Turkish Police Storm Opposition Party Headquarters
Turkish riot police stormed the main opposition party's base in Ankara on Sunday. The party is called the CHP.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets during the raid. A court had ordered the removal of the party's leaders days before.
The court said the CHP's 2023 party vote had problems. It claimed some delegates were paid to vote for leader Ozgur Ozel.
The court removed Ozel and replaced him with Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Ozel declined to leave the headquarters.
The opposition vowed to defy the court ruling. Then police moved in.
This is part of a year-long crackdown on the CHP under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was also arrested in 2025 as part of that crackdown.
The Turkish government says its courts are independent. It denies using courts to target political rivals.
Key Terms 5
- CHP Turkey's main opposition political party challenging President Erdogan
- Ozgur Ozel CHP leader removed by court order in May 2026
- Kemal Kilicdaroglu Politician appointed by court to replace Ozel as CHP leader
- Ekrem Imamoglu Elected mayor of Istanbul arrested in 2025
- crackdown Series of legal and police actions targeting a group