Antalya mayor announces bid for main opposition CHP leadership ahead of extraordinary congress

Umit Uysal, Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) mayor of Antalya’s Muratpasa district, announced his candidacy for the party’s leadership on Thursday, setting up a challenge to current chairman Ozgur Ozel at Sunday’s upcoming extraordinary congress.

The party’s 21st Extraordinary Congress will convene at the Nazim Hikmet Cultural Center in Yenimahalle on Sunday, April 6, under the slogan “The will belongs to the nation.”

Ozel called for the congress using his authority under Article 48 of the party bylaws.

To qualify as a candidate for the CHP leadership, contenders must secure written nominations from at least 5% of congress delegates. The party chair is elected by secret ballot, requiring an absolute majority of total membership. If no candidate achieves this threshold in the first two rounds of voting, the candidate with the most votes in the third round wins.

Former longtime CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has clearly stated he will not seek candidacy at the congress, even as attention had turned to him amid speculation.

Antalya mayor aims to leverage 33 years of political experience

In his announcement, Uysal cited his “33 years of political experience” as qualification for the position, stating, “I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican People’s Party leadership with the courage to offer my experience and knowledge in service to my party and my country.”

“As our country faces severe economic, social and political crises, our Republican People’s Party is heading to an extraordinary congress due to extraordinary processes,” Uysal said. “In the face of extraordinary developments and attacks against our party, together with our country’s severe economic, political and social crisis, we need to manage this process with common sense, overcome it by uniting, and win by uniting.”

Uysal emphasized that applying democratic processes “befits the Republican People’s Party of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,” who insisted on maintaining democratic traditions even during the most challenging times of the national struggle.

The Muratpasa mayor also stated his candidacy aims to “mobilize all of Anatolia’s potential,” “free our presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu from captivity,” and “rebuild Türkiye based on our founding values.”

To run for membership in the party’s Central Executive Committee, the most powerful body after the congress, candidates need signatures from 10 delegates.