There are some decisions in Turkish politics that not only have legal consequences but also unmask political masks. The “absolute nullity” verdict against the CHP is exactly such a break. Because this decision not only showed that a congress had become controversial; it also revealed the legitimacy crisis of the structure that has been marketed with the packaging of “change”, “hope” and “renewal” for years.
Those who have been attacking Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for months are now in a panic. This is because the allegations of fraud, which until yesterday they minimized, have now become the subject of court decisions. Kılıçdaroğlu, whom they had lynched for years by saying that he was “seat-loving”, “doesn't know how to leave” and “finished the party”, is now legally facing the possibility of returning to the CHP.
And that is exactly what hurts them.
Because it was never just about elections.
This issue was difficult.
They were cadres.
Municipalities.
It was tenders.
It was media relations.
They were new networks of power within the party.
This is the reason for the anger that emerged today after the absolute nullity verdict. Because it can no longer be hidden that behind what has been marketed as a “movement for change” for years, there is actually a much harsher power struggle.
Many of those who attacked Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu have been in politics alongside him for years. They were in the PM. They were in the MYK. They were in the municipalities. They were on the screens. Those who kept silent that day are now trying to pin the entire bill on a single person. This is not political criticism; it is outright historical engineering.
Even more striking is this:
The attacks against Kılıçdaroğlu had already crossed political boundaries. His family was targeted. Insinuations were made over his faith. Attempts were made to discredit him through social media operations. And while all this was going on, most of those who spoke of “democracy” remained silent.
Because their understanding of democracy was conjunctural, not principled.
Now the same circles are calling the court decision “interference in politics”. So why didn't you demand real transparency when the allegations in the congress process were being discussed for months? If everything was squeaky clean, why are you so afraid?
This is the real issue facing the CHP.
Today the party has been plunged not only into a crisis of governance but also into a crisis of moral legitimacy.
And at this point, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's return to the presidency is no longer just a question of names. It is a question of whether the CHP will return to institutional wisdom or continue to fragment among cliques and power centers.
Perhaps the most ironic thing is this:
Those who scoffed for years that “Kılıçdaroğlu was left alone” see today that the real ones who are left alone are the political alliances that are the first to abandon each other when the balance of interests breaks down.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is not alone.
Because it is no longer a matter of one person.
The issue is who represents the soul of the CHP.
“WE MUST BE PURIFIED”: KILIÇDAROĞLU FORESAW THE ROT
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's statement years ago that “we must purify ourselves” was scorned by many at the time. Some thought it was an ordinary call for introspection. Some ridiculed it. Some even deliberately covered up this call. Because if that statement had been taken seriously, it would have opened the door to a huge showdown within the CHP.
Today, when we look back, we see that Kılıçdaroğlu actually saw the great decay that was coming before anyone else.
Because what has been happening in the CHP in recent years was not just a difference of political opinion. A new power architecture was being established within the party. A political network was being shaped through municipalities. A climate shaped by media operations was being created. While the party organization was being pushed to the background, social media trolls and screen faces were moving to the center of politics.
And the most dangerous thing was this:
Anyone who criticized was declared an enemy.
Imagine a party...
Talking about the shady congress process is considered a crime.
Questioning the pressure on delegates is considered treason.
Discussing ethics within the party is labeled as “working for power”.
This is where the phrase “we must purify” takes on a historical meaning.
Because purification is not just the removal of a few people from office. Purification is to put politics back on a moral ground. If the CHP really wants to stand up again today, it must first confront the rot within itself.
And no one here is to be excused:
This confrontation cannot be done by saying “don't let them be offended”, “don't let the party suffer”, “this is not the time”.
On the contrary.
It is these years of cowardice that have brought the CHP to where it is today.
Do you know why a significant part of the society is distant from the CHP today? Because people think that not only the government but also the opposition has started to cover up its own mistakes. The arrogance of “our people won't do it” is the most dangerous disease of politics. AKP has been infected with this disease for years. If the CHP is dragged into the same swamp, it will have no moral superiority in the eyes of the public.
This is why Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's biggest test in the new period will be “liquidation”.
If it's really purification;
All those implicated in corruption allegations must be purged without question.
No matter who you are.
Regardless of which municipality he runs.
Regardless of which clique you come from.
Regardless of who has close media support.
Because true cleansing begins the day you can face the wrong that is closest to you.
This is the main fear of many people in the CHP today.
What they fear even more than a court ruling is the possibility of questioning names they have considered untouchable for years.
Who put pressure on the delegates?
Who used municipal resources for internal party engineering?
Who organized the media operations?
Who tried to run the party not with the organizational mind but with PR companies?
In fact, Kılıçdaroğlu's call for “purification” was precisely this order.
Perhaps this is why the anger of those who target him the most today is so great. Because they see Kılıçdaroğlu's comeback not only as a change of leader. They also see it as a threat to the comfort zone they have built for years.
But history is sometimes cruel.
People who were called “finished” yesterday may become accountable again today.
