Politics
Türkiye’s CHP launches election process as infighting mounts
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) denied the extraordinary congress request by former Chair Özgür Özel but set September as the month to begin the ordinary congress process. Özel hopes to take back his seat with an extraordinary intra-party election after a court ousted him from office over vote-buying allegations in a 2023 intra-party vote. Reinstated Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu resisted the call since he returned to office in May, but his spokesperson, Müslim Sarı, announced the congress on Tuesday evening.
Sarı’s statement came after a meeting of the party’s assembly under the leadership of Kılıçdaroğlu and days after supporters of Özel delivered a petition bearing signatures of hundreds of delegates calling for a congress to the party’s headquarters.
Özel counts on a new election, while the Kılıçdaroğlu administration continues its purge of pro-Özel figures in the party, under the name of “clearing the party of corruption.” On Tuesday, the party announced the removal of chairs of CHP branches in Malatya and Kayseri. The removals and new appointments have incited tensions in the party. Earlier, pro-Özel groups had resisted handing over the administration to a new chair in the western city of Izmir, and similar scenes were repeated late Tuesday in Malatya. Barış Yıldız, removed from the office in Malatya, refused to leave the building for hours. His successor, Hakan Satılmış, notified police and forced his way into the locked building with the aid of a locksmith. Satılmış told reporters that they tried to carry out the transition in a calm manner, but the former administration opposed them.
New party
Though he seeks re-election in the CHP, Özel also continues preparations to launch a separate party. Rumored to be named “March Party” in reference to Özel’s slogan “marching to power,” the party may be founded if the congress process takes longer than expected. The Özel camp hopes to take back the party or establish a new one before the 2028 general elections.
Sources close to Özel told the Nefes newspaper, a media outlet supporting the former chair, that the new party would be a “Türkiye alliance” rather than a left-wing movement. The CHP, founded by the republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, portrays itself as a social democrat party and is a member of the Socialist International. It failed to win any election in decades, and after the victory of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in its first election more than two decades ago, it has strictly ranked second in consecutive election races. The AK Party links its success to catering to a wide variety of the electorate from all across the political spectrum. Sources also said they would field a presidential candidate in the next election who would be championed by voters from all walks of life.
Lawmakers began their delayed summer recess on Tuesday, concluding a legislative term that ended with the passage of one of the most anticipated laws of the year.
The General Assembly of Parliament worked into the late hours of Monday and passed the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion as part of the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims for the complete dissolution of the terrorist group PKK.
During the 28th parliamentary term, lawmakers discussed and approved 21 bills, five presidential decrees and two decrees issued by the Office of the Parliamentary Speaker. Parliament also ratified 15 international agreements. Lawmakers will return to Parliament on October 1.
Parliament was initially scheduled to begin its recess on July 1, but the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) pushed forward bills on critical social issues, leading to the postponement of the recess. Parliament also remained in session longer than expected in 2025, as a parliamentary committee established as part of the terror-free Türkiye process held sessions. Since July 1, the General Assembly has approved seven bills, one presidential decree and ratified one international treaty.
Among the bills approved by Parliament were legislation to improve the rights of specialist sergeants and the functioning of the judiciary, amendments to the Higher Education Law that included provisions for a student amnesty, amendments to the Child Protection Law, and legislation aimed at improving the rights of the families of terror victims and veterans.
A presidential memorandum concerning the extension of the Turkish Armed Forces’ mission in Somalia for another two years was also approved by the General Assembly. In addition, the Law Approving the Agreement between Türkiye and the Secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement on the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, the 8th Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, the Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies, and Other UNFCCC Meetings was adopted.
During the legislative year, the General Assembly enacted 21 bills concerning, among other matters, traffic fines, the extension of paid maternity leave, agriculture and forestry, the security forces, tax regulations and judicial packages, as well as 15 international agreements.
Parliamentary resolutions concerning attacks on humanitarian aid flotillas heading to Gaza and the armed intervention carried out by the Israeli military against the Global Sumud Flotilla were unanimously adopted by the General Assembly.
Presidential memoranda concerning the extension of the deployment periods of Turkish troops were also approved: the mission in Lebanon was extended by two years, those in Iraq and Syria by three years, the mission in Libya by 24 months, the mission in the Gulf of Aden by one year, and the mission in Somalia by two years.
