Tens of thousands gathered in Ankara on Sunday to denounce what they described as a politically motivated legal crackdown on Turkey’s main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The protests came a day before a court ruling that could annul the CHP’s 2023 congress and remove its leader, Ozgur Ozel, from his post.
Live television showed a sea of Turkish flags and party banners as demonstrators chanted for President Tayyip Erdogan’s resignation.
The looming court decision carries significant weight, with the potential to reshape the CHP, unsettle financial markets, and even impact the timeline of Turkey’s next general election, scheduled for 2028. The court also retains the option of delaying its ruling.
Speaking to the crowd, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel accused the government of weaponizing the judiciary to cling to power after the opposition’s gains in last year’s local elections. He denounced the case as baseless and politically charged, declaring: “This case is political. The accusations are slander. Our comrades are innocent. What’s being done is a coup — a coup against the future president, against the future government. We will resist.” Ozel also demanded snap general elections.
The Turkish government rejects allegations of interference, insisting the judiciary operates independently. Still, opposition figures point to a wider campaign of repression.
A Reuters review found that over the past year, more than 500 people — including 17 CHP mayors — have been detained in Istanbul and other opposition-held municipalities on corruption allegations.
Hundreds of CHP members also remain in pre-trial detention on charges ranging from graft to terrorism ties, among them Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely seen as Erdogan’s strongest rival.
For protesters, the Ankara rally was both a defense of their party and a broader stand for democratic freedoms they believe are under threat.
