Turkish Riot Police Storm Opposition Headquarters Following Court-Ordered Leadership Ouster

Turkish riot police used tear gas to force their way into the Ankara headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Sunday, executing a contentious court order that dismissed the party’s current leadership. Clashes erupted as party members blockaded entrances with makeshift barricades, throwing objects and spraying hoses at advancing security forces. The raid was initiated after representatives of 77-year-old party veteran Kemal Kilicdaroğlu requested police assistance to take over the premises, claiming they were barred entry by loyalists of the ousted leader, Özgür Özel.

The escalation follows an appellate court decision on Thursday that declared Özel’s previous election null and void, effectively dismantling the party’s entire executive committee. The court ordered that Özel be replaced by Kilicdaroğlu—who lost the 2023 presidential election to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—by overturning a 2025 lower court ruling that had dismissed allegations of vote-buying. In a video message recorded during the raid, Özel declared the party was “under attack” and later led hundreds of supporters on a march toward the Turkish parliament, vowing to take their movement to the streets.

Critics and international observers, including Human Rights Watch, have warned that Erdoğan’s government is utilizing “abusive tactics” to eliminate political rivals and tighten its grip on power. Özel accused the ruling AK party of orchestrating the judicial upheaval, especially as Erdoğan faces constitutional term limits unless early elections are called before 2028. Conversely, Justice Minister Akin Gürlek defended the appellate court’s ruling, asserting that it reinforces public trust in democracy, despite his own history of spearheading investigations against key opposition figures.

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