Extraordinary congress assembly called by opposition in Turkey on September 21st

The Republican People's Party (CHP), the largest opposition force in the Turkish parliament, is under political pressure following a court decision that annulled their Istanbul provincial congress in October 2023. The decision has sparked a wave of arrests and legal cases, culminating in the jailing of Istanbul's popular and powerful mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, in March.

The CHP is now facing another lawsuit targeting its national leadership, similar to the one that annulled their Istanbul provincial congress. The group led by Kılıçdaroğlu applied to a local election authority in Ankara on Friday for the approval of an extraordinary congress of the CHP to resolve the party's legal uncertainty.

Gul Ciftci, a CHP deputy leader, stated that the extraordinary congress will reaffirm faith in democracy in Turkey. She asserted that the decision for the congress, made by the delegates' will, is the strongest proof that the CHP stands tall against government intervention.

The CHP's national leadership case is closely watched by observers. The lawsuit against the CHP's national leadership will resume in Ankara on September 15. The party's leadership has vowed to fight the case, with Ciftci stating that they will file an appeal against the court's ruling.

The upcoming CHP congress is expected to shape the party's strategy in the face of ongoing legal uncertainty. The CHP won a significant victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP in the 2024 local elections, but the party has faced a wave of arrests and legal cases since then.

The court's decision to oust the CHP Istanbul leader and scores of party delegates and replace them with a five-man team led to a 5.5 percent drop in the stock market. The CHP source stated that signatures were intentionally not collected from the suspended Istanbul delegates to boost the chances of the request for an extraordinary congress being accepted.

Authorities have clamped down on demonstrations, detaining nearly 2,000 people, including students and journalists. Imamoglu's arrest and jailing, which he denies, sparked street protests unprecedented in a decade.

More than 900 CHP delegates have submitted a petition to a local election board in Ankara to authorize a new congress. The petition, signed by over 900 CHP delegates, demands an extraordinary congress in response to the potential for a similar court ruling.

The CHP continues to face legal challenges, with the national leadership being the latest target. However, the party remains resolute in its fight for democracy and its commitment to upholding the will of the people. The extraordinary congress, if authorized, is expected to shape the party's strategy in the face of ongoing legal uncertainty.

Extraordinary congress assembly called by opposition in Turkey on September 21st