Former Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lütfü Savaş filed a lawsuit against the Republican People’s Party’s 38th Ordinary Congress on the grounds that it was tainted by irregularities. Savaş was subsequently expelled from the party while the legal proceedings were ongoing.
Lütfü Savaş, who appealed the case—which had been dismissed by the 42nd Civil Court of First Instance in Ankara on the grounds of ‘lack of grounds’—answered Halkwwb’s questions regarding the party convention case, the ‘Imamoğlu Criminal Organization’ case, and the current situation within the CHP.
As you know, following its 38th Ordinary Congress held on November 4–5, 2023, the Republican People’s Party is moving forward with a new leadership and a new approach to governance.
In your opinion, have those who have led the 103-year-old Republican People’s Party over the past two years been managing the party in a manner consistent with its principles, mission, and founding philosophy?
What differences do you see between the CHP’s 103-year history and its current approach to governance? Has the CHP strayed from its principles?
I joined the Republican People’s Party, founded by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, approximately 12.5 years ago, in accordance with the principles you have also outlined. The CHP is the founding party of this country.
Following his struggles on the battlefields, Atatürk founded this party with the aim of bringing the Republic of Turkey and its citizens to the level of modern civilization, and ensuring that our people could lead a modern life in keeping with the demands of the age.
Until the current CHP leadership took office, efforts were made to remain faithful to this philosophy and the party’s founding values. However, following Mr. Özgür Özel’s assumption of office, this principled stance was abandoned, and instead, relationships based on self-interest began to be established. The party has been left to fend for itself with policies aimed at merely getting by.
The Republican People’s Party has begun to be run as if it were the party of a single individual rather than the party of the nation. With this approach, the Republican People’s Party—founded by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk—has strayed from its true identity, its own philosophy, and its founding principles. The party has been driven into a structure dominated by personal interests rather than the interests of society and the public.
At this point in time, the CHP has been severed from its founding values; it has been led away from the principles and ideals entrusted to it by Atatürk and transformed into a party that serves the interests of individuals.
As you know, there are currently members who have been expelled from the party. The latest figure is 1,150 people. You are among those who have been expelled. On what grounds were you expelled from the party? Are Özgür Özel and Ekrem İmamoğlu’s team specifically targeting Kılıçdaroğlu supporters within the party? Also, what are your thoughts on the procedures for expulsion from the party?
The reason I was expelled from the party was a tweet I posted. It was a warning tweet. I stated that the Republican People’s Party should not collaborate with individuals linked to terrorism.
The Republican People’s Party is the party that founded this country. It was established after an extremely arduous struggle—such as the War of Independence—to ensure that the Republic of Turkey would endure strong and vibrant for all time. This political party, entrusted to us by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, must stand against all forms of terrorism and strive to preserve the state structure of the Republic of Turkey and the will of the Turkish people for future generations.
It is unacceptable to meet with or collaborate with individuals linked to terrorism just to gain three or five extra votes. Let there be no misunderstanding here; I am not referring to legally established political parties. Let no one twist the issue. However, the reality is that over the past two years, the CHP has been dragged into a position where it conducts politics based on personal agendas.
At this point, people have gathered around a single individual in pursuit of his goals; most of them lack any philosophy of life, have no vision for Turkey, and are primarily driven by their own personal interests. The party has been reduced to serving the political ambitions of that one person.
During this process, idealistic, true Atatürkists, democrats, and patriots within the party are being expelled simply for liking a post, making a critical comment on social media, or criticizing a policy of the ruling party. This is exactly what happened to me.
A political party that identifies itself as social democratic is currently exhibiting a disciplinary approach that is far removed from social democracy and verges on the fascist. Instructions received by an individual on specific days of the week from certain sources are relayed to the relevant bodies; these bodies, in turn, expel people from the party without question.
With this mindset, it is impossible for a party to maintain its social democratic identity. Such a structure gradually ceases to be a democratic party and transforms into an authoritarian one.
Over the past two years, the campaign began with talk of “reconciliation,” followed by months of rallies centered on the political future of a figure whose actions remain unclear. Yet these rallies always feature the same people, the same slogans, and the same clichéd phrases. No serious, solution-oriented politics addressing Turkey’s real problems or the ruling party’s actual mistakes has been put forward.