Almost one year after his last visit and many developments later, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to visit Türkiye, where he will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Burhanettin Duran, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, announced Tuesday that Abbas would embark on a three-day official visit at Erdoğan’s invitation. During their meeting, Erdoğan and Abbas will exchange views on the latest developments in Palestine, bilateral relations and regional developments, Duran added.
Palestinian media outlets reported that Abbas would arrive in Türkiye later Tuesday and brief Erdoğan on the situation in Gaza, settler attacks in the West Bank and the expansion of illegal settlements.
Abbas is known for his historic speech before the Turkish Parliament in 2024, in which he emphasized that the Palestinian people would stand tall despite Israeli strikes.
The Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023.
Despite a cease-fire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, Israel has continued its daily attacks, killing at least 1,258 people and wounding 4,139 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The second phase of Trump’s plan, which was also backed by Türkiye, envisages transferring the administration of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, deploying an international stabilization force and placing weapons under the responsibility of the National Committee for Gaza Administration under international supervision, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts.
On Sunday, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the road map agreed on with mediators and the Board of Peace to complete the second phase of Trump’s plan for Gaza.
Qatar threw its support Tuesday behind a new trilateral defense pact linking Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, portraying the agreement as a positive step toward greater regional cooperation and stability.
“We welcome any regional cooperation that strengthens security, stability and defense among the countries of the region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told a weekly news conference in Doha.
“Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye are countries with which we have strategic relations and fraternal ties based on a shared destiny and common concerns,” he added.
“For the security of our region and the security of the world, we fully positively view any defense framework based on cooperation and good-neighborly relations,” Al-Ansari said.
He stressed that “regional security is a collective responsibility that requires regional coordination and cooperation.”
Last Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the pact in the holy city of Mecca.
The agreement is part of defense cooperation that does not target any country but seeks to strengthen commitments to preserving peace, stability, and prosperity at the regional and global levels, based on burden-sharing and a common understanding of security.
It aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three.
The agreement also includes defense arrangements under which the three countries will support one another’s security, develop cooperation in the defense industry, and enhance military interoperability.
Parliament was almost full in the early hours of Tuesday as lawmakers voted on a law for the dissolution of the PKK terrorist group, with a rare record of 467 submitting a “yes.”
The General Assembly convened for a lengthy deliberation early Monday with almost all lawmakers attending the session on the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion.
The law brings deferral for prosecution and sentencing of members of the terrorist group, which agreed to dissolve itself in 2025. It had its fair share of detractors in the ranks of the opposition parties, and the vote also laid bare the divide even within parties. Still, the consensus was almost unprecedented in the session of the 600-seat Parliament.
“What is particularly important here is establishing a sound and sustainable balance between security and freedom, public order and democratic politics, and the security of the state and citizens’ sense of belonging,” Zakir Avşar, a professor from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, told Daily Sabah.
The adoption of the legislation alone will not determine the outcome of the process, Avşar said, stressing that its implementation will be the critical factor in determining whether the initiative succeeds.
According to the expert, the next phase should remain firmly grounded in the rule of law, while maintaining coordination among state institutions and safeguarding public order. Clear, measured and transparent communication will also be essential to maintaining public confidence and securing broader social support for the process.
Only the Good Party (IP), which has long conditioned itself to reject any move to end PKK terrorism, claimed that the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which gave birth to the law, was a concession to the terrorist group. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that proposed the law cast 268 “yes” votes while 44 lawmakers from its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) approved the law.
Avşar also cautioned against reducing the “terror-free Türkiye initiative” to partisan politics or short-term political debates.
While describing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the driving force behind the vision and the AK Party as the political actor that has spearheaded the initiative, he argued that permanently ending terrorism should ultimately be regarded as a national achievement rather than a victory for any single political party or group.
“The success of this process should therefore be measured not by the political advantage it provides to one side over another, but by its contribution to Türkiye’s common future.”
A total of 35 lawmakers from the main opposition New Party voted in favor of the law while 55 lawmakers from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which is linked to the PKK, also voted yes. Twenty-nine lawmakers of the former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) voted in favor. Similarly, the New Path Party cast 16 votes in favor.
