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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
END OF ALİ KOÇ ERA AT FENERBAHÇE
Media, Internet and Culture May 29, 2026

END OF ALİ KOÇ ERA AT FENERBAHÇE

Ali Koç, a member of Turkey’s wealthiest business family, lost control after seven years at soccer club Fenerbahçe, ousted by businessperson Sadettin Saran. Saran became the 38th president of the yellow-and-blue club, winning 12,325 of 24,393 valid votes at the Extraordinary Elective General Assembly.

Editorial Team
CHP FACES INTENSIFYING CRACKDOWN DESPITE LEGAL REPRIEVE
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

CHP FACES INTENSIFYING CRACKDOWN DESPITE LEGAL REPRIEVE

The CHP has received a brief reprieve from ongoing legal turmoil as a lawsuit seeking to annul its 38th Ordinary Congress—held on November 4–5, 2023—was postponed to Oct. 24. The delay offers the party a short breathing space. Now it is preparing for a new extraordinary congress on Sept. 21 that might address some of the legal challenges it faces. But the crackdown against CHP municipalities is pressing on. In the latest development, Bayrampaşa Mayor Hasan Mutlu became the 12th CHP mayor arrested in Istanbul—and the 18th nationwide—since the crackdown began in October 2024.

Editorial Team
TURKEY’S MAIN OPPOSITION CHP, ERDOĞAN’S CHIEF CHALLENGER, SEEKS LEGAL SHIELD THROUGH CONGRESS
Inside Turkey Sep 20, 2025

TURKEY’S MAIN OPPOSITION CHP, ERDOĞAN’S CHIEF CHALLENGER, SEEKS LEGAL SHIELD THROUGH CONGRESS

Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, is convening an extraordinary congress today in a bid to resolve ongoing legal challenges stemming from vote-buying allegations tied to its 2023 ordinary congress. CHP Chair Özgür Özel, who took the party’s helm during that same 2023 congress, is expected to reaffirm his leadership for the third time. No challenger is anticipated.

Editorial Team
CHP CALLS SNAP CONGRESS AS LEGAL BATTLE ESCALATES
Inside Turkey Sep 6, 2025

CHP CALLS SNAP CONGRESS AS LEGAL BATTLE ESCALATES

Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, is set to hold an extraordinary congress on Sept. 21, after more than 900 delegates submitted signatures to Ankara’s Çankaya District Election Board on September 5. The move comes amid a growing legal standoff that has rocked the party’s Istanbul branch. Among the signatories, the 196 Istanbul delegates suspended by court order were not included.

Editorial Team