Turkey: Call for congress roils opposition CHP

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA (AA) - In last month’s Turkish elections, a call for an emergency congress to replace its leader is causing turmoil within the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

A petition drive for a "Change and Hope Congress" began Monday, and so far 526 signatures have been collected, with 98 more needed to reach the required 624, CHP Deputy Yasar Tuzun said Thursday, but the party leadership denied this, saying there are only 438 signatures.

In the June 24 elections, although the CHP’s Muharrem Ince got only 30.64 percent of the vote -- over 20 points less than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- his attracting 4 million votes spurred calls for change in the party, with some demanding a congress.

The day after the election, Ince hinted he was ready to lead the party, although the CHP lost, it had its best electoral showing in decades.

He also said he had proposed Kilicdaroglu step down and become the chairman emeritus, but got no answer.

The CHP leadership claim not enough signatures will be collected for a congress.

-‘An inner-party struggle helps no one’

“The impression we have is that the [required] signatures won’t be collected,” said CHP spokesman Bulent Tezcan at a Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting chaired by Kilicdaroglu on Wednesday.

He added: “Because a significant fraction of the party says now isn't the right time for an extraordinary congress. Of course there are members who want an extraordinary congress. We'll see in 15 days.”

Tezcan also said neither Kilicdaroglu nor the rest of the leadership have any plans for a congress.

“We think an internal power struggle in the party won’t help with future planning and goals,” he said.

“From the information we’ve seen the number of signatures our colleagues have is a little over 400,” CHP deputy leader Tuncay Ozkan told Anadolu Agency.

“There's no point in turning this into a media show, competing and hurting the image of the party. This achieves nothing.”

Later, at a press conference on Thursday, Ozkan told reporters that the petition could get only 470 signatures maximum.

He added: “If there are enough signatures, our headquarters will be ready to do what is necessary.”

-Resignations

Meanwhile, Kilicdaroglu’s senior advisor Ekrem Kerem Oktay resigned Wednesday in support of Ince’s team.

Oktay said: “The CHP should change in order to protect the republic, strengthen democracy, give hope to our people, and begin to march for power.”

Ali Arif Ozzeybek, another of Kilicdaroglu’s senior advisors, also resigned last week, faulting the party leader for “the current situation”

Ozzeybek said in his resignation letter: “As was clear in the 24 June elections, the credibility crisis brought with it countless electoral defeats.”

“Mr. Kilicdaroglu did not take any serious measures to stop this bad course of events,” he added.

-624 signatures in 15 days, 11 days to go

For an extraordinary congress to take place, 624 out of 1,266 notarized signatures from representatives must be collected in 15 days, according to party bylaws.

Should the petition collect enough signatures, CHP head Kemal Kilicdaroglu must summon a congress within the next 45 days.

With 11 days left for the petition, the number of deputies calling for “change” is rising, while the leadership is closely following developments.