President Erdoğan once again succeeded in creating chaos within the CHP, which has been experiencing its most successful electoral period. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu is more than happy to take on the role of agent within the party.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu plays a central role in the current CHP trial as the potential beneficiary who could return to party leadership if the court rules in favor of the lawsuit challenging the 2023 party congress that brought Özgür Özel to power.
Legal Position and Potential Reinstatement
The trial centers on allegations of vote buying during the November 2023 CHP congress where Özel defeated Kılıçdaroğlu for the party chairmanship12. If the Ankara court rules for “absolute nullification” of the 2023 election, Kılıçdaroğlu could be automatically reinstated to the chairmanship he lost, as he would be considered the legitimate leader under existing laws1.
The lawsuit seeks to cancel the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress entirely and suspend all CHP officials linked to it3. Should the court annul the congress, a trustee would initially be assigned to administer the party, who would then call for an extraordinary congress within 45 days3.
Controversial Stance on Potential Return
Kılıçdaroğlu has taken a controversial position regarding his potential return to leadership. When a delegation including Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş visited him on June 23 urging him to preemptively decline the position in the event of a court annulment, Kılıçdaroğlu refused2. He justified his stance by citing concerns that the party could otherwise be placed under a court-appointed trustee2.
His willingness to potentially return to power through a court decision rather than through democratic party processes has created significant backlash within the CHP. Current party leader Özel has stated that “no one who was not elected at the convention can govern the CHP” and called it a “historical mistake to accept a position after [a decision of] absolute nullity”2.
Internal Party Divisions
Kılıçdaroğlu’s role in the trial has deepened existing divisions within the party. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is among those charged with vote rigging, expressed strong opposition to Kılıçdaroğlu’s stance, saying “I am faced with a great sense of betrayal” and “I will never accept these words”2.
However, Kılıçdaroğlu maintains support from some party members. Ten CHP lawmakers issued social media statements defending him and criticizing what they called an “organized attack” against him, describing such criticism as “unacceptable” and against the party’s “culture and traditions”2.
Contradictory Statements and Credibility Issues
The trial has also exposed contradictions in Kılıçdaroğlu’s statements. Current leader Özel claimed that Kılıçdaroğlu had previously assured imprisoned Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu that the 2023 congress was “clean,” but Kılıçdaroğlu’s lawyer contradicted this account4. This dispute over what Kılıçdaroğlu actually said about the legitimacy of the congress has further complicated his position in the ongoing legal proceedings.
The trial’s outcome, expected on June 30, 2025, will determine whether Kılıçdaroğlu’s controversial gambit to return to power through judicial intervention succeeds or whether the current party leadership under Özel will be upheld12.
A career of failures
The dissatisfaction with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu among CHP members stems from multiple interconnected factors that accumulated during his 13-year leadership of Turkey’s main opposition party from 2010 to 2023.
The primary source of discontent was Kılıçdaroğlu’s repeated electoral defeats, which many party members viewed as evidence of ineffective leadership123. His critics argued that he had “led the CHP on for 13 years for nothing,” pointing to the party’s inability to make significant electoral gains under his stewardship4. The 2018 elections were particularly damaging, where the CHP received only 22.6 percent of votes – lower than previous elections – while their presidential candidate Muharrem İnce outperformed the party by receiving 30.6 percent23.
The 2023 presidential election represented the opposition’s “best chance yet to unseat” President Erdoğan, but Kılıçdaroğlu’s defeat in this historic runoff became a breaking point for many party members4. Critics within the party argued that he “forced his presidential nomination on the CHP-led six-party opposition bloc,” suggesting his candidacy was imposed rather than organically supported4.
Kılıçdaroğlu’s handling of internal dissent created significant resentment within the party. When faced with criticism, he often resorted to disciplinary measures rather than engaging in constructive dialogue2. The party expelled vocal critics like Tanju Özcan, the mayor of Bolu province, who had called for Kılıçdaroğlu’s resignation after the 2023 electoral defeat4. This pattern of silencing dissent through disciplinary committees signaled that “the CHP will not tolerate dissent within the party”2.
Many party members felt betrayed by Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership style. In a 2025 interview, Kılıçdaroğlu himself acknowledged feeling “betrayed by” party members, though he framed this as others betraying him rather than acknowledging his own role in creating divisions5.
Critics argued that Kılıçdaroğlu was a convenient opposition figure for the ruling party to have, as he was easily demonized and had become a “useful scapegoat to blame for every kind of problem Turkey suffers”1. His age (75 years old at the time) and his non-vocal political style were seen as disadvantages that benefited his rivals rather than advancing the opposition cause1.
The disconnect between Kılıçdaroğlu’s performance and that of other CHP figures was stark. In the 2018 elections, the gap between İnce’s presidential performance (30.6%) and the party’s parliamentary results (22.6%) highlighted this issue, leading supporters to demand that İnce become party chairman instead23.
Even after losing the party leadership to Özgür Özel in November 2023, Kılıçdaroğlu continued to create divisions within the CHP. Pro-Kılıçdaroğlu dissidents have been attempting to mount what some describe as a “coup” to bring him back to leadership, further fragmenting the party6. This ongoing interference has prevented the party from moving forward under new leadership.
The CHP currently suffers from a three-way division between supporters of current leader Özel, those still loyal to Kılıçdaroğlu, and supporters of popular Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu6. This fragmentation reflects the lasting damage from Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership style and his inability to gracefully transition away from power.
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