Turkish police raided the building housing the country's main opposition party headquarters after the party leader refused to comply with a court ruling that annulled his and the current administration's appointments.
On Sunday, 24 May 2026 GMT+7, Turkish riot police forcefully entered the headquarters of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the country's main opposition, just days after a court ordered the removal of the party's executive board.
The operation led to clashes between authorities and opposition groups, with tear gas clouds billowing outside the building located in Ankara. Video footage showed people inside shouting and throwing objects at the entrance while spraying water hoses at the police.
CHP leader Özgür Özel declared he would defy the appellate court's decision issued on Thursday, 21 May, which annulled his party leadership election over allegations of vote-buying. This move is viewed as a consolidation of power by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The court ruled that Özel must be replaced by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the party's senior politician aged 77, who was defeated by Erdoğan in the 2023 presidential election.
"We are under attack," Özel said in a video message shared on platform X as security forces attempted to enter the building, with reports of clashes between his supporters and those backing Kılıçdaroğlu.
Later, Özel emerged from the building and told the crowd gathered outside, "They are trying to uproot and drive us out—where would they have us go?"
Özel announced that from now on, the party would "take to the streets and squares and continue striving for power." He then led several hundred supporters in a protest march toward the Turkish Parliament through the streets of Ankara.
This court ruling overturns a lower court's 2025 decision that had dismissed the vote-buying allegations in the CHP internal election, which initially allowed Özel to become party leader.
Furthermore, the ruling means the entire party executive board will be replaced, and it is understood that decisions made by the previous board will no longer be recognized.
Human rights organization Human Rights Watch warned last Saturday that Erdoğan's government is undermining Turkish democracy by using "illegal tactics" against the CHP.
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Source:bbc