And if Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu does indeed take over the CHP again, the task ahead of him this time will go beyond winning elections:
To put the party back on a moral footing.
Because sometimes what keeps a party alive is not its electoral success, but the fact that it does not give in to the rot within itself.
“THEY SAID ”CHANGE", THEY ESTABLISHED A NEW OLIGARCHY
One of the most dangerous manipulations of politics in Turkey is this:
Marketing a power struggle as a “moral revolution”.
This is exactly what happened in the CHP in the last two years. The process, which was based on the slogan of “change”, turned into the construction of a new power bloc rather than a democratic renewal. And today, with the decision of absolute nullity, we see that the issue is not just the outcome of the congress; the issue is who will govern the CHP and by which methods.
Because there was not only political competition.
There was media power.
There was municipal power.
They had armies of social media.
There was perception engineering.
The process against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was not spontaneous; it was organized.
The same headlines every day...
The same TV commentary every day...
The same social media hashtags every day...
There was not an atmosphere of political criticism, but a systematic campaign of discrediting. So much so that over time, even thinking differently within the CHP became a risk. People who openly supported Kılıçdaroğlu were lynched. Delegates felt under pressure. Many names within the party preferred to remain silent. Because in the new order, obedience was rewarded, not criticism.
And the irony was this:
Those who did this were constantly using the rhetoric of “freedom”, “pluralism”, “democracy”.
But real democracy is not a regime where only those who think like you can speak. Real democracy is a platform where different ideas within the party can be expressed without fear. In the CHP, a serious digital neighborhood pressure has emerged, especially in the last period.
You send a tweet...
Within minutes, organized accounts attack.
You are asking a question...
“You are declared ”working for the government".
You question the congress process...
“You are labeled ”traitor".
Over time, this structure established a new order of fear within the CHP.
And today, the decision of absolute nullity fell right in the middle of that order.
Because the processes that have been rendered untouchable for years in the name of “change” are now open to legal scrutiny. That is why they are angry today. That's why they are aggressive. Because for the first time, a decision has come out of an area they cannot control.
Now some people are saying, “Kılıçdaroğlu will divide the party by going back.” This is not true. What divides the CHP is not the reckoning; it is the political understanding that avoids accountability.
Imagine a political movement:
He wants corruption allegations not to be discussed.
He doesn't want to be questioned about the congress shenanigans.
He wants the pressures on delegates not to be discussed.
Then he calls it “protecting the party”.
No, no, no.
It is not to protect the party; it is to protect the established order.
This is precisely why Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is causing so much fear in some circles today. Because with his return, areas within the CHP that have remained untouched for years will start to be discussed.
And there is a very critical threshold here:
If Kılıçdaroğlu really becomes president again, he will have two options. Either he will continue his old politics of balance and compromise with these structures... Or he will launch a massive internal purge that will go down in history.
It is the second option that society expects.
Because people no longer want slogans, they want sincerity.
“He wants the phrase ”clean politics" to mean something.
He wants to see a political morality that can also question its own wrongdoing.
Perhaps this is exactly what the CHP has lost for many years:
A sense of moral superiority.
A structure that is harsh when criticizing the government but silent when it comes to its own wrongdoings does not inspire confidence in society. And society now sees this.
The reason why Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has come to the forefront again today is not only because of the court decision. It is also because people are looking for a new institutional balance and conscience within the CHP.
Because everybody realized this:
An institutional backbone, not just charismatic campaigns, sustains a party.
And that backbone of the CHP has been seriously eroded in recent years.
THE MOTTO OF THE NEW ERA: NO ONE IS UNTOUCHABLE
If Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu takes over the CHP presidency again, he will not be facing the CHP of 2010. Because the issue is no longer just a fight against the government; it is also a reckoning with the rot within the party itself.
And we need to be frank:
Today, the CHP is experiencing one of the worst crises of confidence in its history.
Because people are now questioning not only the corruption created by the AKP, but also the new power relations that have emerged within the opposition. The economic and political networks that have formed around municipalities, the intertwining of party administration and local power relations, media-backed factional wars... All these have seriously damaged the CHP's claim of “clean politics”.
That is why the main slogan of the new era has to be:
“No one is untouchable.”
If there is to be true purification, no one's political weight, popularity or media support should shield them from accountability.
If he is a mayor, he is a mayor...
If he is a PM member, he is a PM member.
If it is an influential name in the media...
Whoever violated ethical boundaries within the party, used municipal power for party engineering, exerted pressure on delegates, or was involved in corruption scandals must be held accountable.
Because it is precisely because of this “order of untouchables” that the CHP has suffered today.
For years people have tried to say to the CHP:
“You criticize the AKP system, but you remain silent about the wrongdoings within your own ranks.”
And unfortunately, over time, these criticisms started to find a response in society.
Today, for the CHP to get back on its feet, a change of leader is not enough. A radical reform of political ethics within the party is required. Only in this way can Kılıçdaroğlu's words “we must purify” take on real meaning.
One of the most critical issues at this point is the municipality-party relationship.
