Tens of thousands protest in Ankara against crackdown on Turkish opposition
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Ankara on Sunday to denounce what they describe as an escalating legal assault on Turkey’s main opposition party. The protest came ahead of a crucial court ruling that could determine the future of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and its leadership.
The case, centered on alleged irregularities in the CHP’s 2023 congress, could see the annulment of the vote that confirmed Özgür Özel as party leader. Such a decision would not only reshape the opposition but could also unsettle markets and affect the political calendar ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Crowds chanted for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s resignation while waving Turkish flags and party banners. Addressing supporters, Özel accused the government of undermining democratic norms after opposition victories in local elections last year. He described the trial as politically motivated and called for an early general election.
“This is not justice but a political coup,” Özel told the crowd. “We will resist together.”
Over the past year, authorities have detained more than 500 CHP members, including 17 mayors, as part of wide-ranging investigations into alleged corruption and terrorism links. Among those arrested is Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, considered Erdoğan’s main political rival. His detention in March triggered the largest demonstrations in a decade and a sharp, temporary drop in the value of the Turkish lira.
In a letter read at the rally from prison, İmamoğlu accused the government of trying to manipulate the next elections by eliminating challengers. “The era of one-man rule will end,” he wrote. “The time of ‘we’ is about to begin.” The crowd responded with chants of “President İmamoğlu.”
The government has rejected accusations of political interference, insisting the judiciary operates independently.
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