Congress deadline looms for Turkish main opposition CHP

By Kubra Chohan and Baris Gundogan

ANKARA (AA) - Internal fights are expected to deepen within the main opposition, Republican People’s Party (CHP), in the following week as the deadline to collect signatures for a congress calling to replace current party leader ends Monday.

The CHP's Change and Hope Congress, which would be held only if collected signatures meet the party's required threshold, is expected to discuss the replacement of CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu by none other than the party’s former presidential candidate, Muharrem Ince.

Although Ince received only 30.64 percent votes -- over 20 points less than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- in the June 24 elections, his ability to get 4 million votes had spurred calls for a change in the party, with some demanding an emergency congress.

Just one day after the election, Ince hinted he was ready to lead the party, which had made its best electoral showing in decades in the recent polls.

However, the call for an emergency congress to replace the current CHP leader is causing turmoil within the main opposition, especially with looming local elections that are expected in nine months.

The party began collecting signatures for the emergency congress move on July 16, an exercise that is expected to end by 5.30 p.m. local time (1430GMT) Monday; notarized copies of the signatures would be submitted to the leadership by next week.

According to party bylaws, 625 signatures from party representatives must be collected for the emergency congress to take place.

Kilicdaroglu would be bound to summon a congress within the next 45 days if the petition gathers enough signatures.

Representatives of the CHP congress claim they have 625 signatures, while the CHP leadership rejects the claim.

This will be Ince’s third attempt to overthrow Kilicdaroglu.

In 2014, Ince challenged Kilicdaroglu at the18th extraordinary congress following a disappointing result in the presidential election; 177 party members had backed his move. Ince, however, lost that bid, 740 to 415.

In February, Kilicdaroglu once again beat Ince with 790 votes to 447 after he called for a Justice and Courage congress.

Ince was elected as a lawmaker by his hometown of Yalova in northwest Turkey in 2002.