Everyone was wondering about Kılıçdaroğlu: It has been revealed where he followed the party congress lawsuit!

The lawsuit filed for the annulment of the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress is being heard today at the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance. On the day of the hearing, the former CHP chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is not in Ankara. It was learned that neither Kılıçdaroğlu nor the former Hatay Metropolitan Mayor Lütfü Savaş, who filed the lawsuit, are present at the hearing.

While there is speculation in CHP circles that the former leader prefers to stay away from the court process and observe it from the outside, members of the Party Assembly (PM) have requested to join the case.

THE LAWSUIT CENTERS ON THE CLAIM OF “ABSOLUTE NULLITY”

The lawsuit includes requests for the annulment of both the 38th Ordinary Congress in 2023 and the Statute Congress in 2025. Former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and delegates Levent Çelik, Bahar Önal, Yılmaz Özkanat, and Hatip Karaaslan filed the application, alleging that "the votes were rigged" and "the will of the delegates was subverted" during the congress.

The petition for the lawsuit argues that Özgür Özel and the Congress Chair Ekrem İmamoğlu "seized the party unlawfully." If the court rules for "absolute nullity," the congress could be deemed invalid.

The third hearing of the case began today at 10:04 AM at the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance. The lawyers for the parties were present in the courtroom. There was intense interest from members of the press.

CHP's lawyers did not request an extension. Meanwhile, PM members submitted their petitions to join the hearing. In these petitions, the allegations that "votes were cast in exchange for benefits" were denied.

LÜTFÜ SAVAŞ’S LAWYER: ÖZEL SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE

Lütfü Savaş's lawyer requested the annulment of the congress and demanded that the administration led by Özgür Özel be suspended from duty as a precautionary measure. The lawyer argued that the case should now move to the oral proceedings stage.

WHAT RULING CAN THE COURT MAKE?

The court has several options before it:

If it only issues a ruling of "absolute nullity," the CHP administration will appeal, and Özgür Özel will remain in office until the decision becomes final.

If the court also issues an injunction, the current administration could be temporarily suspended. In this case, the former administration could return to duty, or the court could appoint a temporary board.

The court may also reject the request or postpone the file until the new judicial year.

Lawsuits regarding the congress are being conducted in both the civil court and the high criminal court. A separate case is ongoing in the High Criminal Court against 12 people, including Congress Chair Ekrem İmamoğlu, with a request for up to 3 years in prison on charges of "rigging the voting process."

A 40-page indictment has been prepared in this context. Former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is listed as a "victim" in this case. It was stated that Kılıçdaroğlu is not in Ankara on the day of the hearing and will be following the proceedings from outside the city.

WHAT DOES THE RULING FRONT SAY?

In AKP and MHP circles, it is considered a more likely scenario that the case will spill over into the new judicial year after the summer recess. However, if it is proven that the congress was tainted, a ruling of "absolute nullity" is seen as a possibility.

AKP's Supreme Election Council (YSK) representative Recep Özel, however, argued that the civil court does not have the authority to make such a decision.