EU Regions Body Warns CHP Ruling Raises Rule of Law Concerns in Türkiye
Bosphorus News Türkiye Desk
The European Committee of the Regions has warned that a Turkish court ruling removing Özgür Özel from the leadership of the Republican People's Party raises serious concerns over democratic opposition, judicial independence and political pluralism in Türkiye.
The statement was issued after the Ankara Regional Court of Justice declared the CHP congress to be of "absolute nullity" on 21 May and ordered the interim removal of Özel from his position as party leader. The European Committee of the Regions said the decision raised questions about the ability of political parties to operate freely and choose their leadership through democratic procedures.
The statement was signed by Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Jelena Drenjanin, Chair of its Working Group on relations with Türkiye.
"The interim removal of Mr Özgür Özel from his position as leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) raises serious concerns regarding the functioning of democratic opposition in Türkiye," they said.
The committee said the ruling prompted questions about judicial independence and respect for democratic pluralism. It also linked the case to the wider rule of law framework in relations between the European Union and Türkiye.
"Respect for the rule of law, democratic institutions and the separation of powers remain fundamental to relations between the European Union and Türkiye," the statement said.
Local Democracy Enters the CHP Crisis
The intervention is notable because it moves the CHP leadership case beyond a party dispute and places it inside the European local democracy agenda.
The European Committee of the Regions represents local and regional authorities across the European Union. Its statement tied the court ruling to pressure on elected representatives at local and regional levels, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
"Local authorities are the backbone of democratic life, and any interference with their mandates weakens citizens' trust and representation," the statement said.
That framing matters. The CHP crisis is no longer being read in Brussels only as a question of party leadership. It is now being linked to the status of elected mayors, local governance and the space available to opposition politics in Türkiye.
EU Concern Widens
The committee said judicial actions that may affect political competition risk weakening confidence in democratic governance. It added that such actions affect not only political actors, but also citizens whose electoral choices those actors represent.
The statement also expressed solidarity with Özel and said the European Committee of the Regions would continue to follow developments in Türkiye.
The wording does not carry the weight of a European Council or European Commission decision. It still matters because it gives the CHP ruling a formal European institutional response from the local and regional governance track.
That is where the case now broadens. A Turkish court decision on the CHP leadership is being placed inside a larger European debate on rule of law, separation of powers and the protection of elected officials. The ruling may have started as a domestic legal shock, but the European response is already moving it into Türkiye's wider democracy file.
***Source: European Committee of the Regions