CHP to hold extraordinary convention amid trustee claims

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is set to hold an extraordinary convention on April 6 in an effort to counter the alleged possibility of a trustee being appointed to the party.

The move follows separate investigations launched by prosecutors in Ankara and Istanbul into alleged irregularities during the latest party convention.

Ankara prosecutors are probing claims that votes were cast in exchange for money during the CHP’s 38th ordinary convention on Nov. 4-5, 2023.

Meanwhile, the chief public prosecutor's office in Istanbul launched an investigation into allegations that provincial elections held before the convention were rigged and violated election laws.

"They want to appoint a trustee to [Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk's party," CHP leader Özgür Özel said on March 21. "We will announce to all of Türkiye that we have prevented trustee attempts by taking the party to an extraordinary convention."

The probes came amid mass protests across the country stirred by the arrest of CHP's Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last month on corruption charges.

The convention will include a leadership poll, with Özel running for reelection. Speculation remains over whether former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu or a candidate he supports will challenge Özel.

Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the CHP from 2010 until his defeat to Özel in 2023, welcomed the decision for a congress but has not yet declared his candidacy.

Özel replaced Kılıçdaroğlu following a leadership contest months after the latter’s loss to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the presidential election earlier that year.

Kılıçdaroğlu faced criticism for making too many concessions to smaller parties within the opposition alliance, contributing to his defeat.