Deniz Baykal, the leader of Republican People's Party CHP, said that the United States had provoked Sisli mayor Mustafa Sarigul in the party (against himself) because CHP had voted against the March 1 Troops Permit at Parliament. Speaking at a meeting in delegates in Izmir, Baykal said that "We do not regard this congress of CHP as a result of its internal strife.

Some are trying to turn it into one, by making use of the games played on Turkey. But we see it differently. So does the organization. There may be some who tries to grab a wooden during the flood. This congress is to defend the ethics and values of CHP."

Baykal also claimed that U.S. had provoked Sarigul inside CHP and "His meeting with PM Erdogan without our information and holding demonstrations without having any permission, is because of the support he got from there (U.S.) "