CHP provincial chairmanship clashes spread across Turkey

In several Turkish provinces, the Republican People's Party (CHP) is experiencing intense internal disputes following recent court rulings that reinstated party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. In Ankara, newly appointed provincial chair Fahri Yıldırım was forced out of the party headquarters at night after a confrontation with former deputy chair Yüksel Işık and his supporters, prompting police intervention. Similar confrontations occurred in Konya, where the new provincial chair Refik Serttaş reported vandalism and insulting graffiti on the party building after the removal of former chair Nejat Türktaş.

Manisa’s provincial chair Engin Uzun accused opponents of damaging the party office and receiving death threats, while in Kayseri former chair Ufuk Ozan Gözbaşı denounced the removal of eight district chairs as a “corrupt” purge. In Karatay (Konya) the new chair Refik Serttaş faced criticism for his party’s poor electoral performance and reported further building defacement. The pattern continued in Samsun, where former chair Mehmet Özdağ refused to hand over the provincial headquarters to his successor Mehmet Pank, eventually vacating the building only after police pressure. Across these incidents, party members have called for unity, denounced “butlancılar” (those imposing nullification decisions), and highlighted threats to party infrastructure and personal safety.

The disputes underscore broader tensions within CHP’s provincial structures as the party navigates leadership changes imposed by the judiciary and internal factionalism.