26.09.2025 16:42
After the court decision to suspend CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik from his position, Gürsel Tekin was appointed as a trustee along with Savaş Aras, Erkan Narsap, Zeki Şen, Levent Çelik, and Barış Yarkadaş, who were expelled from the CHP. Tekin stated, "We will continue our struggle to cleanse our party from dishonorable individuals, suspicions, and corrupt systems. You cannot silence us with expulsion decisions."
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After the court decision to suspend CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and his administration, Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed as a trustee, along with Savaş Aras, Erkan Narsap, Zeki Şen, Levent Çelik, and Barış Yarkadaş, were expelled from the CHP.
In a statement made by the party, the following was stated: "In the meeting of our High Disciplinary Board on September 26, 2025, it was decided to punish the members named Gürsel Tekin, Savaş Aras, Erkan Narsap, Zeki Şen, Levent Çelik, and Barış Yarkadaş with expulsion in accordance with the provision of Article 68/1-b of our Statute, which states 'to act in a manner incompatible with the duties and responsibilities they have taken in the party and with membership.'
It was decided to reject the appeals made by the members named Yusuf Gögerkaya, Berhan Şimşek, Mustafa Yavuz, Zeynel Kızılkaya, Atakan Demirci, Koray Göbel, Ömer Kutlu, and Cevher Sönmez against the decision of the Central Executive Board to refer them to our Board with a request for precautionary expulsion, and to continue the precaution.
FIRST STATEMENT FROM GÜRSEL TEKİN
Gürsel Tekin, who was expelled from the CHP, stated: "As a soldier of the Republican People's Party, we were expelled by a decision made by those who represent their personal interests, not the party, with the involvement of criminals.
We are the veterans of this party. We have given our years, our sweat, and our struggle to this party. The decisions made by those who try to maintain their own order by disregarding the efforts of thousands of comrades walking the same path as us cannot overshadow the history of the CHP.
Those who expel us today should know that it is not us they are expelling; they are expelling their own consciences, the honorable past of the party. You cannot erase our existence. Because we are the conscience of the CHP, we are its roots, we are its memory.
"YOU CANNOT SILENCE US WITH EXPULSION DECISIONS"
I clearly state: When you leave this party, when you cleanse this party of suspicions and personal ambitions, the Republican People's Party will grow even more. Because the CHP is the party of millions who follow in the footsteps of Mustafa Kemal, not of those who have been purged to protect the seats of a few individuals.
We will continue our struggle to cleanse our party from dishonorable people, suspicions, and dirty orders. You cannot silence us with expulsion decisions. History will not write these unjust decisions taken today, but it will write about us standing tall against these decisions.
CHP'S APPEAL WAS REJECTED
In the interim decision of the case opened at the Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance for the annulment of the 38th Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Congress of the CHP, the court had removed Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and his administration from office and appointed Gürsel Tekin and his committee as trustees. The court decided to evaluate the appeal made by the CHP against this decision in a hearing.
GÜRSEL TEKİN'S TERM WILL CONTINUE
In the hearing held today, the court rejected the appeal against the precautionary removal of CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik. Gürsel Tekin and the trustee committee will continue their duties.
GÜRSEL TEKİN: DON'T FORCE ME
After the decision, Gürsel Tekin, speaking to the press at the former CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters in Sarıyer, said, "Dear press members, today I did not come before you to defend myself. If you commit a crime, you defend yourself. Since the day we started, our only path has been to preserve and defend the Republican People's Party that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk entrusted to us. None of us have ever been involved in the slightest negative act in our entire lives," he stated.
Continuing his speech, Tekin said, "The General Chairman appears on the screen and says 'I expelled.' Can you imagine? He says 'I expelled.' I looked at the screen immediately, we have membership. Two hours later, I looked again, there is no membership. I checked the history. Then, most likely realizing their mistakes, what did they do this time? They said, 'We will send a defense.' What defense are you sending? What is this? To whom are you sending it? I wonder to whom we will defend ourselves? I really can't bring myself to say it. Don't force me. I kindly ask you. We are patiently waiting just to preserve this institutional identity. Who will you bring the clean people before? Are you aware? My dear General Chairman, do you know who you will bring us before? Therefore, this is not a defense. I would expect the party administration and our General Chairman to do something about the accusers and informants who have caused the detention of hundreds of our friends. In fact, 24 of them are also members of the Republican People's Party. You are disciplining Zeki Şen and Erkan. Why don't you take action against those who caused the detention of our friends?" he said.
On the other hand, in response to a question regarding the rejection of the appeal against the precautionary removal of the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman and administration by the Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance and the continuation of the precautionary decision, Tekin said, "We are not concerned with that."
WHAT HAPPENED?
On October 8, 2023, during the CHP 38th Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Congress, where Özgür Çelik was elected as Provincial Chairman, a lawsuit was filed by CHP Istanbul Delegate Özlem Erkan on August 14, claiming "acts of will disruption" and "criminal actions" for the annulment of the congress.
The Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance, in its interim decision on September 2, decided to "provisionally suspend" Özgür Çelik, who was elected as Provincial Chairman at the CHP 38th Ordinary Istanbul Congress, and the Provincial Executive Board and Provincial Disciplinary Board elected at the same congress.
In the same interim decision, it was decided to appoint Gürsel Tekin along with 5 others as a temporary board to use the powers of the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman, Provincial Executive Board, and Provincial Disciplinary Board.
The court, evaluating the appeals made by the CHP regarding the interim decisions of the Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance dated September 2, 2025, ruled that all appeals regarding the "precautionary measure" decision of the CHP should be seen in a hearing, and the hearing date was set for September 26.
ÖZGÜR ÇELİK WAS RE-ELECTED AS PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN
Özgür Çelik and the provincial administration applied to the Sarıyer District Election Board for the holding of an extraordinary congress on September 24, and it was accepted. The Istanbul 45th Civil Court of First Instance requested the suspension of the ongoing works regarding the holding of the Provincial Congress against the decision of the YSK that the CHP Istanbul Extraordinary Provincial Congress could be held. The YSK, which convened extraordinarily, ruled that the CHP Istanbul Provincial Congress could continue.
The congress was held, and Özgür Çelik was re-elected as the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman.
Afterward, Gürsel Tekin stated, "We are an independent board here.
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"Of course, any decision made by the judiciary will bind us. Without a doubt, whether it is a lie or incorrect, every decision binds us. Therefore, I am not making any comments regarding the congress held today. I wish it well. We are not a board that comes with a congress decision. We are a board that comes with a judicial decision. Our duty is terminated by a judicial decision. We are in the request for it to be concluded as soon as possible," he said.