Ankara court annuls CHP leadership election, reinstates Kilicdaroglu
The Republican People’s Party faces internal disarray as the judiciary overturns the 2023 congress, sparking protests and a sharp sell-off in local assets.
An Ankara court has annulled the 2023 leadership election of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkiye’s main opposition party, reinstating former chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu as interim leader and overturning the victory of current head Ozgur Ozel. The ruling represents a significant escalation in the judicial pressure exerted on the country’s oldest political faction, which secured a decisive victory in the 2024 local elections and currently polls roughly even with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.
The decision has triggered immediate market instability, with the Borsa Istanbul .XU100 index dropping 6 percent and activating a market-wide circuit breaker. Government bonds slid in response, prompting the central bank to sell billions of dollars in foreign exchange to stabilise the financial situation. Investors are closely monitoring the fallout, drawing parallels to the economic disruption seen in March last year when the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu caused a similar selloff and reversed the central bank’s rate-cutting cycle.
CHP officials have strongly rejected the judicial intervention, with deputy parliamentary group chair Ali Mahir Basarir describing the ruling as an “attempted coup” carried out through the judiciary. Basarir characterised the decision as a blow against the will of the 86 million people, asserting that those responsible would be held accountable. The party has convened its leadership to discuss a coordinated response, while plans for public protests have been announced.
In contrast, the government maintained that the ruling reinforced the rule of law and renewed Turks’ faith in the judicial system, denying accusations that it utilises courts to target political opponents. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, parliament’s third-largest faction, also condemned the decision, labeling it a “black stain” on Turkish democracy. The case had previously been dismissed by a court of first instance last year, which found no substance in the challenge to the 2023 congress.
Kilicdaroglu, who had largely withdrawn from public view following his electoral defeat three years ago, called for calm and common sense upon his reinstatement. The ruling throws the opposition into further disarray at a critical juncture, with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the CHP’s official candidate for the upcoming presidential election, already imprisoned for more than a year. The political instability raises questions about the balance of power in the NATO member state and the potential for extended rule by Erdogan’s administration.
