Politics Turkey: Tensions rise after dismissal of opposition leader
Following the judicial removal of the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party, the CHP, tensions are rising in the capital Ankara. In the afternoon, police used tear gas to force their way into the CHP headquarters, where the deposed leader Özgür Özel was holed up with members of parliament. They broke through barricades, as could be seen on images from Halk TV.
24.05.2026, 14:06
SDA
Rubber bullets were also fired. The situation was initially confusing. Thick clouds of smoke hung in the building. Özel announced that he still did not want to leave the headquarters.
The Ankara governor's office had previously ordered the evacuation and declared that this would implement the court ruling that temporarily reinstated former party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as party leader.
Party congress in focus
On Thursday, a court in Ankara declared the 2023 party congress, at which Özel had been elected CHP chairman, retroactively invalid and removed Özel from office. The issue is whether delegates were bribed to vote for Özel. The proceedings were initiated by a former party member. It was initially dismissed in October and then reopened.
The CHP party leadership rejects the accusations and lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court. It also argues that the electoral authority and not a court should actually decide whether votes at party conferences were lawful.
The court provisionally appointed Özel's controversial predecessor Kilicdaroglu as CHP party leader. This triggered protests in the capital Ankara and other cities.
Kilicdaroglu was defeated by Erdogan
The ruling is seen as a major blow to President Erdogan's political opponents and could ultimately lead to the break-up of the CHP - the country's founding party.
Observers consider the decision to be unconstitutional and see it as politically motivated. The government, on the other hand, emphasizes the independence of the judiciary.
The 77-year-old Kilicdaroglu was chairman of the secular CHP for more than ten years. He was defeated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the election three years ago - and then by Özel in the battle for the party chairmanship.
Kilicdaroglu, once a beacon of hope, quickly lost support after his defeat, especially among the population. At demonstrations and on social media, he was sometimes called a "traitor" after the court ruling. He is considered a weak politician and therefore Erdogan's preferred opponent.
Özel led party to success
The president himself has not yet commented on the events, but has already presented the proceedings as an internal CHP party conflict in the past.
Under the leadership of 51-year-old Özel, the CHP achieved a surprising success in the 2024 local elections and won most of the mayorships in the country. Since then, numerous opposition mayors have been arrested in the course of terror and corruption investigations, including former Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival Ekrem Imamoglu. This triggered mass protests.
Far-reaching consequences for the opposition in the country
The EU had sharply criticized the court decision and other measures against opposition politicians, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expressed his concern, also with a view to the country's aspirations for EU membership.
According to Turkey expert Gönül Tol, Turkey is moving ever closer to a Russian-style system in which the ruler determines the opposition. Erdogan is aware that he can no longer win elections under free and fair conditions.
He is also benefiting from an international environment in which Turkey has gained strategic importance against the backdrop of the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Criticism, especially from a US administration under Donald Trump, is hardly to be feared.
