Turkish Riot Police Storm CHP Headquarters in Ankara, Evict Ousted Leaders

Turkish riot police stormed the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara on Sunday, firing tear gas and breaking through barricades to evict ousted leaders after a court ruling removed Ozgur Ozel and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Al Jazeera described officers removing Ozel from the building after they “fired tear gas and smashed through barricades,” while a Reuters witness said riot police “broke through the gates” of the headquarters to evict the ousted leadership.

Al Jazeera

The court ruling, according to Reuters, annulled the results of the CHP congress where Ozel was elected in 2023, citing irregularities, and reinstated Kilicdaroglu in his place.

Reuters reported that there were no reports of injuries during the intervention, as clouds of tear gas billowed within the CHP building while those inside shouted and threw objects at the entrance.

The BBC said the police action followed the Thursday decision that declared Ozel’s election null and void and temporarily reinstated Kilicdaroglu, with Ozel vowing to defy an appeal court decision.

Ozel rejected the court ruling as a “judicial coup” and told supporters in a video message shared on X, “We are under attack,” before vowing that the CHP would be “on the streets, in the squares, marching towards power.”

The BBC reported that Ozel later emerged from the premises and told crowds gathered outside, “They tried to uproot and throw us out - to where?” as he said the party would “from now be on the streets or in the squares, marching towards power.”

Al-Monitor

Reuters said Ozel led supporters on a march to the Turkish parliament 6 km (4 miles) away, where he made a speech to thousands who chanted “Traitor Kemal,” “Son of the palace, Kilicdaroglu,” and “Shoulder-to-shoulder against fascists.”

The BBC added that the court decision overturned a 2025 ruling by a lower court and meant the party’s entire executive was replaced, with it thought its decisions were no longer recognised.

Human Rights Watch warned on Saturday that Erdoğan’s government was undermining Turkish democracy with “abusive tactics” against the CHP, according to the BBC.

Coverage framed the episode as a test of Turkey’s political system, with Reuters saying analysts viewed the court ruling as a test of the balance between democracy and autocracy for NATO member Turkey and that it could prolong Erdogan’s 23-year rule.

The BBC reported that Turkey’s next presidential election is set for 2028, but the 72-year-old leader can only run again if he calls early elections before 2028 or changes the constitution.

Reuters said Ankara’s governor ordered the eviction of those inside the headquarters on Sunday, after the court reinstated Kilicdaroglu and annulled Ozel’s 2023 election as CHP leader.

The BBC said Ozel’s ouster deepened fears about Erdoğan’s grip on power, while it also noted that Ozel accused his AK party of pursuing a strategy to “eliminate its rivals.”

In the same reporting, the BBC quoted Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gürlek saying the appeal court ruling “reinforces our citizens' trust in democracy,” as the government denied criticism that it uses courts to target political rivals.