Opposition divided over bill
The bill was also the first real test of the unity of the New Party, which was established last month by former CHP Chair Özgür Özel, who was ousted from his party over allegations of vote-buying. Özel announced he would vote yes hours before the session, but YP lawmakers overwhelmingly opposed the law. Almost every lawmaker from the party announced within hours in their social media posts that they would vote against the law, leaving Özel and a bunch of his deputies alone at the “yes” camp.
Avşar said differing positions within the opposition should ideally be viewed as competing approaches to managing Türkiye’s broader transformation rather than simply as part of a political confrontation. However, he argued that opponents of the process had so far failed to make a convincing case for their position.
Instead, he said, some of the opposition appeared to be seeking to consolidate voters who are skeptical of the initiative and turn those concerns into political advantage.
Despite political disagreements, the expert argued that ending terrorism should be treated as a national objective that transcends party competition.
“The end of terrorism should not be regarded as the success of any single political party, but as a shared achievement of the nation.”
Özel also incurred outrage among supporters, with social media users accusing him of political maneuvering, with messages of “shame on you” piling up. Social media users questioned how Özel was supposed to unite the opposition to the incumbent government with such a wide difference of opinion among the YP’s lawmakers. Supporters of New Path, including local branches of the party, also voiced their opposition to their leader Mahmut Arıkan endorsing the bill.
Avşar added that political actors should focus on strengthening the conditions necessary to permanently end terrorism, while criticism should help ensure that the process remains within the rule of law, upholds democratic standards and takes public sensitivities into account.
The existence of different views is therefore not a problem in itself, he stated. The greater risk would be allowing what he described as a historic opportunity for Türkiye to become overshadowed by short-term political calculations.
Avşar described the process as a historic opportunity to strengthen Türkiye’s capacity for lasting domestic peace, arguing that permanently ending terrorism could have implications far beyond security.
“A terror-free Türkiye would not be a victory for one political camp, but a gain for all of us.”
On Wednesday, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will hold a meeting with governors of 81 provinces for coordinating the next stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative. Interior Ministry said the meeting would focus on monitoring the process at the provincial level, social cohesion of surrendered members of the PKK, and enforcement of public order. Kurtulmuş, who led the parliamentary leg of the initiative, Çiftçi, who oversees law enforcement, will also discuss with governors possible provocations to undermine the process and combatting disinformation.
The law covers most PKK members who will be able to benefit from its advantages only after the National Security Council formally declares that the PKK dissolved itself and abandoned arms. After the declaration, PKK members will have six months to apply. In return, they will have their prosecution postponed for a period between five and ten years, based on the severity of offenses they have committed while they were a member of the PKK. The PKK’s senior cadres and members involved in intentional murder and other violent crimes will be exempt from leniency.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik hailed a law related to the terror-free Türkiye initiative that was approved by Parliament early Tuesday. Çelik told a news conference in Ankara on Tuesday that the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion established a legal framework for the initiative, which aims to disband the terrorist group PKK.
“Our goal now is a terror-free region,” Çelik, whose party made the landmark proposal for the framework law, said.
The spokesperson praised Parliament’s vote, saying it had done what it should have done on the matter. “Our president set out a clear road map. Terror-free Türkiye is state policy,” he said.
The initiative began informally in 2024, when government ally and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called on the jailed ringleader of the PKK to order his group to lay down its arms. Over time, the initiative received a positive response at the government level and was subsequently transformed into concrete steps.
Öcalan was allowed to communicate with a political party linked to the terrorist group and, through them, called on the PKK to dissolve itself in February 2025. The PKK agreed and announced its dissolution a few months later.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of high-level talks in Tripoli on Tuesday, meeting Libya’s prime minister and his national security adviser as he began a two-day diplomatic visit that will also take him to Benghazi.
Fidan met Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), for talks in the Libyan capital.
The two officials first held a one-on-one meeting before talks continued with their respective delegations.
Following the meeting, Fidan held separate talks with Ibrahim Dbeibah, the prime minister’s national security adviser.
Fidan will continue his diplomatic contacts in Tripoli and Benghazi as part of the two-day visit spanning Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fidan arrived in Libya on Tuesday for a two-day visit. The top diplomat’s trip comes one day after the suspected assassination of a senior Libyan intelligence officer serving the eastern-based forces led by Khalifa Haftar, and amid Türkiye’s efforts to promote unity in the North African country.
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