[REVISION HISTORY]

CHP Istanbul membership ceremony controversy

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-26 21:54 UTC → 2026-07-27 06:39 UTC · added ~~removed~~

On 11 July 2026 the Republican People’s Party (CHP) held a ceremony in Istanbul where about 200 new members were inducted by provincial leader Gürsel Tekin. The party presented the event as a step toward widening its base in Turkey’s largest city and promised a congress within 45 days. Two weeks later Turkish media reported that the ceremony had been filled with paid participants recruited by cast‑agency contractors who allegedly paid each person 950 lira, transported them to the Rauf Denktaş Cultural Center and coached them to chant party slogans. CHP officials, including Tekin and spokesperson Müslim Sarı, dismissed the claims as a “media trap”, filed a criminal complaint and accused “FETÖ‑related forces” of smearing the party. On 25 July 2026 BirGün journalist Ebru Çelik reiterated the allegations, noting that some participants wore CHP Youth Branch vests. The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office opened a formal investigation while the party continued to deny the accusations and pledged legal defence. Later that day additional reporting detailed that dozens of alleged paid “figüran” were brought in by cast agencies on about 20 buses, instructed to chant slogans such as “Halkın umudu Kılıçdaroğlu”, and that the event took place in Sarıyer. CHP Istanbul chairman Göksel Tekin again rejected the accusations, filed a criminal complaint and called the story a provocation. Cast‑agency Merss Production issued a statement denying any payment from the party, saying its involvement was a personal favor. BirGün defended its reporting and announced it would pursue legal action against alleged defamation. Further reporting on 25 July identified three specific cast agencies that supplied the participants, confirming the 950 TL payment per person and describing coordinated rehearsals and flag‑waving under agency direction.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.