Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.

MORE THAN A CONGRESS: HIDDEN BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE CHP CRISIS
Deep Dive Jun 5, 2026

MORE THAN A CONGRESS: HIDDEN BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE CHP CRISIS

Since the court voided the CHP's 2023 party congress, the main opposition has been unable to untangle the knot — and each new court decision pulls it tighter. The question is whether the party can hold an extraordinary congress to break the deadlock. But the forces shaping what comes next run deeper: when and how the CHP headquarters under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, 77, will move to press disciplinary charges, expelling some figures; whether the parliamentary immunity of ousted chair Özgür Özel, 51, and his allies — implicated by recent testimonies from Antalya and Uşak — will be lifted; and when a new party will be established.

Editorial Team 28 min
CHP ISTANBUL CONGRESS HELD DESPITE LAST MINUTE JUDICIAL CHALLENGE
Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

CHP ISTANBUL CONGRESS HELD DESPITE LAST MINUTE JUDICIAL CHALLENGE

The CHP’s efforts to thwart the judicial crackdown through holding congresses once again faced obstacles.Nevertheless, CHP Istanbul provincial head Özgür Çelik, who has been ousted by court decision, was re-elected, after the Supreme Election Council rejected the court’s efforts to stop the congress.

Editorial Team
SEPTEMBER STORM IN CHP: FEARS OF A SPLIT
Capital Currents Sep 5, 2025

SEPTEMBER STORM IN CHP: FEARS OF A SPLIT

September was expected to be tough for the CHP due to ongoing investigations and trials—but no one expected a storm of this magnitude. Having fought operations targeting its municipalities for the past nine months, the CHP is now shaken by the court decision that appointed a “trustee” to its Istanbul congress. CHP members, calling this a “new judicial coup,” saw the move as the extension of operations against municipalities into the party itself. Speculation has grown that a trustee could also be appointed to the party headquarters in the coming days.

Nergis Demirkaya