CHP's 'absolute invalidity' ruling sparks parliamentary uproar: 'A coup against democracy'

A court decision invalidating the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) congress has thrown the Turkish Parliament into turmoil, with opposition lawmakers decrying it as a blow to democracy.

The controversy erupted during a General Assembly session when the "absolute invalidity" ruling concerning the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress was brought to the floor. Mehmet Emin Ekmen, leader of the New Path Group, stated the decision has weakened citizens' faith in politics and the possibility of power changing hands through elections. He noted significant disagreements among legal experts regarding the trial, procedure, and the interim injunction, suggesting the public perceives it as a politically engineered decision.

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The decision has weakened citizens' faith in politics and the possibility of power changing hands through elections.

DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Sezai Temelli echoed these sentiments, condemning the judiciary's involvement in shaping politics. "We are witnessing politics being designed through the judiciary. Politics must oppose this. The place to oppose it is right here, the Grand National Assembly," he declared, adding that Turkey's democratization is impossible as long as such restrictions are imposed on political parties.

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We are witnessing politics being designed through the judiciary. Politics must oppose this. The place to oppose it is right here, the Grand National Assembly.

CHP Group Deputy Chair Gökhan Günaydın asserted that the ruling affects not just the CHP but Turkey's entire democratic order. "The absolute invalidity decision against the CHP is not an internal party matter; it is a coup against democracy in Turkey," he stated. Günaydın highlighted that the decision, issued two and a half years after the congress and despite initial court approval, erodes trust between voters and elected officials. He characterized the ruling as an attempt to eliminate competitive democratic life and a clear manifestation of an authoritarian mindset that seeks to control presidential candidates and opposition party leadership.

Günaydın also criticized the ruling AK Party, questioning their engagement with pressing issues like inflation, unemployment, and judicial crises. He referenced Donald Trump's remarks about President Erdoğan, suggesting that power, as exemplified by Trump's actions in Palestine, is the true subject, not mere talk of strength. Recalling the CHP's history of facing interventions and arrests of its leaders, Günaydın expressed confidence in the party's resilience, stating, "We have faced many coups in the past, many of our leaders were arrested, but we have emerged and will continue to emerge stronger from all these coups, just as we did yesterday and will tomorrow."

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Turkey's democratization is impossible as long as such restrictions are imposed on political parties.

AKP Group Deputy Chair Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu, however, deflected responsibility, arguing that the ruling is a result of the CHP's internal power struggles. "The decision regarding absolute invalidity is the outcome of the CHP's dispute. This issue is a matter of the CHP's internal conflict," he asserted.

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The absolute invalidity decision against the CHP is not an internal party matter; it is a coup against democracy in Turkey.