Trustee Tekin's '30-person list' imposition: Millions of CHP members cannot enter their own building
The trustee crisis at the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency is growing. While Gürsel Tekin's imposition of a 30-person entry list to limit access to the building has drawn backlash, party members spent the night keeping watch following a police blockade and pepper spray intervention.
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CHP İstanbul Deputy Ali Gökçek announced that Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed as trustee, has restricted entry to the CHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency building to a list of only 30 people. Gökçek reacted by saying, "We have 400,000 members in Istanbul and 2 million nationwide. These party members cannot enter their own party's building."
POLICE CLEARED THE WAY WITH PEPPER SPRAY
On September 8, police entered the CHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency building in Sarıyer and sprayed pepper spray on every floor. This intervention allowed Gürsel Tekin to enter the building. Many party members, including deputies, were affected by the gas, and some fell ill.
CHP deputies, reacting to the intervention, began a vigil in the building. The deputies, who spent the night in the provincial building which has been converted into the office of Chairman Özgür Özel, announced that they would continue their vigil if the police did not leave the building.
CHP PROVINCIAL BUILDING IS MOVING
Following these developments, the CHP administration decided to close the provincial building in Sarıyer. The CHP Central Executive Board designated the building in Bahçelievler as the new Istanbul Provincial Presidency, and the decision was reported to the Court of Cassation.
Thus, the building in Sarıyer legally ceased to be the CHP's Istanbul Provincial Presidency. The building will henceforth be used as Özgür Özel's working office in Istanbul.
CHP İstanbul Deputy Ali Gökçek criticized the attitude of trustee Tekin and the presence of the police with harsh words:
"The Chairman and deputies of the Republican People's Party are the authorized figures. This is a building belonging to the legal entity of the CHP."
"Gürsel Tekin is ignoring all 2 million members and saying he will manage this building with 30 people. This is a coup against the will of millions."
"Has a junta taken over the state? Only a junta would come and seize the headquarters and provincial buildings of political parties. The police did the same thing here."
CHP deputies announced that they would continue their vigil in the building until the police withdraw completely.