Özgür Özel confirmed the allegations of a backup party.

28.02.2026 11:29

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel responded to the discussions about 'absolute nullity' within the party. When reminded of the claims that he kept the party in reserve against the possibility of absolute nullity, Özel said, "Of course, the party takes precautions. We have a table. Our table is working and taking precautions against all scenarios."

While the absolute nullity case regarding the CHP's 38th Congress comes back to the agenda, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel was asked about these discussions. Özel confirmed the claim of being a "backup party" in his statement.

In his statement to t24, Özel said, "It is being done to discuss the party and to have it discussed in the public. At that time, I had called for absolute silence against this absolute nullity discussion to my friends. Right now, I have no concerns or anxieties. The problem is that as long as this issue continues to be discussed both inside and outside this party, it causes damage in the end. Everyone in the Republican People's Party needs to follow this issue with absolute silence and maddening patience," he said.

NEITHER NULLITY NOR ATOMIC BOMB AFFECTS THE PARTY

Özel noted:

"There is no aspect of this that is compatible with reason, logic, or law. Three congresses have been held since that day. We have been re-elected three times. If society thinks that the party is not well managed, the management will be shaken and forced to go to regain trust without any need for a lawsuit. In the polls, we are the leading party, and the chairman has received all the valid votes from the delegates who voted. For the first time in history, a list that has not been broken. This is not due to our great success, but to the great solidarity within the party. When the party is so united, neither nullity nor an external atomic bomb can affect this matter. Therefore, as long as the party is on solid ground, artificial discussions will not yield any results. Legal initiatives that will not yield results will harm the AK Party, not anyone else."

"THE ANTIDOTE TO PARTY CLOSURE IS TO KEEP A PARTY ON THE SIDE"

When reminded of the claims that Özel kept a party in reserve against the possibility of absolute nullity, Özel said, "The party takes precautions, of course. We have a table. Our table is working and taking precautions against all scenarios. For example, the issue of 'Are you keeping a party on the side?' This is not a precaution against nullity, and we have no such concern. That is not its antidote. If there is nullity, we will go; it will never happen. The antidote to party closure is to keep a party on the side. Just like how the process regarding DEM worked and they tried to close it. At least, it is necessary to hold that sword at the top. The treasury may not provide assistance, and that is important because the CHP has no other income in the end. Therefore, there is a matter related to one or more parties on the side, but this is not the antidote to nullity; the antidote to nullity is something else. A party is not kept on the side against the possibility of nullity. Am I going to leave my party and go? If I left the party in Istanbul, I would leave it here even if there was nullity. If you left the party today, it is a matter of flag. The nation has given you a flag. If you leave the flag, they will never give it back to you. You will hold that flag until death; if you fall, you will fall with the flag. But precautions must be taken against party closure as we approach the election. As an antidote to that, friends have established a crisis table in the past, or rather, we have a crisis table. A mechanism we call a war room, and when a closure move is made, such a preparation was made," he stated.

"THERE IS A SEMI-CUSTODIAL MECHANISM IN ISTANBUL"

In response to a question about whether the expulsions in the party are related to this process, Özel said, "These expulsions are not the expulsions made by the party's central headquarters. They are the expulsions made by the Istanbul Provincial Disciplinary Board. If I say as the party's chairman that these expulsions have happened and are over, it would be unfair to my friends in the High Disciplinary Board. They will look at these files as the appellate authority. If you look at what the expelled friends have done, they are not expelled for something related to politics. They are expelled based on party ethics. Among the expelled friends, there are those who directly call Ekrem President a 'thief.' A person tweets, 'Don't defend thieves, Özgür.' On the other hand, there is a declaration. It is a very serious declaration, but none of them have been expelled solely because of the declaration, nor have they come to defend themselves. Today, there is a semi-custodial mechanism in Istanbul. We can't even call it a custodian. There is a semi-custodial structure, an organism there," he said.

"CANNOT APPEAR AS CHP'S CUSTODIAN"

In response to a question, Özel stated that he does not see a risk of division in the party, saying, "At this stage, there will be no division from the party. Only if someone is very scattered, they will throw themselves out. Other than that, nothing will happen."

Özel said, "I have done a lot of politics with Gürsel Tekin. But after he has gone to another place, you cannot recognize him. No matter what anyone does, as long as the party is so united, the custodian to be appointed here will be in the same situation as the custodian in Istanbul. Gürsel Tekin claimed he was the strongest politician on the street in Istanbul. He experienced very negative things. Gürsel Tekin can go out on the street, but you cannot go out as the custodian of the CHP; it doesn't work," he stated.

