CHP figures react sharply to events in the party congress trial: 'Let us explain so everyone knows'

In the CHP's party congress trial, a decision was issued to write a writ to the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court to merge the file with the İBB case. There was a flood of reactions from the CHP following the events at the end of the hearing, where all witnesses testified based on "I heard" or "it was said."

MERGER REQUESTED WITHOUT A HEARING

It was ruled that if a favorable opinion regarding the merger is received, the merger decision shall be issued without a hearing.

CHP members reacted sharply to the statements made by the witnesses heard in the hearing, who testified using phrases like "I heard" and "it was said."

ÖZGÜR ÇELİK: LET EVERYONE KNOW

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik stated on his social media account, "Let us explain, let everyone know," arguing that the case should have resulted in an acquittal under normal circumstances, and said the following:

"Let us explain, let everyone know.

Today, we were in Ankara for the third hearing of the criminal case filed against our 38th Ordinary Congress.

Witnesses were heard, and our lawyers asked their questions.

The witnesses heard openly stated that they were parties in the congress and supported the losing list, said they were candidates for local elections but were not nominated, and mentioned that they had personal grievances with some of the defendants.

The trauma and desire for office experienced by a team that no longer has any standing with the public were also revealed in the courtroom.

One of the witnesses explicitly retracted the statement they gave to the prosecutor today. They confessed that statements they did not make were recorded in the minutes by the prosecutor.

When the lawyers asked all the witnesses whether their statements were based on personal observation or hearsay, all of the witnesses used phrases like 'that was what was being talked about,' revealing that there was no direct testimony or concrete evidence.

All witnesses stated that they did not see with their own eyes that any benefits were provided to the delegates.

In other words, under normal circumstances, this case would have resulted in an acquittal.

For this reason, the hearing prosecutor requested that this case be merged with the İBB case being heard at the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court.

The presiding judge also stated that they would request the merger of the congress case with the İBB case from the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court.

I know it may seem like a difficult and complex process to follow, but what is happening is actually very simple.

Our people want a change in government, while the exhausted government insists on not leaving.

Our party underwent a change in management as a result of the demands for change from our members and the grassroots, and elected Özgür Özel as Chairman. This change enabled us to become the leading party in the local elections.

Everything that is happening is part of a struggle between the majority of the people and the minority government.

We are waging the same struggle in the courtrooms and in the squares.

We are fighting against those who want to shut down the CHP, intimidate the public, and make the ballot box symbolic.

We are defending not only ourselves and our party but the Republic itself.

Those who defy the people always lose, and they will lose again.

Whatever they do is in vain; our march to power will not stop.

The people will win, the Republic will win, our beautiful Turkey will win."

MURAT EMİR: "MADE-TO-ORDER" JUDICIAL PLOT

CHP Deputy Group Chairman Murat Emir said, "This decision is a 'made-to-order' judicial plot by Akın Gürlek, whom the palace appointed as Minister to be brought to the head of the HSK when they could not find concrete evidence!" and expressed the following:

"The judge was set up, the file was smuggled, a plot was hatched!

Exactly one day before our 39th Ordinary Congress, the judge of the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance, who was presiding over the Congress case, was replaced by the HSK decree dated November 27, 2025.

That judge registered the Palace operation today, in the 3rd session of the case, by sending the Congress case file to Istanbul!

This decision is a 'made-to-order' judicial plot by Akın Gürlek, whom the palace appointed as Minister to be brought to the head of the HSK when they could not find concrete evidence!

This decision is the declaration of a political operation carried out by the Palace regime, which knows it has lost power, through the judiciary.

We will not surrender our congress will or the law to your dirty plots.

We will not bow to this predatory order; we will definitely establish justice!"

GÜL ÇİFTÇİ

CHP Deputy Chairman Gül Çiftçi stated that all witness testimonies heard in the hearing consisted of hearsay, noting that statements like "I heard," "it was said," and "it was being talked about" did not contain any concrete facts.

Stating that "it is not possible to accept abstract narratives that are not based on observation as evidence in criminal proceedings," Çiftçi included the following statements in her post on her social media account:

"In the criminal case regarding our party's 38th Ordinary Congress, the basis upon which the trial is being conducted has once again been clearly revealed today.

The witness testimonies heard in the hearing consist entirely of hearsay that does not connect with the most fundamental principles of criminal procedure. Statements such as 'I heard,' 'it was said,' and 'it was being talked about' neither contain concrete facts nor carry any evidentiary value. It is not possible to accept abstract narratives that are not based on observation as evidence in criminal proceedings.

Despite this, the case was adjourned without entering into its merits, and the uncertainty was deliberately maintained. This picture shows, as we have stated from the beginning, that the trial is not being conducted with the aim of reaching the truth.

What is more serious is the prosecutor's request to merge the file with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality case and the step the court has taken in this direction. The desire to bring together files that have different material conditions, different legal subjects, and different judicial grounds on the pretext of a 'factual connection' points to a political preference.

It is no coincidence that the mentality that makes the congress process a subject of criminal proceedings wants to merge it with the political fiction being carried out in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality file. This step is a clear part of the goal to besiege the Republican People's Party in its entirety.

There is a fact we have been saying from the beginning. This file has no legal basis. Indeed, the absolute nullity case built on the same fiction was rejected. It has been clearly demonstrated that the allegations in question are baseless. Now, the same allegations are being put back into circulation through criminal proceedings.

We know for what purpose these interventions are being put into effect.

Despite all the obstacles, we continue on our path with the same determination today as we did yesterday.

We are growing the struggle against those who try to design politics through the judiciary, with our organization, our elected officials, and our belief in the will of the people."