In its current state, the Republican People’s Party has strayed from its founding purpose. It is like a ship adrift in a vast ocean, its rudder locked, being tossed in the direction dictated by the wind and waves. This picture offers no hope for the future, neither for our party nor for our country.
To remedy this situation—and I say this without naming names—we need people who are competent, who truly have this country’s best interests at heart, and who treat the legacy of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as their own, as well as a strong party organization.
If you expel everyone who crosses your path from the party, tomorrow you won’t find a single person there with common sense who will speak the truth and steer you in the right direction. Everyone will be reduced to a position where they simply do whatever you tell them to do. This benefits neither Turkey nor the Republican People’s Party.
In fact, those who have been expelled from the Republican People’s Party today are the very people who have upheld the trust placed in this country and this party. It is clear that the current leadership is unaware of the weight of that trust.
Instead of denying everything, this is what needs to be done: Keep those who have acted improperly on the sidelines until the allegations against them are clarified; and ensure they return to their posts once they have been cleared. At the same time, a serious, comprehensive, and credible plan and program must be put in place.
Otherwise, if we think of the party as a ship, we see that it continues to take on water. The growing number of people expelled or excluded from the party harms not only the Republican People’s Party but the entire political structure in Turkey.
Because as trust in the political system erodes, people begin to view politics with suspicion. This situation is also a great injustice to those who are truly dedicated to serving the country, democracy, and the common good.
Not every politician is driven by personal gain rather than ideals. The essence of politics lies in doing what is best for the country, boosting the economy, contributing to economic independence, and elevating Turkey to a position of strength and influence in this challenging region.
To be strong, we need a strong economy. A strong economy, in turn, is only possible with a sound R&D policy, a developed industrial sector, a strengthened agricultural sector, and a robust education and legal system—all supported by a productive and informed society. Health, agriculture, education, law, and social policies must be addressed as a unified whole.
For all of this, we need a healthy Republican People’s Party and a strong main opposition party. Unfortunately, we see none of this in the CHP today. The party continues to be engulfed in the storm it has created.
For quite some time now, allegations of money, bribery, and corruption have been circulating within the Republican People’s Party. Indeed, these allegations have taken on a more concrete form with the indictment titled “Ekrem İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profit,” which has been made public. I would like to offer an assessment based on the indictment, the confessions, the information reported in the media, and your own findings.
At this point, the following question is unavoidable: Has the ideological struggle within the CHP given way to the power of money? Where do Özgür Özel and Ekrem İmamoğlu derive their power from?
Political parties have an ideology; they have ideals and goals shaped by that ideology. However, at this point in time, we do not see the Republican People’s Party upholding its ideology in a healthy manner, nor do we see this ideology being discussed and developed on a philosophical foundation. Nor is there a political perspective that offers hope or discusses ideals for the future.
Instead, the picture we see is this: There is one person, and a group of interests has formed around that person’s political fortunes. The Republican People’s Party has ceased to be a structure capable of mounting a strong and consistent response to the mistakes the ruling party has made to date; it has become a party that speaks only of one person’s fortunes, as if no mistakes had ever been made in the past.
Yet Turkey is situated in one of the world’s most critical regions. We are at the heart of the Middle East, across from Africa, command the Mediterranean, border the Caucasus, and are in direct contact with Europe. In this region, everyone has their own interests, ideals, and plans. Major powers closely monitor Turkey’s trajectory and seek to influence it; this is entirely natural.
This is precisely why both the ruling party and the main opposition party must act with a high degree of political and historical awareness. The main opposition party must be in a position to provide leadership—one that can interpret domestic and foreign policy and accurately analyze Turkey’s strengths and weaknesses.
However, as things stand, we see that the Republican People’s Party has been grappling with its own internal problems for months. Moreover, these issues are of a nature that offends the public conscience and is deeply disturbing. Allegations of theft, corruption, and immorality are being discussed. I have already taken legal action because these issues have been raised.
Of course, anyone can commit a crime as an individual; however, no one has the right to tarnish this party’s history or this community. Similarly, I do not approve of actions taken to defend someone who has done wrong. What needs to be done is very clear:
Since Mr. Özgür Özel is the Chairman of the political party we are proud to belong to, he should have clearly stated from the very beginning that anyone associated with allegations of theft, corruption, immorality, and treason would be excluded from the party until proven innocent.
