Turkish main opposition CHP faces another investigation, this time over party congress held in 2023
An Ankara prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the main opposition CHP’s party congress held in 2023, which was deemed “shady” by President Erdoğan. In the congress, previous leader Kılıçdaroğlu was defeated by Özel following calls for a change within the party.
Duvar English
It has come to earth that the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into the party congress of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), held in November 2023.
In a statement, the office said they launched an investigation into the congress back in January 2024, and “(former CHP leader) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and (former CHP deputy) Akif Hamzaçebi were called to testify as witnesses due to their statements in the press and social media regarding the subject.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently called the party congress in question “shady,” claiming that Özgür Özel’s victory in the congress was controversial.
After Kılıçdaroğlu lost the presidential race to Erdoğan in May 2023, he also lost the party leadership to “revisionist” Özgür Özel in November 2023. His defeat came after calls for a change within the party, initiated by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from the CHP.
Some deemed Erdoğan’s remarks and the investigation as the government’s attempt to stir the party.
After Erdoğan’s remarks, Kılıçdaroğlu called on Özgür Özel and party authorities to respond to the “shady” congress claims.
“As far as I know, Erdoğan said ‘shady congress’ a few times. The authorized bodies of the party or (Özgür Özel) should come out and make a very clear statement. They should say, 'Who are you to call the CHP's congress a shady congress?’,” he said during a live KRT TV broadcast on Feb. 7.
Similarly, former CHP MP Akif Hamzaçebi called on his party to respond to Erdoğan’s allegations. “Erdoğan makes a heavy accusation against Özel in his own hometown and our Chair remains silent. I am crushed and saddened under the weight of this allegation. No CHP member can accept this allegation.”
In response to them, Özel said, “If we were to respond to what Mr. Erdoğan said in order to stir up a political party… For 14 years, Erdoğan has been saying things that did not happen at our previous congress and at the congress where Mr. Kemal was elected. Did we respond at all? If I respond to it, I would be ashamed of the efforts of those who have worked for the party founded by Atatürk and its 1.6 million members today.”
After Kılıçdaroğlu and Hamzaçebi were called to testify in the investigation, the former announced that he would not testify.
Hamzaçebi said, “I don't have any allegations about our congress, such as suspicion or anything like that. I don't have such information, I didn't make any insinuation, I'm not a witness,” and added that he only wanted the party leadership to respond to Erdoğan.
The investigation came after the government's new wave of crackdown attempt on the CHP, as CHP municipalities and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have been facing several new investigations.