Bahçeli calls for CHP congress, backs Kılıçdaroğlu as chairman

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has called for the Republican People's Party (CHP) to initiate a process of renewal and hold a congress. Bahçeli asserted that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu remains the party's chairman, citing a court decision that declared the party's recent convention null and void.

Bahçeli proposed September 9, the CHP's founding date, as the date for a new congress. He emphasized that Kılıçdaroğlu's position as chairman is legally recognized. The MHP leader suggested that instead of resisting the court's decision, all parties within the CHP should convene under the common ground of the party's institutional identity to prevent fragmentation.

Expressing concern over the potential for escalating internal conflict, Bahçeli warned against the crisis turning into street demonstrations. "We are concerned that the crisis of absolute nullity within the Republican People's Party, a deeply rooted political institution in Turkey, could turn into internal party conflict and street protests, creating a wounded memory not only for the CHP but also for Turkish democracy and political culture," he stated.

Bahçeli also commented on the recent police intervention at the CHP headquarters. He expressed a wish for reconciliation and a unified approach to preserve the party's institutional integrity. However, he noted that instead of consensus, events occurred that were undesirable for the party's members and the nation.