However, we see today that the party is being mismanaged. There is no serious or sincere effort to address the problems within the party. On the contrary, those who criticize figures held in high regard by the Party Leader are being pushed out of the party. Those being pushed out are not the ones causing problems; they are the ones upholding the values entrusted to the party.
“A review of the ”Ekrem İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profit‘ case reveals that the case file contains not only financial ties but also links to parallel structures. In fact, it appears that the indictment includes a charge of ’espionage” as well.
Given this situation, is it fair to say that not only the Republican People’s Party but also the Republic of Turkey is in danger?
We are facing a situation that is truly causing the country serious trouble. This is not the sort of thing ordinary people would do. However, I would like to emphasize the following: There is currently an indictment on the table. We are talking about an indictment that is nearly 3,000 pages long.
I will not delve into the contents of the indictment or assess the charges. That is a matter for the defense and Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu’s attorneys. Of course, it is possible that all the charges in this indictment could be legally refuted. If that happens, we will step forward and offer our congratulations. No one would object to that.
However, the matter does not end there. Looking at Mr. Özgür Özel’s stance: if a person’s father passes away, they naturally visit the grave on the first, second, or third day—or at specific times—in accordance with their faith. However, going to Silivri every Wednesday to hold meetings, followed by constant statements and rallies, puts the Republican People’s Party in serious trouble as a legal entity.
At this point we have to ask the question: Who is leading this party, and to whom has it been entrusted?
The Republican People’s Party cannot be equated with an individual who is the subject of an appeal by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office and faces such serious charges. Once the legal process is completed and innocence is proven, that person may return and even assume the highest positions within the Republican People’s Party. No one would object to that.
However, the fact that the leader of the main opposition party spends one day a week in Silivri on this case is detrimental to both the party and the individual involved. In my view, this situation is also taking a toll on Mr. Özgür Özel.
Why have such serious allegations surfaced? Is it because of the pandemic? Or is there another reason? This is precisely where my passion and objections on this matter stem from. With such serious allegations on the table, it is wrong for the Chairperson of the Republican People’s Party and the current leadership to act as if nothing has happened.
If this party is tarnished, we won’t be able to shake that off for years. That’s why we said, “while there’s still time.” When a person gets sick, they go to the doctor. But if there are allegations of injustice, theft, and corruption, where will you go? Of course, you turn to the law.
We did just that. We turned to the courts to clear this stain on our party’s reputation. If there is nothing to it, this will be proven in court, and no one will be able to brand the Republican People’s Party as having engaged in “fraud or corruption.”.
But if wrongdoings have indeed taken place, those responsible must be held accountable. If there are two rotten apples in a barrel, you have to remove those two rotten apples to save the good ones.
If there are individuals engaging in acts of injustice, corruption, or shamelessness, they must be expelled from the party. However, at this point in time, we see the following: Any person who is upright, honorable, speaks out against wrongdoing, and points the way to the right path has been sidelined and expelled from the party by the current CHP leadership.
While these honorable people are being ruthlessly ostracized, individuals facing numerous allegations and with cases currently under appeal are being protected. Even though there are serious allegations against the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, this person’s past actions and their potential consequences cause immense harm to the legal entity of the Republican People’s Party.
If you expel innocent people from the party while protecting those implicated in all sorts of scandals, this is one of the greatest wrongs that could be done to the Republican People’s Party, a 102-year-old institution.
To our nation… pic.twitter.com/hH1KF1rlTw
- Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) November 22, 2025
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu posted a video. What is your take on the issues he addressed in the video? What conclusions did you draw from Kılıçdaroğlu’s video message? MDo you think the message addresses the right issues? Or do you think there’s much more that needs to be said?
Our Chairman issued a brief but highly appropriate statement and a strong message.
There’s a saying that goes:
If you're giving a one-hour lecture, you can prepare for it in a day.
You spend a week preparing for a half-hour presentation.
For a five-minute presentation, you need to spend a month preparing.
This video was like a conference that was the result of a month’s worth of preparation. It was a statement that spoke volumes to those in the know, summarizing many issues; it clearly laid out the situation our party finds itself in today and, at the same time, conveyed strong messages about what our party needs to do.
In my opinion, it was well-paced, timed perfectly, and the content was extremely substantive. Of course, a longer talk could have covered more topics; however, the messages conveyed in such a short time were both sufficient and quite enlightening. In that regard, I think it was more than adequate in terms of both content and impact.
