Polling shock for Kılıçdaroğlu: Even the voters have forgotten him!
In a poll conducted just days before the second hearing of the party congress lawsuit, the responses given by voters to the question of "the first three names that come to mind when CHP is mentioned" drew attention.
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In a study conducted by ORC Research between June 23–25 with 2,160 participants across 18 provinces, the question posed to voters, "Who are the first 3 names that come to mind when you think of the CHP?" revealed a striking picture. In the poll, which was conducted in the shadow of the CHP congress lawsuit and debates over "nullity," former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu failed to place in the top three.
According to the poll results, the first CHP figure to come to the voters' minds was Ekrem İmamoğlu. İmamoğlu was followed by Özgür Özel, Ali Mahir Başarır, and Mansur Yavaş, respectively. Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, could only manage to find a place for himself in fifth place.
At the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress on November 4-5, 2023, Özgür Özel had surpassed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with 812 votes to be elected as the new chairman. However, the process did not end there. Following the congress, a lawsuit filed over allegations of irregularities brought with it demands for "nullity," meaning the invalidation of the congress.
THE CASE WILL BE HEARD AGAIN ON JUNE 30
June 30 stands out as a critical date in the case. The second hearing in the lawsuit filed with the demand for the cancellation of the CHP congress will be held on this date. The lawsuit was filed at the Ankara Civil Court of First Instance on March 24, 2025, by former Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş and delegates Levent Çelik and Hatip Karaaslan. In the application, it was claimed that the congress was held with irregularities, and the cancellation of Özel's election and the reinstatement of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu were requested.
It was learned that three CHP figures visited Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu during the legal process. Speaking after the visit, Kılıçdaroğlu signaled that he might not leave the party leaderless if a nullity decision is issued, saying, "Should I not accept it so that a trustee is appointed?"
Following these developments, CHP leader Özgür Özel decided to take his party to an extraordinary congress on March 21. He stated that he took this step due to concerns that "a trustee could be appointed to the party" during the period when Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was being detained. At the extraordinary congress held on April 6, Özel was re-elected as the CHP Chairman.