An Ankara court on Friday rejected the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) appeal against a previous ruling to oust its leader and annul its congress.

The appeals court on Thursday ⁠annulled the CHP 2023 congress at which leader Özgür Özel was chosen, citing unspecified irregularities. In his place, the court reinstated former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

The court on Friday upheld its ruling, rejecting the CHP’s appeal and leaving the party with the option to take the case to the Supreme Court of Appeals. If that court also upholds the decision, it would become final under Turkish law, ending the legal dispute over the congress.

The court found that irregularities during the CHP’s November 2023 congress undermined the will of delegates, making the leadership vote legally invalid. The ruling cited allegations that some delegates were offered money, municipal positions, jobs and other benefits in exchange for support during the congress that ended Kılıçdaroğlu’s 13-year tenure as party leader.

The CHP has rejected the ruling, and Özel has vowed to fight it through legal appeals and to personally remain “day and night” in the party headquarters in Ankara.

The party has also appealed to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) to object to the court ruling, which is still weighing the appeal.

The Ankara court’s rejection of the appeal reinforces Kılıçdaroğlu’s return and the party structure that existed before the 2023 congress. It has voided all resolutions and decisions taken under Özel’s leadership.

It has also reopened a bitter internal struggle that has simmered in the party since Özel’s victory.

Some CHP lawmakers welcomed the court ruling and called for unity under Kılıçdaroğlu, while others rallied behind Özel and criticized judicial involvement in party affairs.

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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called on former main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to assume what he described as a “historic responsibility” and seek a compromise with current Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel following a court ruling that invalidated the party’s 2023 congress.

In remarks to CNN Türk, Bahçeli said Kılıçdaroğlu should acknowledge that the court had recognized an injustice against him but avoid triggering internal divisions within the CHP by supporting a negotiated settlement.

“Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu should undertake a historic responsibility in order not to hurt this deeply rooted institution, not to damage it and not to cause chaos,” Bahçeli said. He added that Kılıçdaroğlu should meet with Özel and declare, within the framework permitted by law, that he would waive his position in favor of reaching a joint formula for the future of the party.

Bahçeli’s comments followed a ruling by Ankara’s Regional Court of Appeals regarding the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held on Nov. 4-5, 2023, where Özel defeated Kılıçdaroğlu in the leadership race.

According to Bahçeli, the court concluded that allegations of procedural irregularities during the congress had been substantiated and ruled the congress “absolutely null and void,” effectively treating it as legally invalid from the outset.

Bahçeli said the decision also invalidated subsequent ordinary and extraordinary party congresses and suspended Özel along with members of the party’s Central Executive Board, Party Assembly and High Disciplinary Board as a precautionary measure until the ruling becomes final.

He noted that the court had ordered the restoration of the pre-congress leadership structure, allowing Kılıçdaroğlu and the former party administration to temporarily resume authority pending final judicial review.

Bahçeli said the ruling could still be appealed before the Court of Cassation within two weeks after notification and noted that an appeal process had already been announced.

Referring to earlier comments he made this month, Bahçeli said developments had validated his previous position that the issue should be handled calmly and within the rule of law.

He stressed that preserving the CHP’s institutional identity should take precedence over political confrontation.

“Resistance instead of responsibility is unnecessary,” Bahçeli said, arguing that protecting the CHP’s historical and institutional character required all actors to act with restraint.

He also linked the issue to broader political stability, warning against internal struggles at a time when Türkiye faces regional security challenges and what he described as efforts toward a “terror-free Türkiye.”

Bahçeli urged both Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel to avoid public confrontation and instead seek a common path based on party rules, legal procedures and mutual concessions.

“Only compromise remains,” Bahçeli said, adding that acting with responsibility and avoiding provocation would serve both the CHP and the country.

He reiterated that Türkiye is a democratic state governed by the rule of law and called for unity, institutional respect and political stability in resolving the dispute over the opposition party’s leadership.

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Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) convened an extraordinary meeting on Friday to consider an opposition party appeal on a court ruling that ousted its leader and annulled its congress.

An appeals court on Thursday cited unspecified irregularities in the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 2023 congress and reinstated the CHP’s former chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, in place of current ⁠leader Özgür Özel.

Özel said the party would appeal the decision to the YSK and the Court of Cassation.

Early on Friday, CHP representative Mehmet Hadimi Yakupoğlu appealed to the YSK while CHP lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, hours before Kılıçdaroğlu sacked three party lawyers who filed the appeal.

Following a Central Executive Committee meeting held after the court ruling, Özel said they were not considering establishing a second party against the decision, insisting he was the “true homeowner who stays and decides who lives in the home.”

