17.06.2026 18:21
After the administration of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu dismissed numerous provincial chairs, including those of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, and referred them to disciplinary boards with demands for expulsion, tensions have once again risen within the CHP. Özgür Özel, who described these decisions as an 'internal party coup,' said, 'We will not easily abandon our ancestral home,' and called on the entire organization and party members to stand guard at provincial headquarters.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) is in turmoil over the radical expulsion and dismissal decisions made by the administration of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who returned to the General Chairmanship seat with the court's absolute nullity ruling, while Özgür Özel, who was in a meeting with 74 provincial chairpersons, called on party members to resist and stand guard against these decisions.
DISMISSAL DECISIONS ARRIVED DURING THE MEETING
While Özgür Özel was meeting with 74 provincial chairpersons, the Central Executive Board (MYK) under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu issued successive expulsion and dissolution decisions. According to the statement made by CHP Spokesperson Müslim Sarı; 8 provincial chairpersons, including those from Ankara and Izmir, were dismissed, while 6 provincial chairpersons were expelled. Istanbul Provincial Chairperson Özgür Çelik was referred to the disciplinary board with a precautionary expulsion request, and Gülsüm Hale Özcömert Coşkun was appointed in his place. The wave of liquidation also hit the Bursa, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Adana, Malatya, and Bitlis organizations, as well as the General Chairpersonship of Women's Branches; Ayten Gülsever was appointed to replace Asu Kaya.
ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: WE ARE FACING A THOROUGH ILLEGALITY
Speaking after the developments, Özgür Özel stated that notarized signatures representing the will of 1,004 delegates from 81 provinces were submitted in accordance with the law. Referring to a report prepared by 34 public law scholars who support them, Özel emphasized that the decisions lack legal basis, saying, "A precautionary measure does not prevent the congress; on the contrary, it makes it mandatory. Those with a precautionary measure cannot dismiss the provincial chairperson."
"WE HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT SURRENDER TO THE INNER-PARTY COUP"
Calling on party members to stand guard against the decisions, Özel said:
"This decision has not changed our determination. We are the cadres who will learn how to win, save the party from opposition, and take it to power. If the General Chairperson does not need a building, the party headquarters is wherever our Provincial Chairperson is. Of course, we are not easily giving up our Ancestral Home. I invite all our party members to the dismissed Provincial Chairperson offices. We invite our party members to stand guard and protect Atatürk's legacy. We have not and will not surrender to the inner-party coup."
Describing this move initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu's administration with the statement "We will purify" as "an operation to overcome a party that has become the first party in Turkey and defeated the AKP," Özel announced that they are awaiting the conclusion of the High Disciplinary Board (YDK) meeting and will immediately take these unlawful decisions to court once the process ends.