Kılıçdaroğlu's political revenge continues; 48 figures close to Özgür Özel expelled from the party

According to Kurdistan, the CHP Supreme Disciplinary Council reviewed the cases of 50 people at its meeting on October 16 and ultimately voted to expel 48 people from the party. A number of senior figures and managers from Özgür Özel's presidency were also among those expelled.

According to the official statement of the Republican People's Party, the party's Central Executive Board had previously referred 49 people to the Supreme Disciplinary Council on charges of "alliance with another party while continuing to be a member of the CHP" and requesting their expulsion.The case of Metin Güzelkaya, former CHP Bitlis branch chairman, was also examined separately at the same meeting.

After examining the cases, the Supreme Disciplinary Council definitively expelled 48 people; but did not impose any punishment on Metin Güzelkaya and former party council member Ozan Varal.

The list of those expelled included the names of Selin Sayk Büke, former CHP Secretary General; Aylin Nazliyaka, former Women's Branch Chairman; Ilhan Ceyhaner, former MP; as well as figures such as Yalçın Karatepe, Kerem Ruta, Serkan Özcan, Yanki Bağcıoğlu, Goldem Atabay and Meryem Gül Çiftçi Biniçi.Full List of Expelled

The names of the 48 people whose memberships were revoked were announced as follows:

Ali Abbas Erturk, Asiye Ergul, Aylin Nazliaka, Bahadur Erdem, Baris Ovgun, Bedirkhan Berk Doğru, Berk Kilic, Borcu Mazıcıoğlu, Canan Taşer, Cansel Çiftçi, Eviçt Kılıç, Elif Leyla Gümüş, Emine Ocak Erdoğan, Goldem Atabay, Hekmat Erbilgin, Ilhan Cihaner, Kerem Ruta, Kebri Gökdemir, Maher Yüksel, Melissa Uğraş, Meryem Gül Çiftçi Bınıcı, Nazan Günisu, Ozan Isık, Onder Kurnaz, Polat Şarağlu, Selin Şayk Büke, Sercan Ciggin, Serkan Özcan, Sevgi Kilic, Sinem Kerçiçek, Tolga Sağ, Turgay Özcan, Oğurcan İrak, Oygar Parçal, Yalçın Karatepe, Zulekha Aksaz Shahbaz, Togche Hilal Ozkan, Yanki Bagcioglu, Baran Ceyhan, Emre Kartaloglu, Emre Yilmaz, Pinar Ozon Okakin, Oya Onlu Kyzil, Deniz Cakir, Ramzi Gazmaz, Oguzhan Canan, Aysemin Golmes and Masoud Kirsanli.Disciplinary proceedings begin in August

The disciplinary proceedings against these individuals began on August 26. CHP spokesman Muslim Sarı announced at the time that members who, despite maintaining their membership in the party, were working for another political party had been referred to the Supreme Disciplinary Council with a request for permanent expulsion and the implementation of precautionary measures.

By “another party,” the current CHP leadership meant the Yeni Party, a party in which the circle close to Özgür Özel worked after the leadership crisis in the CHP intensified. The party leadership claimed that the expelled individuals, while maintaining their membership in the CHP, attended Yeni Party programs and activities or supported the party.

However, the circle close to Özgür Özel had a different view.According to Mediascope, some former members of the party council deliberately did not resign from the CHP and did not officially join the Yeni Party because they wanted to maintain the possibility of legal action against the decisions taken by the appointed leadership in case the judicial votes were reversed and the elected bodies returned.

The root of the dispute in the annulment of the CHP congress

The new wave of dismissals was part of a deep crisis that developed after the annulment of the 38th CHP congress. At that congress, held in 2023, Özgür Özel defeated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to become the party chairman; however, the appeals court on May 21, 2026 declared the subsequent party congresses and decisions invalid, citing “absolute nullity”.

Following this ruling, Özgür Özel’s leadership was removed from party responsibilities and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returned to the CHP presidency.This development effectively divided the party into two rival factions: the established leadership headed by Kilicdaroglu and the movement close to Ozgur Ozel, who considered the new leadership's decisions to lack political legitimacy.

Ozel's supporters tried to hold an extraordinary congress and delivered the signatures of 833 congress delegates to the party headquarters; however, Kilicdaroglu's leadership refused to accept this request, citing the legal process. After these efforts failed and the differences intensified, a part of the movement close to Ozel continued its political activity in the form of the Yeni Party, or New Party.

The expulsion of 48 prominent CHP figures was the latest stage in this conflict, showing that the differences between the two factions had gone beyond a legal dispute over the legitimacy of the congress and had become a widespread organizational and political split in Turkey's main opposition party.