Türkiye’s Main Opposition CHP Dodges Corruption Trial—for Now, But Faces a Bigger Legal Threat

The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Türkiye’s oldest and main opposition force, narrowly escaped a corruption trial this week—but the party’s leadership crisis is far from over. A court hearing on allegations of vote-buying and election fraud during the CHP’s November 2023 intraparty election was postponed to July 1, while a separate appeals court case could completely overturn the current chair Özgür Özel’s administration.

Twelve defendants, including Istanbul’s disgraced former Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—himself arrested last year on corruption charges—face accusations of manipulating the party’s internal election that installed Özel. They risk prison terms up to three years and political bans. Yet at Wednesday’s session, witnesses denied wrongdoing, and the court delayed the trial, ordering further testimony from a businessman who previously admitted bribing Istanbul officials.

The stakes go beyond procedural disputes. Lawyer Onur Yusuf Üregen, representing former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş who filed the complaint, framed the case as a fight against “purchasing democratic will,” a “crime against public order.” He argued that delegates were systematically bribed to sway votes, corrupting the party’s democratic integrity. Savaş, he said, acted to protect CHP’s democratic tradition and now faces threats and attempts to discredit him.

Meanwhile, a separate legal battle known as the “absolute nullification” case is underway at the appellate level. Former delegates challenge the 2023 election results, accusing party figures of undermining delegate will. If the appeals court rules to nullify the election, it could invalidate Özel’s leadership and restore the previous chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his team, or even lead to a court-appointed trustee running the party until new elections.

The potential for absolute nullification has triggered internal turmoil. Ankara’s Mayor Mansur Yavaş publicly urged the CHP leadership to take action, while Özel continues to campaign nationwide and rally supporters, including mayors detained on corruption charges. Reports suggest Özel and some lawmakers might break away to form a new party if the court ruling goes against them.

This legal drama exposes deep fractures within Türkiye’s main opposition and highlights how corruption allegations and judicial interventions are weaponized in political power struggles. As the courts deliberate, the CHP’s future hangs in the balance, threatening to weaken an opposition already under siege from the ruling party’s authoritarian tactics. The outcome will not only shape CHP’s fate but also Türkiye’s democratic resilience.