Turkish court delays hearing that could oust main opposition leader


Ozgur Ozel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during a rally to protest against the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

ANKARA (Reuters) -A Turkish court on Monday delayed until September a hearing on a case that could oust the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, by potentially annulling the 2023 congress at which he was elected.

An initial hearing had been set for Monday. The next hearing will be on September 8.

Stripping Ozel of his chairmanship would mark the latest judicial blow to opponents of President Tayyip Erdogan. He is a potential challenger in future elections after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - the party's elected presidential candidate - was jailed in March.

The lawsuit, filed by a CHP member, seeks to overturn results of the party's 38th Ordinary Congress in November 2023 over procedural irregularities. At that congress, Ozel had replaced Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost to Erdogan in presidential elections earlier that year.

(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Trump threatens to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid Canada trade war
Landmark ruling puts normal life in reach for child of Egyptian rape survivor
Ghislaine Maxwell loses bid to throw out conviction for aiding Jeffrey Epstein
Vatican foreign minister, in Moscow, says Ukraine war must end
USS Abraham Lincoln to dock in Thailand next week, Thai official says
Ukraine's Zelenskiy sees window for U.S. mediation until summer 2027
Peru to welcome Pope Leo with hymn honoring slain nun
Hungary foreign ministry files report on $964 million pandemic era ventilator deals
Vietnam says its foreign minister will visit Myanmar on Wednesday
Germany to say who's behind attempted airport drone attack soon, says Merz

Others Also Read