Turkish Riot Police Storm Opposition Headquarters After Court Ousts Leader, Sparking Crisis

Özel was elected CHP chair at a party congress in 2023, but an Ankara court last Thursday declared that congress invalid, citing irregularities. The ruling instantly ousted Özel and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the 77‑year‑old who led the party for over a decade before losing the presidential election to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the same year.

Court Overturns Party Congress

Analysts say the judgment is one of the most serious blows to Erdoğan’s political opponents in decades and could ultimately pave the way for the dissolution of the CHP, a founding party of the Turkish republic. The court’s decision was immediately greeted with fury inside the opposition and beyond.

"Ab jetzt ist die Republikanische Volkspartei CHP auf der Straße, auf den Plätzen und auf dem Weg an die Macht," Özel said in a defiant statement, vowing that his movement would now take its struggle to the streets and the squares.

On Sunday, the governor of Ankara issued an evacuation order for the CHP premises. Shortly afterwards, riot police in full gear advanced on the building to remove those who refused to leave. Video footage showed officers pushing away party staff and deploying tear gas canisters.

Police Storm the Headquarters

"We are under attack," Özel said in a video message shared on social media as the security forces entered. He later emerged from the building after the intervention and repeated his call to take the fight to the streets, leading thousands of supporters on a march towards the Turkish parliament.

The crowd that joined him chanted slogans targeting Kılıçdaroğlu, calling him a "traitor" and "son of the palace," while also shouting "Shoulder‑to‑shoulder against fascists." The atmosphere was tense but remained largely peaceful, with organizers urging restraint.

The court ruling itself drew sharp international criticism. A spokesperson for the EU’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said the action "werfe Fragen hinsichtlich der Rechtsstaatlichkeit, der Grundrechte, des demokratischen Pluralismus und der Unabhängigkeit der Justiz auf" – raising questions about the rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic pluralism and judicial independence.

International Concern Grows

In Turkey, the decision has been widely interpreted as a test of the balance between democracy and autocracy in the NATO member country. Analysts warn that if the ruling stands, it could prolong Erdoğan’s already 23‑year‑long rule by weakening the only party capable of mounting a serious national challenge.

Commenting on the unprecedented nature of the verdict, political scientist Berk Esen said it marked "eine bisher nie da gewesene Entwicklung in unserem Verwaltungsrecht und unserer politischen Geschichte" – a development never before seen in Turkish administrative law and political history since the modern electoral system was established in 1946.

He warned that if the ruling is not overturned, it would "dazu führen, dass Gerichte den Vorsitz von Parteien festlegen" – allowing courts to determine the leadership of political parties, a step he described as unthinkable until now.

A Verdict Without Precedent

The political background is critical. Erdoğan, 72, is seeking to run again in the next parliamentary and presidential election. Under Özel’s leadership, the CHP scored a surprise success in the 2024 local elections, winning the most mayoral seats nationwide – a result that threatened Erdoğan’s grip on power.

The 51‑year‑old Özel had ridden a wave of renewed energy within the CHP, positioning it as a credible alternative. Kılıçdaroğlu, by contrast, had suffered a series of electoral defeats, and his reinstatement is seen by many CHP supporters as a move orchestrated by the palace.

For now, the CHP remains in a state of limbo. Its headquarters were physically cleared by force, but the party’s leadership vacuum may not be filled quickly. Tensions between Kılıçdaroğlu loyalists and Özel’s camp threaten to fracture the organization.

Erdoğan’s Political Calculus

Observers are watching closely whether Turkey’s higher courts might still intervene. Özel’s legal team has appealed the decision, but the process could take weeks or months. In the meantime, the opposition leader has made it clear he will not retreat.

"From now on," Özel told the crowd outside parliament, "the CHP is on the streets, in the squares, marching towards power." His words signalled that, regardless of judicial moves, the struggle for Turkey’s political future has moved out of the courtroom and into the public space.