ANKARA — Turkish riot police fired tear gas and broke through the gates of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara on Sunday to evict ousted party leaders, a Reuters witness reported, in a dramatic escalation of a political crisis that has gripped the country.
Authorities ordered police to enforce a court ruling that reinstated former CHP Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu after an appeals court annulled the results of a party congress held in 2023 that elected Ozgur Ozel as leader. Riot police and crowds gathered outside CHP headquarters following an order from the Ankara governor’s office to remove Ozel-aligned members from the building.
Ozel, who has rejected the court ruling as a “judicial coup,” had promised to remain in the party headquarters “day and night” and pledged to fight the decision through legal appeals. CHP lawmakers on Saturday elected Ozel as leader of the party’s parliamentary group, further complicating the leadership dispute.
The Ankara governor’s office issued the eviction order, leading to the violent confrontation at CHP headquarters. Kilicdaroglu, who lost Turkey’s presidential election to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2023, has said a party congress would be held at an “appropriate” time, though Ozel’s camp has called for a new congress to be held as soon as possible.
Turkey’s political crisis deepened as police forces acted to enforce the court decision, resulting in clashes outside the opposition headquarters. The confrontation marks one of the most intense episodes of political unrest in Turkey in recent years, with opposition supporters gathering as police moved to remove the ousted leadership from the building.
The international community has begun watching the situation closely, with European officials noting concerns over the rule of law in Turkey. The United States and European Union have called for calm as the political standoff continues to unfold in the Turkish capital.
