ISTANBUL (AP) – On Saturday, tens of thousands of supporters of Ozgur Ozel, the recently deposed leader of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), marched through central Ankara. Ozel's removal from his position came via a court order on May 21, which has been widely interpreted as a politically motivated maneuver to undermine the opposition in Turkey.
The gathering began in Guven Park, located in the heart of the Turkish capital, where Ozel addressed a crowd of supporters, condemning the decision to remove him. Following his speech, the crowd joined him in an impromptu march towards the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. During his address, Ozel asserted, “They are attempting to replace the CHP’s elected chairman and appoint a trustee. Today is the day to restart our march to power. I wish this were an internal party matter. This is not an internal matter for the CHP. This is a matter between (President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the nation.”
The appeals court ruling overturned the results of a 2023 party congress where Ozel was elected as CHP leader, reinstating his predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, which incited protests from party loyalists. Ozel, 51, had succeeded the 77-year-old Kilicdaroglu after what many describe as 13 years of largely ineffective opposition to Erdogan's administration.
Ozel characterized the legal challenges faced by him and the CHP as part of a broader campaign of legal harassment against the party. In recent years, numerous criminal cases alleging corruption in municipalities run by the CHP have led to the detention of hundreds of elected officials and party members. The Turkish government, however, maintains that the judiciary operates independently and without political influence.
While supporters gathered in Guven Park, Kilicdaroglu held a counter event at the CHP headquarters in Ankara. This gathering occurred just days after police forcibly intervened to clear Ozel and his supporters from the venue. Addressing a significantly smaller crowd, Kilicdaroglu criticized the prior administration for its handling of widespread corruption allegations.
Polling data indicates that the CHP is on par with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and despite the next election not scheduled until 2028, there is speculation that Erdogan may seek to call for early elections.
Ozel managed to secure a significant victory for the CHP in the 2024 municipal elections, which bolstered the opposition's control over vital urban centers, including Istanbul and Ankara. The CHP mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, has emerged as a prominent contender against Erdogan in the upcoming presidential election. However, Imamoglu has been imprisoned since March of the previous year due to multiple criminal cases, which could lead to a lengthy prison sentence.
