TURKISH POLICE RAID DEEPENS OPPOSITION CRISIS

Turkish riot police forced their way into the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, on Sunday after a court ruling removed party leader Özgür Özel and reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Reuters reported that officers used tear gas during the operation at the party’s Ankara headquarters, deepening a crisis inside Turkey’s main opposition party.

The court ruling annulled the CHP’s 2023 congress, where Özel was elected leader, citing irregularities. Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the party before Özel and lost to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey’s 2023 national election, was reinstated by the ruling. AP reported that the decision effectively removed the head of the country’s main opposition party.

Özel and his supporters have rejected the ruling and described it as politically motivated. Reuters reported that Özel called the decision a “judicial coup,” promised legal appeals, and remained at the party’s headquarters before the police operation. After the raid, CHP lawmakers elected Özel as leader of the party’s parliamentary group, leaving Turkey’s main opposition in an unusual split between court-ordered party leadership and parliamentary representation.

The crisis has also drawn wider political reaction. Reuters reported Monday that Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party, the third-largest party in parliament, condemned the ruling and the police operation, calling the eviction of CHP leaders a “disgrace to democracy.” The government maintains that Turkey’s courts are independent and denies claims that the judiciary is being used to weaken political rivals.

The dispute follows a period of increased pressure on the CHP. Özel led the party during its strong performance in Turkey’s 2024 municipal elections, when the CHP dealt Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party a major setback. Several reports have also noted that Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, another senior CHP figure and potential presidential challenger, has faced legal pressure.

Financial markets steadied Monday after earlier volatility tied to the political crisis. Reuters reported that Turkey’s BIST 100 index rose slightly after hitting six-week lows on Friday, while the lira remained near record lows at 45.7205 per U.S. dollar. The market response suggests investors are watching whether the crisis remains contained inside party institutions or expands into broader political instability.

For Turkey, the central issue is whether the dispute becomes an internal party fight, a prolonged legal confrontation, or a wider test of democratic competition before the next election cycle. For outside observers, the case adds to existing concerns over the independence of courts, opposition rights, and the stability of one of NATO’s most strategically important member states.

Fact-check date: 25 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press

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