the party from 2010 to 2023, as interim chairman. Özel had taken over the CHP after Kılıçdaroğlu's election defeat in 2023 and attempted to reform the party. But internal power struggles and judicial interventions have led to this unprecedented situation.

The demonstrations in Ankara show that Özel's supporters do not accept the court's decision. They see Kılıçdaroğlu's return as a step backward and a violation of democratic processes within the party. At the same time, Kılıçdaroğlu is mobilizing his supporters to solidify his position as legitimate party leader.

Existential challenge for the opposition

The CHP, which serves as a counterweight to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, thus faces an existential challenge. A lasting split could significantly weaken its effectiveness in future elections and benefit Erdoğan's ruling party AKP.