Turkish Police Raid Opposition Party HQ
Turkish police raided the headquarters of the main opposition party, the CHP, and ousted its leader Ozgur Ozel. The party has vowed to resist.
ManyPress Editorial Team
ManyPress Editorial
Turkish riot police raided the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party in Ankara on Sunday, carrying out a court decision to oust party leader Ozgur Ozel. The police used tear gas to break through barricades after CHP members refused to leave. Ozel was replaced by former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Police Intervention
The police intervention followed an appeals court decision to annul the CHP’s 2023 congress that brought Ozel to power. The court decision led to the restoration of former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu to the position. Officers used tear gas to break through barricades inside the party building after CHP members refused to leave the headquarters.
Aftermath and Reaction
Following the police intervention, Ozel led tens of thousands of supporters on a march from CHP headquarters to the Turkish parliament, vowing to continue resisting what the party has described as a “judicial coup”. Ozel stated that he would continue to govern the CHP from his office in the parliament.
Key points
- Turkish riot police raided the CHP headquarters in Ankara on Sunday.
- Ozgur Ozel was ousted as party leader and replaced by Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
- The police used tear gas to break through barricades inside the party building.
- Ozel led tens of thousands of supporters on a march to the Turkish parliament.
- The CHP won the 2024 local elections under Ozel’s leadership.
- Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, backed by the CHP, is in jail awaiting trial on corruption charges.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Balkan Insight (BIRN).
