Turkey
Turkish riot police attempt to enter the Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, on May 24, 2026. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish riot police on Sunday used tear gas to disperse members and officials of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) from the party headquarters in Ankara, following a controversial court ruling that annulled the results of the party’s 2023 congress and reinstated the former leadership.
Supporters of former CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost the party leadership to Ozgur Ozel at the 2023 congress, attempted to take control of the headquarters building on Sunday morning. Pro-Ozel members resisted before riot police intervened, using tear gas to clear the premises.
The building was later taken over by officials aligned with the reinstated administration. Ozel, surrounded by supporters, then headed to the Turkish parliament, vowing to continue leading the party from there.
An appeals court in Ankara ruled on Thursday to temporarily suspend the current CHP leadership and reinstate the previous administration led by Kilicdaroglu until a new party congress is held. The decision stems from a legal challenge over alleged irregularities during the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held in November 2023, where Ozel defeated Kilicdaroglu after more than 13 years at the helm of the party.
Founded by modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the CHP is Turkey’s main opposition force. The party emerged as the leading force in the 2024 local elections, dealing a major blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Ozel’s administration has described the court ruling as a “judicial coup” and accused the government of orchestrating the move to weaken the opposition ahead of future elections.
Human Rights Watch said on Saturday that Erdogan’s government is undermining democracy through “abusive tactics” against the CHP, calling the court ruling “the latest deeply damaging blow to the rule of law, democracy and human rights” in Turkey.
Ozel and Kilicdaroglu spoke by phone following the ruling and are expected to meet in person to discuss the party’s future, including the possibility of holding a new congress.
Speaking to reporters while marching with supporters toward parliament on Sunday, Ozel said he did not need a party building to continue his political struggle.
The CHP, which holds 138 seats in Turkey’s 600-member parliament, has faced increasing legal pressure in recent years. Several CHP mayors have been removed from office or arrested. Among them is Ekrem Imamoglu, widely viewed as Erdogan’s strongest potential challenger in the 2028 presidential election, who was jailed in March 2025 alongside several associates over corruption-related allegations.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has warned that the ruling against Ozel could harm ongoing peace efforts between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said Sunday’s events were “unacceptable”.
“Turkey today stands once again at a critical threshold for its democracy,” the party’s co-chairs said in a statement.
“The march carried out this morning toward the Republican People’s Party headquarters under police escort, followed by the images that emerged afterward, are a sign that both democratic will and institutional legitimacy have been wounded at the same time. We find this situation unacceptable in terms of democracy and the rule of law,” the statement added.
The DEM Party itself has long faced political and legal pressure from Ankara. Many of its elected mayors have been removed from office and replaced by state-appointed trustees, while thousands of party members and officials have faced prosecution or imprisonment. Former co-chair Selahattin Demirtas, who was arrested in 2016 for terror-related charges, remains jailed despite repeated international calls for his release.
Since the DEM Party began mediating renewed talks between Ankara and the PKK in late 2024, pressure on the party has somewhat eased.
“In democratic systems, party headquarters are places for negotiation and compromise, not brute force. A political crisis must be overcome through dialogue, not under police escort. Political issues cannot be resolved through force, broken doors, or tear gas. This situation is unacceptable,” DEM Party co-chairs Tuncer Bakirhan and Tulay Hatimogullari said in the statement.
Ozel is scheduled to meet with a DEM Party delegation at the parliament on Monday, according to pro-CHP media.
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