Turkish riot police stormed the Ankara headquarters of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Sunday to evict the leadership aligned with Ozgur Ozel. Using tear gas and rubber bullets, officers broke through the gates and entered the building, ending a three-day standoff between party supporters and authorities. The operation followed an order from the Ankara governor's office to enforce a controversial court ruling.
A Turkish appeals court had annulled the results of the 2023 CHP congress where Ozel was elected, citing unspecified irregularities. The court reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who previously lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in a national election. While Kilicdaroglu sought state assistance to regain control of the headquarters, Ozel condemned the decision as a judicial coup and vowed to fight the ruling through legal appeals.
Tensions within the party escalated as current officials accused Kilicdaroglu of employing mafia thugs to seize power. Ozel called for a new party congress to be held as soon as possible, though Kilicdaroglu stated such a meeting would occur at an appropriate time. On Saturday, CHP lawmakers elected Ozel as the leader of the party's parliamentary group.
This crisis occurs amid a year-long legal crackdown on the CHP overseen by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This pressure followed the 2025 arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, further fueling the political instability surrounding the country's main opposition party.