CHP internal strife erupts over mutlak butlan and kurultay plans

A court ruling placed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu back as CHP chairman and declared the party’s leadership a “mutlak butlan” (absolute nullity). The decision triggered a wave of internal conflict: many provincial chairs were dismissed, expulsions of MPs and local officials were announced, and several factions disputed the legitimacy of appointments.

Group leader Özgür Özel has organised a new party project and repeatedly called for an immediate ordinary congress (kurultay), claiming that the collected signatures from 833 delegates are valid and that the court‑issued injunction does not block the meeting. He accused the current management of running the party by appointment rather than election. The dispute has spilled into protests and physical clashes in party offices in İzmir, Kayseri, Bursa and other locales, with supporters of both sides confronting each other.

Party spokesperson Müslim Sarı announced that the ordinary kurultay will begin in September, while a delegation of 833 delegates has filed an objection demanding that the court’s injunction be lifted before any congress can be held. Legal experts cited by Özel say the injunction does not bar a kurultay, but the party’s central board maintains that the curfew on congresses remains in force.

The crisis also saw public comments from former AKP parliament speaker Bülent Arınç and other politicians, further politicising the intra‑party battle. Amid the turmoil, demands for new youth and women wing leadership were reported, and the party’s internal democracy was criticised by several members.