Turkey’s Supreme Election Council Accepts CHP’s Objection
The Supreme Election Council of Turkey (YSK) has overturned the decision of the committee appointed to replace Özgür Çelik, thereby responding positively to the objection of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Under this ruling, the process of holding the party’s congresses in 14 districts of Istanbul will resume.
Cancellation of the Istanbul Provincial Congress
The District Election Oversight Board of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Istanbul had been suspended following the judicial proceedings known as the “Corruption in Istanbul Municipality” case, which began last year. After complaints from several party members and insiders seeking the cancellation of the provincial congress, the court ruled to dismiss then-provincial chair Özgür Çelik and his executive board, appointing former MP Gürsel Tekin as trustee. The court also ordered the “suspension of congresses” and the “replacement of district executive boards.”
Cancellation of District Congresses
At the start of implementing the ruling, the Ataşehir district congress was cancelled by the court-appointed committee. Subsequently, the same committee halted the planned congresses of the party in the districts of Esenyurt, Sarıyer, Bakırköy, and Başakşehir.
CHP’s Official Complaint
Following these developments, the Republican People’s Party lodged an official complaint with the Supreme Election Council (YSK), citing what it described as “political interference in the electoral process.” The party stated that the interim ruling issued by the 45th Civil Court of First Instance in Istanbul — ordering the suspension of congresses and the replacement of district executive boards — lacked any legal basis. In its petition to the YSK, the party emphasized that the decisions of the court-appointed committee were entirely unlawful and should be annulled so that the congress process could resume.
Ruling of the Supreme Election Council
After reviewing the objections, the Supreme Election Council annulled the court-appointed committee’s decision to suspend the CHP congresses in Sarıyer, Tuzla, Bakırköy, Başakşehir, and Ataşehir. Objections concerning the districts of Küçükçekmece, Sancaktepe, Bayrampaşa, Esenyurt, Çekmeköy, Avcılar, Beylikdüzü, Kartal, and Zeytinburnu were also accepted. With this decision, the legal obstacles to holding the party’s regular electoral congresses in these areas were removed.
The YSK President, in a press conference, stated that the decisions taken by the court-appointed committee for the mentioned districts were annulled due to “lack of legal basis” and that the congresses should continue from the stage at which they were halted. He also noted that the CHP’s objection to the cancellation of the current congress appointed by the court was not accepted.