Because in recent years, municipalities in the CHP have not only ceased to be areas of local administration; they have also turned into centers of power within the party. Allegations of influence over delegates, staff networks, economic relations, media connections... All these have created a structure that disrupts the natural functioning of the party organization.
This is probably where Kılıçdaroğlu will intervene most harshly in the new period.
Because CHP has to become an organization party again.
A structure overshadowed by municipalities ceases to be a political movement in the long run and turns into a coalition of interests.
Perhaps this is the real fear of some circles today.
Kılıçdaroğlu's return may mean not only a change of name, but also the disintegration of the comfort zones that have been established for years. Because for the first time, the following questions will be seriously raised:
Who intervened in internal party processes?
Who designed politics with media power?
Who used municipal resources for factional warfare?
Who turned the rhetoric of “change” into a personal career project?
And there is a very critical threshold here:
If the CHP fails to make this reckoning, the crisis it is facing today will not be temporary. On the contrary, it will deepen.
Because society now wants to see this:
A political will that can also clean up what is wrong within itself.
What was the AKP's biggest problem for years?
Failure to confront the corruption within itself.
If the CHP shows the same reflex now, it will have no moral high ground to explain to voters.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has a historic opportunity right here. If he is really brave, he can put on the table all the issues that have not been discussed in the CHP for years. He can re-establish intra-party democracy. He can break the social media tutelage. He can bring the organization back to the center.
But there is a condition for this:
No privileges for anyone.
Because true purification begins the day you can face the wrong that is closest to you.
And perhaps this is exactly what the CHP needs most today:
A political will that can be held to account without fear.
HISTORY SOMETIMES CALLS BACK THOSE MOST WANTED TO BE SILENCED
Politics has a strange memory.
Some people who seem to be over for a period of time, just when everything seems to have been resolved, are back at the center of history. Because politics is shaped not only by the results of the polls, but also by who behaves how in times of crisis.
Today, the possibility of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returning to the CHP is precisely such a historical break.
For years they called him “lost”, “finished”, “finished”, "his time is over".
It was not enough
There were organized lynch campaigns from within his own party.
His family was targeted.
Insinuations were made about his faith.
The entire bill for the political defeat fell on his shoulders alone.
Yet today the same people are facing a great reality:
In trying to liquidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, they have actually destroyed the CHP's institutional memory.
Because Kılıçdaroğlu was not just a chairman.
He was also the last great figure of balance within the CHP, holding different segments of the party together. His silence was sometimes misunderstood, but underneath that silence there was a political reflex trying not to disintegrate the party.
Now the CHP is facing a much harsher reality:
Uncontrolled factionalization.
And the irony is...
Some of those who called Kılıçdaroğlu “authoritarian” today cannot tolerate even the smallest criticism in the digital repression order they have established. Those who chanted “freedom” yesterday are today trying to silence anyone who thinks differently.
This is where history comes in.
Because society sometimes pays attention not to those who shout the loudest, but to those who hold their line even in the face of the heaviest attacks. This is also the reason why the systematic attacks against Kılıçdaroğlu backfired over time. People started to see this:
Such a massive hate campaign cannot be explained only by electoral defeat.
There was a much bigger reckoning at stake.
About the direction of the party...
It's about the morality of the party...
It's about who will determine the future of the party.
And today, with the decision of absolute nullity, those suppressed debates have resurfaced.
The CHP now faces a historical threshold.
Either they will manage this process as a mere battle for seats and close in on themselves... Or they will have a really big confrontation.
If Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu takes over again, he will no longer have to be the same Kılıçdaroğlu. Because today society expects a clearer, tougher and more decisive political will.
No one has the luxury of “don't let them be offended” anymore.
Because the issue before the CHP is much bigger than the political careers of a few individuals.
The point is this:
Will the CHP really be the people's hope for clean politics, or will it surrender to new vested interests within its own ranks?
This is why Kılıçdaroğlu's “we must purify” speech has a much greater meaning today. Because purification is not just the elimination of a few people. Purification is the reunion of politics with conscience.
And the most important thing in this process is this:
No one is untouchable.
The years of fear within the CHP, media operations, municipality-centered power struggles, allegations of fraud on delegates, social media lynchings... All of these have to be talked about now.
Because every unspoken wrong grows.
Every decay that is covered up spreads further.
Perhaps this is precisely the main reason for the resurgence of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu today:
People no longer want to see slogans but conscience.
Millions of people in Turkey are tired.
He is tired of fighting.
He is tired of arrogance.
He is tired of intrigues within the party.
He is tired of politics that constantly tries to liquidate each other.
And now the CHP has a historic opportunity in front of it.
If this major crisis turns into a real confrontation, the CHP can regain its institutional identity. But if everything turns into a new faction taking over the old order, today's crisis will be the beginning of much bigger ruptures in the future.
History is sometimes very harsh.
It makes some people fall.
It consumes some of them.
But sometimes it also recalls those who most want to be silenced.
Perhaps this is exactly what is happening in the CHP today.