Turkish police entered the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party in Ankara on Sunday after three days of tensions between supporters of rival factions inside the country’s main opposition movement.
The unrest began after a Turkish court invalidated the leadership of Ozgur Ozel, who became head of the party during its 2023 congress.
According to reports, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to remove Ozel supporters from inside the party headquarters.
Supporters of Ozel had reportedly blocked access to the building in an attempt to prevent the court-approved leadership from entering the headquarters.
The Republican People’s Party, known as CHP, is the largest opposition force against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
The political crisis escalated after the court canceled the results of the party’s 2023 congress, where Ozel was elected party leader.
Under the court ruling, former party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has temporarily returned to leadership of the CHP.
Kilicdaroglu was President Erdogan’s main challenger in Turkey’s 2023 presidential election.
Ozel and his supporters described the court decision as politically motivated and accused authorities of trying to weaken the country’s largest opposition party.
The Turkish government, however, has denied any interference in judicial decisions.
Political analysts say the internal crisis within the CHP could further intensify tensions in Turkey’s political environment ahead of future elections.
