Footage allegedly showing CHP Deputy Chair Berhan Şimşek assaulting Özlem Şanver, with whom he lives, was published on social media. The footage shows Şimşek kicking Şanver in the foot in the garden of a detached house, trying to force the woman, who is shouting “Let me go,” into the house, and Şanver struggling to break free. Şimşek denied the allegations in a statement at his party’s Muğla Provincial Headquarters. Announcing that he had resigned from his positions as a MYK member and Deputy Chair until the legal process was completed, Şimşek said he would remain a member of CHP.
Why it matters
In this development, political responsibility and legal assessment have been separated: Şimşek is stepping down from his positions while retaining his CHP membership. This distinction shows that the debate is continuing directly over positions within the party leadership, while his membership status remains unchanged for now. Şimşek’s denial of the allegations leaves a discrepancy between what is seen in the footage and the official statement for the public to assess. For this reason, the issue concerns not only the CHP leadership but also party members and the public following the outcome of the legal process. The fundamental question left open is whether the resignation is a temporary political step taken until the legal process is completed or whether it will turn into a permanent change in position at the end of the process.
Background
CHP is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: in the last 90 days, we published one news report in which this name appeared; that article is dated 2 September 2026.