Former Constitutional Court Chief: 'Closure would have been better than this ruling on CHP congress'

Haşim Kılıç, former president of Turkey's Constitutional Court, has sharply criticized a recent court ruling declaring the Republican People's Party (CHP) congress 'absolutely null and void.' Kılıç, speaking to Cumhuriyet newspaper, suggested that a direct closure of the party would have been preferable to the current judicial decision.

"I think it would have been better if it had been closed," Kılıç stated. "We have faced a much more severe decision than a closure." He elaborated that the ruling has placed the party in a significantly more difficult position than if it had been banned outright.

The former top judge expressed profound disappointment with the outcome, lamenting the implications for political parties, which he described as indispensable pillars of democracy. The ruling, which invalidates the congress, raises significant questions about the future leadership and internal processes of the main opposition party.