"A 5% DIFFERENCE IS NOT BAD"

In response to another question about polls, Özel said, "A 5% difference is not a bad difference. A 5% difference cannot be closed by cheating. But differences below 1% are dangerous. We saw this in local elections. Especially among center-right voters, there is a tendency to vote for the winning side. For example, when you go to ask for votes, the person says, 'Can you win?' They are constantly weighing it. Therefore, if you are a bit more confident, ahead in the numbers, and showing that you are going towards winning the election, that 5% can also become 15%. I have no concerns about that. But if the difference starts to fall below 1%, or even below 2%, they will try everything," he stated.

In response to a question about the March 19 process, Özel noted:

"If people see that what is being done is not legal but political, this will not benefit the AK Party. I think this will cost them a lot. The important thing is to capture the sentiment of the voters correctly. To explain ourselves correctly. For example, the diploma has been canceled. I say our candidate is İmamoğlu. Why? Tayyip Bey should pay the political price for not making Ekrem İmamoğlu a candidate first. He should face the political cost of being afraid of his rival and imprisoning him. If he cannot be a candidate in the end, we will see that day. Our candidate is İmamoğlu, and Tayyip Bey is keeping him in prison. Some say, 'Announce a new candidate.' 'Ekrem Bey should withdraw from candidacy, let someone new come.' That would be. It would seem as if there were free competition in Turkey then.

"WE DO NOT KEEP THOSE WHO GET INVOLVED IN GREAT FILTH IN THE PARTY"

If it is truly inexplicable, bribery, or whatever, we cannot walk together with that mayor or city council member as a party. While under such a heavy attack, it would not be right for the party to evaluate setups as alerts and do something. But if someone is really involved in great filth, we do not keep them in the party for a day."

"IT'S NOT ABOUT ORIGIN, IT'S ABOUT PERSONALITY"

In response to a question about the resignation of the Keçiören Mayor, Özel said, "It is true that Mesut Özarslan was nominated with the reference of Mansur Bey, but he is not someone we know. But it is also true that he disappointed Mansur Bey.

Özel, regarding the allegations that an operation would be carried out against Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, said, "If you look at this government's potential for evil, there is a possibility for everything, but in this PORTAŞ issue, the confidence that Mr. Mansur has shown and something that society can say, 'He eliminated his first rival, he is doing this to a possible rival,' I think this is a burden that this government cannot politically carry. It is also a burden that the Turkish economy cannot bear. I don't know if they will resort to the same method again after this time, but if they come up with a more innovative evil, they won't spare Mr. Mansur from that. However, I don't think they can subject Mr. Mansur to something they couldn't convince the citizens with the same method again. But they can do anything. Any evil is to be expected," he expressed.

"I AM WAITING FOR MARCH 11"

Özel, in response to a reminder that he had given Justice Minister Akın Gürlek a week to disclose his assets and that this period had passed, said, "I gave Akın Gürlek a week to say, 'Explain this as soon as possible,' I didn't give myself a deadline. I say this because, according to the law, when they take office, they are required to submit an asset declaration within a month. The deadline will expire on March 11. I don't know if we will postpone it to after March 11. Because last Tuesday, Akın Gürlek's deadline expired. On Wednesday, there were those who wrote columns asking, 'Why didn't you speak at the rally?' I don't want anyone to think, 'Is he negotiating with Akın Gürlek?' or 'Did Akın Gürlek threaten the CHP?' That's why I gave a week to say, 'I want you to explain to the public as soon as possible.' His legal deadline is March 11. I want to wait for March 11 so that it can be recorded by the state. Otherwise, what have we not disclosed until today, we have not taken a step back. If we didn't have it, we wouldn't say it anyway, we have already given the numbers, the title deed numbers, they know it is true. Akın Gürlek's deadline has expired, but it seems as if my deadline has also expired. I may explain this at the most appropriate time, perhaps in a separate press conference, perhaps in another way, we have nothing to hide," he stated.

Özel, in response to a question about the meeting he will hold at the CHP Headquarters on March 2, said, "We will announce some of our promises regarding the CHP government that have been filtered from the suggestions of the Political Board Presidencies and are in line with the expectations of society. We will also explain how we have initiated a major campaign. We are in the longest-lasting campaign in our political history. We have a goal of conducting the most crowded campaign in the world political history. We will strengthen this step by step," he said.

WHERE THE CHP IS NOT, THAT REPORT COULD HAVE EVOLVED TO OTHER PLACES

Özel, in response to a question about the new message from PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the work of the commission established in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the resolution of the Kurdish issue, said, "'We said, 'Don't be afraid of the commission we are not in.' Now our justification on that issue has emerged. Although there was an effort to create something by taking something from the commission report, it did not receive a response. Because those who look at the report say, 'Come on, this report cannot be called a betrayal report.' Where the CHP is not, that report could have evolved to other places. The CHP's role there as a supporter, monitor, and regulator was also important. You heard from Numan Kurtulmuş himself, he says that the 6th and 7th articles of the report need to be implemented quickly. The seventh article refers to strong democratic regulations, and if the CHP were not there, that seventh article would not have been there," he said.