21.05.2026 13:30
The Central Executive Committee (MYK) meeting planned for Monday in CHP was moved to today with a sudden decision. The main agenda of the meeting chaired by Özgür Özel was the striking "purification" call made by former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Meanwhile, CHP's 81 provincial chairpersons made a joint statement following Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks.
After Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks that stirred the political agenda in the Republican People's Party, the party management changed its regular meeting schedule. According to information received, the CHP Central Executive Board has been evaluating the recent debates and Kılıçdaroğlu's statements in a meeting that has been ongoing for approximately two hours.
EYES ON THE 2:00 PM STATEMENT
Following the meeting, CHP Party Spokesperson Zeynel Emre is expected to appear before the cameras at 2:00 PM to make a statement regarding the meeting's agenda and the decisions taken.
JOINT STATEMENT FROM 81 PROVINCIAL HEADS
Meanwhile, after the video released yesterday by former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, a joint statement was made by the heads of 81 provinces.
The statement included the following expressions:
"As the elected heads of 81 provinces of the Republican People's Party, we once again declare that we fully and most strongly support the institutional identity of our party, its elected bodies, its legal framework, and the struggle for justice and democracy carried out under the leadership of our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel.
Our Chairman and Presidential Candidate, through a historic resistance against a despotic power that corrupts the institutions and rules of our country, has lost its social legitimacy, and tries to stay in power through oppression, has turned our Party into the hope of our people.
No authority not granted by our organization, our delegates, and our nation can be expected from or used by courts under the influence of the government and the Justice and Development Party itself. The organizations of the Republican People's Party see all the games being played and will never surrender to them. We will fully protect the will of the ballot box, the legal framework of our party, and our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel."
CONGRESS DEBATE REIGNITED
The allegations of 'irregularities' and 'the will of the delegates being compromised' regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress held on November 4-5, 2023, which CHP Chairman Özgür Özel won, continue to occupy the political agenda.
The Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance had rejected the lawsuit filed for the annulment of the congress. The case, known in public as the 'absolute nullity lawsuit,' was later taken to the Ankara Regional Court of Appeals.
It was suggested in backstage circles that the court could issue a 'absolute nullity' decision, and in that case, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu could return to the position of CHP Chairman.
KILIÇDAROĞLU'S 'PURIFICATION' MESSAGE
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who had not directly commented on the allegations against him for a long time, criticized the party management in a video he released on his social media account yesterday.
Referring to the operations against CHP municipalities, Kılıçdaroğlu called for 'purification' within the party.
In his statement, Kılıçdaroğlu emphasized that politics must remain clean and drew attention to CHP's historical mission. Stating that the party is a 'sacred trust,' Kılıçdaroğlu drew attention with his words, 'The trust cannot be sullied, the trust cannot be maligned.'
Kılıçdaroğlu used the following expressions in the video he shared:
"My dear friends, my courageous comrades on the path and in the cause, and you noble citizens with a conscience of this beautiful country…
The future of a nation is shaped by the wisdom, conscience, and morality of politics. The blessed tables of the nation are enriched by clean politics. Because sullied politics first corrodes the conscience, then destroys morality, and finally sets its eyes on the bread of the nation.
That is why keeping politics clean and bringing abundance to the nation's table is the duty of honor for everyone who engages in politics in this country. My friends, this heavy responsibility falls first and foremost on the members of the Republican People's Party, more than anyone else.
Secondly, the Republican People's Party is a mighty plane tree! It is the will of this nation to rise from poverty. It has seen coups, it has not bowed. It has been closed down, it has not surrendered. It has faced pressures, but it has never knelt down, it has never been taken hostage. My friends, the Republican People's Party is a spirit whose founder is the great leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and which is manifested in the independence will of our nation. There is no betrayal of spirituality. The Republican People's Party is not a legacy left to us. Our Party is a sacred trust entrusted to us. The trust cannot be sullied, the trust cannot be maligned."