An Ankara court on Monday adjourned until September a trial involving alleged corruption that could upend the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Agence France-Presse reported.
The case could render null and void the result of a leadership primary at the CHP’s congress in November 2023 on grounds of alleged fraud, thereby overturning the election of leader Özgür Özel.
Monday’s hearing was brief, with the judge adjourning the proceedings until September 8 on grounds of a question over jurisdiction.
Ankara’s public prosecutor opened an investigation in February into allegations of vote buying at the congress at which Özel defeated longtime incumbent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The CHP denies the allegations.
The outcome could see several CHP figures — including jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — facing up to three years in prison and a political ban for corruption, media reports said.
Critics say the case is a politically motivated attempt to undermine the party, whose popularity has grown since it led a wave of street protests in March following the removal of İstanbul’s popular opposition mayor.
İmamoğlu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s biggest political opponent, was jailed as part of a corruption probe in a move the CHP denounced as a “coup,” saying its sole aim was to stop him from running as its candidate in the 2028 presidential race.
“No conspiracy against our party is ever unrelated to the March 19 coup,” Özel wrote on X.
“It is clear today’s hearing wasn’t focused on results but was a politically motivated process aimed at discrediting our party, halting our march to power and breaking our resolve to fight on,” he said.
The party has called for a mass demonstration on Tuesday at 1730 GMT outside Istanbul City Hall to mark 100 days since İmamoğlu’s removal from office.
“We will never stray from our goal or turn back from our path! Tomorrow .. on the 100th dark day of the ‘coup,’ we will be at Saraçhane, the heart of resistance!” he said, using a local term for City Hall that drew vast crowds of protesters in March.
If the election result is cancelled, the party leadership would almost certainly revert to 76-year-old Kılıçdaroğlu, who was ousted after losing the 2023 presidential race to Erdoğan, leaving the party in crisis.
Kılıçdaroğlu has already said he would be willing to take on the party leadership again if the court overturns the primary result, sparking an uproar within the CHP.
