CHP leader Özgür Özel confronts party leadership amid internal disputes

CHP leader Özgür Özel met with the party’s elected parliamentary group, condemning the “butlan” (suspension) management and stating that the party cannot be run with a disciplinary stick. He announced forthcoming public rallies in Denizli and Burdur and stressed that any settlement with the appointed administration must be reached at a party congress, saying “Anlaşabiliriz ama kurultayda anlaşabiliriz” (We can agree, but only at a congress). Özel also refused to accept an unelected, time‑extended leadership, calling the party’s heart the congress itself.

In a separate interview, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş dismissed rumors that he would join a new party, reiterating that he is focused on his mayoral duties. He said, “Biz bunları yalanlamaktan yorulduk, artık ilgilenmiyoruz” (We are tired of denying these, we no longer engage) and added that any future position would be announced publicly.

The CHP is therefore caught in a conflict between the “butlan”‑appointed leadership and the elected faction led by Özel, with calls for a congress to restore elected control and public meetings to rally support.