Breaking News... CHP convention trial postponed

The Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance was set to host a critical hearing today in the case regarding the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 38th Ordinary Convention, which is being prosecuted on charges of "violating the Election Law." Within the scope of the case, 12 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, and CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, are being tried on allegations of acting in violation of the penal code. Prison sentences ranging from 1 to 3 years are being requested for the defendants.

In the case, which has been ongoing for four hearings, the defendants' testimonies have been taken; in the previous session, the court panel had postponed the hearing to today to hear the testimony of another defendant, Özgen Nama.

In recent weeks, the indictment of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization case, which is ongoing in Istanbul, was added to this file in Ankara in line with the court's request. This development has made the course of the case even more complex.

The parties who filed the lawsuit are demanding that the 38th Convention be declared invalid under the scope of "absolute nullity" and that, in this case, the party's former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu be reinstated to his post. The acceptance of these demands is expected to trigger radical changes in the CHP administration.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, in a statement he made yesterday regarding the "absolute nullity" debate that has occupied the agenda, said, "I am saying this to those who appear in the pro-government press, to those who have their party discussed every evening for a fee, and to those who put their hopes into nullity and nonsense. Hey, I am saying this to all of you. If you want to reach the Divine, make it your profession to win hearts. Stop being marble for palaces, become soil so that roses may grow in your bosom."

On the other hand, Ekrem İmamoğlu had previously expressed his feelings regarding the lawsuit with the words, "I am facing a feeling of being subjected to a great betrayal. It burned my heart deeply." Furthermore, in his defense, he stated that the offer for the chairmanship of the convention came directly from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who is named as a victim in the case.

A statement on the matter also came from the MHP. Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, responding to questions asked after his party's group meeting, joined the discussion with the expression, "We hope that the internal affairs of the CHP will not be allowed to be stirred up, fragmented, damaged legally, or used for other purposes."

The judicial process regarding the CHP convention extends back to the 38th Ordinary Convention in November 2023 and the extraordinary convention on April 6, 2025. The then-Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş and some delegates had applied to the judiciary, leveling accusations that votes were bought in exchange for bribes and that irregularities were committed during the process at the 38th Convention. The cases were merged at the 42nd Civil Court of First Instance and brought to today's stage.

Aziz İhsan AKTAŞ FILE ADDED TO THE CONVENTION CASE

The court in Ankara recently requested the indictment of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case, which is being heard in Istanbul, to examine it within the scope of the investigation it is conducting. The copy of the indictment prepared in line with this request reached Ankara and was included in the current case file.

In the third session of the criminal case filed regarding the allegations of irregularities at the CHP 38th Ordinary Convention, held on February 23, a request had been made to merge the current file with the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organization" case.

POSTPONED

The hearing, which began at 09:00 today at the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance, has been postponed.