The ousted party leader has also vowed to personally remain “day and night” in the CHP’s headquarters in Ankara.

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The first group of activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza arrived in Türkiye on Thursday after being unlawfully detained by Israeli forces during an interception in international waters.

Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara.

A first group of arrivals was seen inside the VIP terminal at Istanbul airport, as a crowd of supporters carrying Palestinian flags gathered to welcome them, an AFP correspondent said.

Israeli forces “attacked us. Each of us was beaten, women and men… It’s what Palestinians experience all the time,” said Turkish national Bulal Kitay, after he got off the plane.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked widespread condemnation and a diplomatic backlash Wednesday by posting a video showing the detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground.

Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, said Thursday that “all foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel.

“Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,” he added.

Upon arrival at Istanbul airport, one of the activists shouted, “the Palestinian people are not alone!” as he emerged from the terminal.

“We’ve been tortured, we’ve been beaten, we’ve been arrested in international waters, but we won’t give up. We will return. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea,” he said to cheers from the crowd.

The legal center representing the flotilla members said earlier on Thursday that the majority were “en route for deportation” from Ramon Airport in Israel’s far south.

Adalah said they had been held at Israel’s Ktziot prison, in the Negev Desert near Gaza.

A spokesman for Adalah said activists from Egypt had been transferred to Taba at Egypt’s border with Israel, while those from Jordan had been transferred to Aqaba.

Around 50 vessels under the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Türkiye last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month.

The deportations come after footage posted by Ben Gvir, captioned “Welcome to Israel” and showing the minister heckling and waving an Israeli flag among the detained activists, sparked resounding condemnation by governments around the world, from Italy to Spain and Australia to Canada.

He was also criticized at home by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, as well as by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Italy and Spain have called on the European Union to sanction BenGvir, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling the treatment of the activists “unacceptable”.

In Ireland, a leaked letter revealed Prime Minister Micheal Martin urging the EU chief for “further action” against Israel over their treatment, including a ban on settlement goods and suspension “of parts if not all” of the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel.

The United Kingdom announced it had summoned Israel’s most senior diplomat in Britain following “the inflammatory video.”

Adalah’s legal director Suhad Bishara told AFP on Wednesday that the group’s lawyers had given legal counsel to “many” of the activists, though she added others had faced court hearings without legal assistance.

“We know of at least two participants who were hospitalized… both of them were shot by rubber bullets,” Bishara said, adding that others said they feared they had broken ribs.

Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian journalist detained with the flotilla activists and deported before the others, told reporters in Italy on Thursday that he and others were “taken to Ben Gurion airport in handcuffs and with chains on our feet and put on a flight to Athens.”

“They beat us up. They kicked us and punched us and shouted ‘Welcome to Israel’,” he said of his treatment by Israeli security forces.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, under an illegal blockade since 2007.

Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies due to Israeli restrictions.

Activists say Palestinians endure far worse conditions than flotilla detainees

Algerian activist Muhammed Harkati, who was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla unlawfully detained by Israel in international waters, said the torture they endured could not be compared to the suffering faced by Palestinians.

Harkati, one of the activists who had set sail from Marmaris on May 14 in an effort to break Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) at Istanbul Airport about the events following Israel’s raid on the flotilla.

He stressed that the mission was entirely humanitarian and aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza.

“It was a humanitarian, peaceful mission. However, while we were in international waters, we were attacked and abducted. Afterwards, we were held in prison,” Harkati said.

He said activists from the flotilla were first taken to Ashdod Port in southern Israel after being detained.

“From Ashdod Port, we were taken to prison. There, we were beaten and tortured. The beatings and torture we endured cannot be compared to what our Palestinian brothers are suffering,” he said.

Harkati pointed out that the activists aboard the flotilla had the support of their countries and embassies, unlike Palestinians in Gaza.

“Palestinians do not have such an opportunity. We were able to eat and drink, but they cannot. So we cannot say they are living like us. There is a huge difference between us and them,” he added.

Speaking about the treatment they faced during interrogations in Israel, Harkati said they were tightly restrained and assaulted by soldiers while being transferred between interrogation rooms.

“During the interrogations, they tied us tightly. The soldier who took us from one room to another also beat us,” he said.

Harkati added that Israeli forces placed both plastic and steel handcuffs on the activists throughout their detention.

Mauritanian human rights activist Muhammed Baba, another participant in the flotilla, said Israeli forces attacked them using dogs.

“They unleashed a guard dog on me. It was hitting my chest and face with its muzzle. This attack happened just before we were taken to prison,” Baba said.

The Mauritanian activist said Israeli prison security officers carried out the attack after realizing the detainees were not afraid of them.

