An Ankara court has refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) extraordinary congress meeting, slated for Feb. 26, when alterations to the party's current bylaws will be discussed.

CHP member Yavuz Kayhan Yüreğir demanded that a preliminary injunction be issued on the party's meeting on the grounds that it is against the law and the bylaws of the CHP.

In his petition to the court, Yüreğir argued that if it takes place, the meeting will inflict irreversible damage and “make it hard or completely impossible for delegates to exercise their rights.” Yüreğir requested the court prevent the meeting from taking place, citing Articles 389 and 390 of the Code on Civil Procedure.

The Ankara 15th Court of First Instance rejected Yüreğir's request on Thursday, saying that the CHP extraordinary congress meeting was announced in newspapers on Jan. 31, following the signing of a petition by one-fifth of the congress members according to Article 54/3 of the CHP bylaws. The court made it clear that there was no legal reason for the meeting to be canceled.

The intra-party opposition campaigned to call the extraordinary congress meeting in order to discuss altering the current party bylaws, which they argue is non-democratic. The petition was led by former CHP Secretary-General Önder Sav.

Cihan