24.05.2026 19:50
Mansur Yavaş, the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, visited Özgür Özel, who moved to the Parliament after the evacuation crisis at the headquarters, at his office. Following this critical meeting, which stirred political circles, CHP metropolitan mayors, including Yavaş, issued a joint statement declaring that an extraordinary congress must be convened within 45 days at the latest for the welfare of the party.
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş had an emergency meeting with Özgür Özel, who moved to the Turkish Grand National Assembly after the party headquarters was evacuated by police intervention, at his office in the Parliament. Immediately following this critical meeting that reshaped political balances, CHP metropolitan mayors, including Yavaş as a signatory, issued a joint declaration calling for an extraordinary congress to be convened within at most 45 days for the future of the party and to overcome the current crisis.
"WE STAND WITH ÖZGÜR ÖZEL, THE GOAL IS TO DIVIDE THE PARTY"
Evaluating the Ankara Regional Court of Justice's decision of "absolute nullity" regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress and the subsequent eviction process, the metropolitan mayors, including Mansur Yavaş, argued that the decision served a political purpose. The joint statement included the following expressions:
"We are aware that the real aim of the Absolute Nullity decision is to divide and fragment our Republican People's Party and to weaken our nation's hope for a change in power. As Republican People's Party Metropolitan Mayors; we stand with our party's elected Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel, and our party administration. At this stage; for the sake and future of our party, we announce to the public our opinion that our extraordinary congress should be convened within at most 45 days."
THEY SET A CONGRESS DATE
The first strong support for Özgür Özel, who had to leave the party headquarters due to police intervention, came from Mansur Yavaş, who visited him at his office in the Parliament. Immediately after this one-on-one meeting, the metropolitan mayors' clear articulation of the congress date as "45 days" revealed that the ballot box was seen as the only solution to resolve the dual leadership crisis within the party. This joint step taken by the mayors against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's team taking over the management at the headquarters moved the power struggle within the party into an official congress process.
YAVAŞ: POLICE ENTERING A CENTURY-OLD PARTY IS HIGHLY WRONG
Meanwhile, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who met with Özgür Özel at his office in the Parliament, reacted to the police intervention at the party headquarters after the meeting. Evaluating the process with the words "it was not pleasant," Yavaş stated the following:
"Police entering the party in this way is highly wrong. It was not pleasant. Police entering a century-old party like this... God forbid, nothing else happened, but the police are also ours, our heart and soul."