Turkish opposition re-elects ousted Istanbul provincial head in new congress

FILE PHOTO: Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), gestures as he speaks during a rally protesting a recent court ruling that removed Ozgur Celik from the CHP's Istanbul provincial leadership, in Istanbul, Turkey, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektass/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Wednesday re-elected Ozgur Celik as its Istanbul provincial head, after a court ruling removed him from the post earlier this month over alleged irregularities rejected by the party.

An Istanbul court had ruled that the votes of delegates in the 2023 CHP provincial congress had been influenced by cash payments, and thus the board members elected at the congress should be removed. The court named former CHP deputy chair Gursel Tekin as interim provincial head.