Özgür Özel has been re-elected as the Chairman of the CHP.

21.09.2025 14:10

In the 22nd Extraordinary Congress of the CHP, the only candidate, Özgür Özel, was re-elected as the party leader. During the congress, 917 delegates cast their votes, and Özel managed to receive all 835 valid votes.

CHP's 22nd Extraordinary Congress was held at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Ankara Yenimahalle. A total of 917 delegates voted at the congress. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel was re-elected as chairman, receiving all 835 valid votes.

CHP'S 22ND EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS

The 22nd Extraordinary Congress of CHP has begun. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel arrived at the hall where the congress would be held in the morning hours. CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir was elected as the Chair of the Congress.

ÖZEL REQUESTED A "NO CONFIDENCE VOTE"

In his opening speech at the congress, Özel stated that only two of the PM and YDK members elected at the previous congress would be changed, and that they would conduct the elections with a block list for the rest. Özel said, "In this congress, which is technically aimed at thwarting the setups, we will present to your discretion the opportunity to vote with a block list, which is exceptional and will not be repeated."

Özel called on the delegates for a "no confidence vote," stating, "If you give a vote of confidence from here, we will go home without proceeding to the election item. For this, I will ask all of you, including all our PM members and all our deputies, to vote for no confidence to open the way for the election."

CHP MANAGEMENT FELL

At the congress, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and the 60-member Party Council (PM) and High Disciplinary Board (YDK) members did not receive a vote of confidence from the delegates. Thus, the CHP management has fallen. This situation is considered a tactic applied to eliminate suspicion. In other words, the party management had adopted this method for the presidential and PM and YDK elections. The delegates also voted in the direction of the party management's request.

VOTING HAS ENDED

At the congress, the voting for the Chairmanship, where Özgür Özel was the sole candidate, started at 11:55 and ended at 13:00. After the election of the chairman, the PM and YDK elections will be held. The block list method was used in the elections where Özel was the only candidate.

KILIÇDAROĞLU WAS NOT PRESENT IN THE HALL

Former Chairmen Hikmet Çetin and Murat Karayılçın attended the congress, while Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was not present in the hall.

THE PROCESS THAT BROUGHT CHP TO THE CONGRESS

The congress is being held against the possibility of ongoing lawsuits, the appointment of a trustee to the party, or the return of former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The aim of the congress is to eliminate the allegations of suspicion regarding previous congresses and to leave ongoing lawsuits without a subject.

WHY WAS THE DECISION FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS TAKEN?

After the dismissal of the Istanbul Provincial administration, the CHP management decided to hold an extraordinary congress on September 21. An application was made to the Çankaya District Election Board with the signatures of over 900 delegates for the extraordinary congress. The 196 Istanbul delegates, who were dismissed by the Istanbul 45th Civil Court, were not among the signatories. These delegates, whose "will was changed for material gain," had voted in the grand congress. The absence of these delegates in voting is significant for eliminating allegations regarding the congress where Özgür Özel was elected.

Özel was elected as the chairman of the CHP at the 38th Ordinary Congress of the Republican People's Party on November 5, 2023. Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu received 18 votes less than Özgür Özel in the first round of this congress. Although Özgür Özel finished ahead of the current chairman Kılıçdaroğlu by 18 votes in the first round, both candidates failed to reach the simple majority of the total number of delegates, which is 684, and thus the election went to a second round.

Özgür Özel narrowly missed the simple majority by just 2 votes in the first round. The second round of voting was held on November 5, where Özgür Özel received the votes of 812 delegates, while Kılıçdaroğlu received the votes of 536 delegates. Özgür Özel became the 8th Chairman of the CHP with a difference of 276 votes. Some legal experts argued that the election could have resulted differently due to the number of suspicious delegates, and it was claimed during the lawsuits that "this result was achieved with purchased delegates." Those who voiced these allegations suggested that after the congress was declared invalid, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu would return to the chairmanship.

CHP officials stated that the allegations were only related to the voting process at the 38th Ordinary Congress and argued that holding a new extraordinary congress without these delegates would eliminate the claims that "the will of the delegates was compromised." The CHP awaited the decision of the Ankara Provincial Election Board regarding the cancellation before the congress. The Provincial Election Board ruled that there was "no need for a decision" regarding the request for the cancellation of the 22nd Extraordinary Congress to be held on September 21, made by a CHP delegate who objected to the decision of the Çankaya District Election Board.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE PROCESS?

In the lawsuit filed for the cancellation of the CHP Istanbul 38th Ordinary Provincial Congress, the court ruled for the dismissal of Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and the current administration, and the appointment of a temporary administration in their place. This decision was noted to be significant for the 38th Congress where Özel was elected. The Istanbul delegates had also voted at the congress, and the number of Istanbul delegates was higher than other provinces.

A delegation consisting of Gürsel Tekin, Zeki Şen, Hasan Babacan, Müjdat Gürbüz, and Erkan Narsap was appointed to the Istanbul Provincial Chairmanship. Hasan Babacan and Müjdat Gürbüz, who were part of the delegation, announced that they had resigned from their positions. In ongoing discussions, a connection was being made between the court's cancellation of the Istanbul Provincial Congress and the decision expected to be made regarding the CHP congress on September 15.

THE CONGRESS WILL BE HELD IN ANKARA YENİMAHALLE

CHP delegates will gather at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Ankara Yenimahalle. In this congress, nearly 200 delegates from the Istanbul Provincial Chairmanship will not be able to vote. Additionally, to avoid any legal issues, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and the members of the Party Council and High Disciplinary Board will also not go to the polls at the congress. In 2023, 1,368 delegates had the right to vote, while this time the congress will be held with 1,127 delegates.

The agenda of the congress also included the "vote of confidence" article in the party statute.

At the congress, a vote of confidence will be held for the party leader, the central executive board, and the high disciplinary board, followed by the election. The only candidate for the party leadership at the congress is Özgür Özel. It is expected that a block list will be preferred instead of a blanket list for the election of the members of the Party Council and the High Disciplinary Board based on the written proposal of the delegates.

INVITATION FROM ÖZEL TO KILIÇDAROĞLU

Before the congress, it was learned that Özgür Özel called former chairpersons Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Hikmet Çetin, and Murat Karayalçın to invite them to the congress. Due to the physical capacity of the hall at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in Yenimahalle, no audience will be allowed at the congress. Workspaces will be created in the foyer for the press members.

THIRD CONGRESS IN CHP IN THE LAST TWO YEARS

CHP is holding its third congress in the last two years. The 38th Ordinary Congress of CHP was held on November 4-5, 2023, at the Ankara Sports Hall. In the congress, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Özgür Özel competed for the party leadership. In the first round, Özel received 682 votes, while Kılıçdaroğlu received 664 votes; both candidates failed to secure the support of the absolute majority (684) according to the total number of delegates, resulting in a second round. In the second round, Özel was elected as the 8th chairman of CHP with 812 votes against Kılıçdaroğlu's 536 votes.

After the arrest of former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Özel announced that he had received information that a trustee would be appointed to the party, and to prevent the trustee, he would take CHP to the 21st Extraordinary Congress on April 6, 2025. In the extraordinary congress held on April 6 against the possibility of a trustee, Özgür Özel was re-elected as chairman, receiving 1,171 out of 1,276 votes as the sole candidate.