Court revokes CHP's Istanbul congress decision, halted leadership of provincial chair

In a dramatic turn of events, the Istanbul court has annulled the 2023 provincial congress of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Istanbul, following allegations of voting fraud. The court's decision came after an investigation opened by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on March 4, which uncovered evidence of irregularities during the CHP's Istanbul congress held on Oct. 8, 2023.

The indictment alleges that 150,000 Turkish Liras was offered for two delegates to vote for Oğuzur Çelik in the provincial chair election. However, Cemal Canpolat received 310 votes in the same election. As a result, the court ruled to remove Çelik and the current administration from office and appointed a temporary committee to manage the provincial organization.

The temporary committee consists of Gursel Tekin, Zeki Sen, Hasan Babacan, Mujdat Gurbuz, and Erkan Narsap. The indictment seeks prison sentences ranging from one to three years for 10 individuals, including Çelik, Iñan Güney, and Rıza Akpolat, who are among those targeted.

The court's decision has been reported by the media, but no official notification has been served to Oğuzur Çelik regarding the decision. The location for the central executive committee meeting to discuss the developments has not been specified. Neither has a date been mentioned for the meeting, nor for the central executive committee's discussion on the ongoing case.

It is important to note that the CHP's incumbent chair, Özgür Özel, was elected party leader at the 38th Ordinary Congress, separate from the Istanbul Provincial Congress case. At this congress, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was elected party chairman. The 2023 CHP Istanbul Provincial Congress was won by Oğuzur Çelik with 342 votes.

The delegates demanded 750,000 liras for three delegates, according to the prosecutors. As a precautionary measure, the court suspended 196 delegates from their duties and halted the ongoing congress process. The annulment of the 2023 CHP Provincial Congress in Istanbul comes after the party's 38th Ordinary Congress, where Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was elected party chairman.

This development is a significant one in Turkish politics, with the CHP being one of the major opposition parties. The investigation and subsequent court decision highlight the importance of fair and transparent elections in maintaining the integrity of the democratic process.