A local court in İstanbul has ordered the suspension of the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) extraordinary provincial congress, defying a ruling by Turkey’s election board suggesting that the gathering could proceed, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The 45th Civil Court of First Instance instructed the Sarıyer district election council to stop the meeting, warning that any attempt to hold a vote would violate its injunction and could trigger criminal complaints.
Supreme Election Board (YSK) Chairman Ahmet Yener convened an emergency session on Wednesday afternoon after a district election board asked whether the congress should continue in light of the İstanbul court’s suspension ruling.
“As stated in our previous decisions, once a congress has begun, it cannot be stopped under the constitution and election law,” Yener told reporters. He said the council had unanimously decided the extraordinary congress could move forward.
The congress, scheduled for Wednesday at the Beşiktaş Süleyman Seba Cultural Center, was expected to decide on the return of provincial chair Özgür Çelik, who was removed earlier this month when the same court appointed a trustee to oversee the İstanbul branch.
Despite attempts to block the vote, Çelik was re-elected as chair at the congress.
CHP İstanbul Olağanüstü İl Kongremizi tüm engellemelere rağmen başarıyla tamamladık.
Halkın ve örgütümüzün iradesi, iktidar ve yargı eliyle engellenemez.
İstanbul’un iradesi nettir, İl Başkanımız Özgür Çelik’tir. pic.twitter.com/Wm8XxrWMLh
— CHP İstanbul Gençlik Kolları (@chpgencistanbul) September 24, 2025
Party officials condemned the court’s ruling as unconstitutional and politically driven. CHP parliamentary group leader Ali Mahir Başarır said the judge had “struck a blow” against the constitution and the will of the people, urging the judicial council to suspend the judge who made the ruling.
CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut called the ruling “a mark of shame on democracy,” while group leader Murat Emir described it as “a judicial coup.”
The decision rattled financial markets, with the benchmark Borsa Istanbul 100 index dropping as much as 1.8 percent before paring losses to 0.5 percent. Banking shares led the decline, and yields on five-year government bonds rose to 36.34 percent. Analysts said investors are watching closely since the legal battle over the İstanbul congress echoes a separate case challenging the legitimacy of the CHP’s party leadership.
The CHP says the series of cases targeting its organization is politically motivated retaliation for its victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s party in last year’s local elections. The government insists the judiciary acts independently.