ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Thousands of protesters on Monday stormed barricades cordoning off the main opposition party’s provincial office in Istanbul following a recent controversial appointment of a chief for the office by court. Security forces used pepper spray to disperse the demonstrators and arrested a large number of them.
Last week, an Istanbul court suspended the head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) office in the largest metropolitan city, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s 2023 congress which changed CHP’s national leadership. The court appointed Gursel Tekin, former deputy leader of the CHP who lost in the congress, as the interim chair of the opposition party for Istanbul.
The court ruling angered the CHP and its supporters. The party’s national leader Ozgur Ozel called on supporters to hold a massive demonstration in front of the Istanbul office on Monday, where the interim administration was scheduled to take office - in an effort to prevent the changes from taking place.
Heeding to the call, thousands of CHP supporters and lawmakers gathered in front of the office and some tried to enter the building despite a three-day ban on gatherings and the instalment of barricades which blocked access. A large presence of riot police prevented the demonstration from growing and facilitated Tekin’s arrival at the building.
Tekin told reporters that he does not work for the state but to end legal issues in his party.
A large number of protesters were arrested and many, including CHP lawmakers, were visibly affected by the pepper gas.
Ozel has condemned the measures as part of a wider campaign against the CHP. Some of the party’s elected mayors have been replaced by state-appointed trustees, including Ekrem Imamoglu - the mayor of Istanbul. Imamoglu, who was detained and sacked in March, has been seen as the strongest challenger of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His arrest over alleged corruption sparked the largest opposition demonstration in a decade.
CHP officials have rejected the allegations, denouncing them as politically motivated efforts to sideline Erdogan’s main opponents ahead of upcoming presidential elections in 2028.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya defended the court ruling that appointed the interim provincial chief, warning that any attempt to ignore the decision amounted to obstruction of justice.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has announced that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a judicial investigation into the demonstration and those who shared “provocative” content on social media.
Major social media platforms were blocked following Ozel’s call for the protest, according to Netblocks - a global internet monitor.