The lawsuit in which you are the plaintiff, currently pending before the 42nd Civil Court of First Instance in Ankara regarding the request to cancel the 38th Ordinary Congress of the Republican People’s Party, has been concluded without a final decision being issued; consequently, the case has been transferred to the Court of Appeals. What kind of decision do you expect from the Court of Appeals? When do you think the decision will be finalized?
There are two main views in the public regarding this process.
As part of the ongoing investigation in Istanbul, the Chief Prosecutor made the following striking remarks:
“”Corruption was committed with the aim of first taking over Istanbul and then the Republican People’s Party.”
Next,;
“Allegations were raised at the 38th Congress,
Delegates were bought off,
that the party was taken over through these methods,
”Part of the stolen funds was used to establish management teams and for personal enrichment" it has been claimed.
On the other hand, although the Istanbul Provincial Congress has been held twice, The fact that Gürsel Tekin is still legally serving as provincial chairman, This was also confirmed by the rejection of the current party leadership’s application to the Regional Administrative Court.
The prosecution identified numerous issues and maintained its finding that the 38th Congress was tainted by irregularities as the central element.
Consequently, there is a stark contrast between the ruling issued by the 42nd Civil Court of First Instance in Ankara and the legal proceedings underway in Istanbul.
For this reason, the decision issued by the 42nd Civil Court of First Instance in Ankara is contrary to the law.
It is important to make this clear:
A case alleged to have no merit wouldn’t last 10 months or go through five hearings.
A case that is alleged to have no merits does not last 10 months or go through 5 hearings.
If it were truly without merit, the case would have been dismissed outright.
This is a violation of the law.
“I’m not saying, ”The judge did this on purpose”; However, the results that have emerged give rise to this doubt.
There are still no answers to these questions:
During the court proceedings, nWhy were two extraordinary conventions held?
Then why was the 39th Congress held in such a hurry?
It looks as though a decision was made before the convention took place.
In that case, a decision on the merits should have been made.
However, the court attempted to avoid addressing the merits of the case by focusing on procedural issues.
Let me be clear:
No lawyer would ever rule that way.
Impartial legal experts are also making this point explicitly.
We appealed this decision to the Court of Appeals.
However, the process unfolded in such a way that it was almost as if someone had said, “Let’s hold the 39th Congress as well.”.
Following the court's decision;
Although the parties were required to be served with notice within five days, the notices were not served, and the reasoned decision was issued late. Subsequently, the groundwork was laid for a hastily convened convention without waiting for the parties’ 15-day objection period to expire.
There were 56–57 intervenors in the case; service of process was extended because the addresses of two individuals could not be located.
As a result, the 39th Congress was effectively allowed to take place.
The case was then sent to the appellate court.
I must emphasize this fact;
If a crime was committed at the 38th Congress, if the crime was committed in an organized manner and in violation of the rules; The winners of the 38th Congress will not be considered the legal winners.
In that case, either The 38th Congress shall be deemed null and void, ywill be deemed never to have been done.
Consequently, all subsequent actions will also be deemed null and void.
The question is this: Why all the fuss? Why are you holding four conventions in a year and a half to two years?
Republican People's Party has been turned into what amounts to a “party of conventions,”, It has been in a state of deep internal chaos for two years.
This chaos tis eroding the hopes of society, It undermines the CHP’s claim to be a source of hope for Turkey.
CHP; It is a party that should engage in politics without discriminating on the basis of religious denomination, identity, or gender.
However, at this point in time, bfifty groups, bthe p of fifty worldviewsWe are faced with a painting in which he has practically taken control of the composition.
What's even worse is that; khis own country, its own state, foreign to the government in his own country A political mindset that criticizes other countries has emerged.
Love it or hate it, Whether you like it or not –I don't like a lot of apps either—abut The political parties of the Republic of Turkey, their own countries, gwho in the past sought to divide this country, Dating back to the Battle of Gallipoli, who occupied and divided our lands in the Middle East, He cannot complain to the forces occupying Anatolia.
There will be political competition. There will be opposition. But this struggle takes place within the country.
Finally, I would like to emphasize the following: Atatürk did not establish the Republican People’s Party for the sake of personal gain.
This party, bHe established it so that the Turkish nation could always stand strong in the face of every kind of hardship and danger in that harsh and rugged landscape. HIt was founded to ensure that people can live freely, with dignity, and as equals. And that is precisely what today’s main struggle is all about.