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🇹🇷 Turkey /Elections & Politics

CHP leader Özel: Court injunctions don't stop congress, accuses Kılıçdaroğlu allies of 'mafia-like' attempt on HQ

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • CHP leader Özgür Özel responded to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's statements regarding the party congress, stating that a court injunction does not prevent its holding.
  • Özel accused Kılıçdaroğlu's allies of attempting to storm the CHP headquarters with disruptive groups, contradicting Kılıçdaroğlu's claims of innocence.
  • He asserted that CHP's direction is determined by its members and political developments, not court rulings, and that a congress can be held within 45 days.

CHP leader Özgür Özel has directly addressed former party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks concerning the party's upcoming congress. Kılıçdaroğlu had stated that the congress must be held on a legal basis after a court injunction is lifted. Özel countered this, asserting that "an injunction does not prevent the congress from being held." He emphasized that the core issue is "a matter of intention." Özel suggested that if the judiciary, influenced by the ruling AK Party, were to obstruct the congress, party members should unite against such interference. "CHP is shaped by CHP itself, not by court decisions. Politics shapes it," he declared.

An injunction does not prevent the congress from being held. The issue is a matter of intention.

· Özgür ÖzelResponding to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's statements about the legal basis for holding the party congress.

Adding to the internal friction, Özel addressed Kılıçdaroğlu's criticism of police intervention at the CHP headquarters. Kılıçdaroğlu had questioned why lawmakers were denied entry. Özel recounted a conversation with Kılıçdaroğlu the day before the incident, where they agreed to assign representatives to discuss the congress date. However, Özel alleged that Kılıçdaroğlu's appointed representatives, accompanied by "mafia-like groups" and "Erdoğan supporters," attempted to enter the party building at 7 a.m., hours before a scheduled meeting. "Is storming the party headquarters at 7 a.m. with mafia-like and Erdoğan-supporting groups a conciliatory stance?" Özel questioned, expressing disbelief at Kılıçdaroğlu's denial of sending them. He further stated that the lawmakers' demand was not to enter alone but with these groups, and that a confrontation with an angry crowd inside could have led to "very ugly scenes."

CHP is shaped by CHP itself, not by court decisions. Politics shapes it.

· Özgür ÖzelAsserting the party's autonomy from judicial interference.

Özel concluded that the early morning attempt to force entry, despite a scheduled meeting later that day, revealed a lack of good faith. He reiterated that there are "several ways" to hold the congress within the next 45 days, stressing that the primary obstacle is not legal but a matter of genuine intent and political will within the party. The exchange highlights a significant power struggle and deep divisions within the main opposition party.

Is storming the party headquarters at 7 a.m. with mafia-like and Erdoğan-supporting groups a conciliatory stance?

· Özgür ÖzelQuestioning the motives behind the attempt to enter the CHP headquarters before a scheduled meeting.
About this summary

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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