Rival politicians from Turkey's largest opposition party held simultaneous speeches in Ankara on Saturday, days after the CHP's leadership was removed by a court order.
While the court-appointed interim head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke in front of the CHP party headquarters to mark the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha, ousted leader Özgür Özel addressed a crowd in Güvenpark, near the provincial headquarters.
Television footage showed large crowds at both gatherings. The Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that thousands attended Özel's event. No figures were initially available on the numbers gathered for Kılıçdaroğlu's rally.
The speeches came days after an Ankara court declared the 2023 party congress, at which Özel had been elected CHP chairman, invalid due to alleged irregularities and removed him from office. In his place, the court provisionally reinstated Özel’s controversial predecessor, Kılıçdaroğlu.
The court ruling sparked protests, with the opposition accusing the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of political manoeuvring.
The government paints the spat as an internal party conflict, but it is unclear how many supporters Kılıçdaroğlu has within the party.
Observers say Erdoğan would have a hard time defeating a CHP led by Özel in Turkey's next presidential election. The vote is scheduled for 2028, but it could be brought forward.
The man seen as Erdoğan's most likely opponent in the election, former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, was jailed last year amid a wider clampdown on the CHP by the government.
Özel told supporters that the dispute is not an internal CHP issue. "This matter concerns Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the people," he said, while the crowd loudly slammed Kılıçdaroğlu as a “traitor.”
Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu entered the CHP party headquarters in Ankara for the first time since being reinstated as interim party leader.
A week beforehand, police stormed the premises and escorted Özel from the building, using tear gas to evict the ousted leader, who had occupied the headquarters with other CHP politicians after the court ruling.
Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated that the party needed to be cleaned up and that a vote for the party leader would be held as soon as possible.
“And whoever emerges victorious from this election will be the party’s legitimate leader,” he said. After his address, Kılıçdaroğlu released white doves in front of the party headquarters.
