Tension as CHP Confronts Interim Istanbul Chair’s Arrival

The saga began when an Istanbul court suspended the CHP's provincial leadership last week, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s provincial congress in 2023. The court also appointed Gürsel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker, as interim chair.

In response, CHP leadership called on members and supporters to gather at the party’s provincial headquarters ahead of Tekin’s arrival. The Istanbul governor’s office countered with a three-day ban on public gatherings late on Sept. 7, and police cordoned off the area, erecting barricades and restricting access.

However, crowds assembled outside the building, leading to sporadic scuffles, according to reports. Tekin arrived under heavy police protection and was met with boos from party members angered that he accepted the position.

Speaking to journalists, Tekin said his goal was not to inflame the situation. “We will do everything in our power to put an end to the legal troubles our party has been subjected to in the court corridors,” he said.

Later in the day, the CHP decided to shut down its Istanbul building until a provincial congress, designating a temporary location to allow work to continue.

The court battle in Istanbul coincides with a similar case in Ankara, where judges are expected later this month to rule on the legitimacy of the CHP’s 2023 convention that elected Özgür Özel as leader. A ruling against the party could pave the way for the return of former head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

The turmoil comes as the corruption probe targeting the CHP-run Istanbul Municipality deepens. Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on March 23, the day he was declared the party’s presidential candidate for the next elections.

Earlier on Sept. 8, Özel said Turkey’s multi-party system was "under threat."

"They are ready to throw the country into the fire to hold on to their positions... We will defend democratic politics as a front,” he said at an event in Ankara.

"You will be defeated by our righteousness, our courage, our determination, the hopes and laughter of children. The day will come when you will be ashamed of all these actions, and there will be no one left to defend you."