“They did this when they saw that we were not afraid of them,” he said.

On May 18, the Israeli military intercepted the flotilla of 50 boats carrying 428 activists from 44 countries while it was sailing toward Gaza in international waters and unlawfully detained the activists.

Among those detained were 78 Turkish participants. The activists were first taken to Ashdod Port before being transferred overnight to Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended the NATO foreign ministers meeting in the Swedish city of Helsingborg on Friday as allies gathered to discuss security priorities and preparations for upcoming alliance engagements.

Fidan arrived in Sweden to participate in the ministerial meeting and joined fellow foreign ministers for the official family photo session held ahead of formal talks.

The meeting brought together top diplomats from NATO member states to exchange views on alliance priorities and regional security developments.

The meeting was expected to focus on preparations for the NATO summit to be hosted by Türkiye in Ankara on July 7-8, as well as alliance unity, trans-Atlantic cooperation, strengthening defense industry production capacity, continued support for Ukraine and converting rising defense spending into military capabilities.

The ministers were also expected to discuss developments related to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, including their implications for Euro-Atlantic security and the broader global security environment.

Fidan also provided information on Türkiye’s contributions to NATO and highlighted the country’s efforts to transform defense spending into military capabilities, emphasizing that trans-Atlantic defense industry cooperation within the alliance should be developed without restrictions.

The meeting comes ahead of the 2026 NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, marking the second time that Türkiye will host a NATO summit following Istanbul in 2004.

According to Turkish officials, Fidan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering.

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The Regional Court of Justice in Ankara ruled to temporarily remove main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel and the party’s current administration from office, reinstating former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his management pending a final judicial decision in the ongoing CHP congress case.

The 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice completed its appellate review of a lower court ruling issued on Oct. 24, 2025, by Ankara’s 42nd Civil Court of First Instance regarding lawsuits seeking the annulment of the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held on Nov. 4-5, 2023.

The chamber accepted the appeals filed in the merged cases and overturned the lower court’s previous decision that there was “no need to issue a ruling” because the case had become moot.

The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and determined that the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Elective Congress was legally invalid due to “absolute nullity,” annulling the congress retroactively from the date it was held.

CHP case driven by delegates’ own complaints: Justice minister

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek told reporters that the court ruling regarding the CHP’s “absolute nullity” case remains subject to appeal and stressed that the legal process would continue within the framework of the rule of law.

“Of course, this decision can be appealed. The process will continue to operate within the legal order,” Gürlek said.

Emphasizing the judiciary’s role, Gürlek added, “The duty of the judiciary is to ensure the supremacy of the law.”

He also underlined that the case originated from within the CHP itself, saying, “It must especially be emphasized that this process began with applications filed directly by CHP delegates and was shaped by the statements and testimonies of CHP delegates themselves.”

Lawsuit filer Savaş calls ruling historic turning point

Former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş, who filed the lawsuit, said he did it to protect the CHP’s historical mission, democratic tradition and transparency, arguing that allegations surrounding the congress process should either be clarified or removed entirely in order to preserve the party’s credibility. He also said the ruling could pave the way for broader political reform and “political purification” in Türkiye.

Referring to former CHP Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu, whose leadership and party organs were reinstated pending a final ruling, Savaş said responsibility now rested with Kılıçdaroğlu and the party leadership to rebuild public trust and prepare the CHP for the future with an inclusive political vision capable of addressing Türkiye’s challenges.

The chamber further ruled that all ordinary and extraordinary congresses held within the party after the Nov. 4-5, 2023 congress, along with all decisions taken during those gatherings, were rendered invalid because of the annulment ruling.

As part of the decision, the court ordered a return to the party structure that existed before the 38th Ordinary Congress, ruling that Kılıçdaroğlu and the party organs in office before the congress should continue their duties until the ruling becomes final.

The court also annulled the CHP Istanbul Provincial Congress held on Oct. 8, 2023, along with all decisions taken during that congress, citing the same legal grounds.

In its ruling, the chamber ordered the temporary suspension of Özel, members of the Central Executive Board, Party Assembly members and High Disciplinary Board members who assumed office following the contested congress. It also ordered the temporary reinstatement of Kılıçdaroğlu, the Party Assembly and High Disciplinary Board members who served before the congress until the decision becomes final.

The interim injunction decision will be sent to the Supreme Election Council, Ankara Provincial Election Board, Çankaya 4th District Election Board and the Ankara Governor’s Office for implementation.

The chamber issued its ruling unanimously and said the decision can be appealed before the Court of Cassation within two weeks.

The Central Executive Board (MYK) of the CHP convened an emergency meeting upon the call of party Chair Özgür Özel following the court.

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