Police raid offices of Turkey's opposition party, firing tear gas and rubber bullets

• Turkish riot police stormed the headquarters of the main opposition CHP in Ankara after supporters barricaded themselves inside.
• The confrontation followed a court ruling that annulled Ozgur Ozel’s leadership and reinstated former party chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Turkish riot police forced their way into the headquarters of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara on Sunday after supporters of ousted leader Ozgur Ozel barricaded themselves inside the building.

The standoff erupted following a court ruling that annulled the results of the CHP’s 2023 congress, stripping Ozel of his leadership position and reinstating former party chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Police used tear gas to disperse party members gathered inside the headquarters, witnesses said. Video footage circulating online showed tear gas spreading through the building as supporters shouted slogans and hurled objects toward riot police attempting to breach makeshift barricades.

The Turkish appeals court ruled that Ozel’s election as CHP chairman in 2023 was invalid, effectively restoring Kilicdaroglu to the post.

Ozel denounced the decision as a “judicial coup” and vowed to resist efforts to remove him from the party headquarters.

“I will remain here day and night,” Ozel said, according to local media reports.

In a show of defiance, CHP lawmakers elected Ozel as leader of the party’s parliamentary group while he called for an emergency party congress to be held as soon as possible.

Tensions escalated Sunday morning as Ozel’s supporters clashed with police outside the headquarters. Hours later, riot police toppled a locked iron gate and entered the building after supporters erected barricades inside.

The confrontation is the latest development in what critics describe as a broader judicial crackdown targeting the CHP, Turkiye’s main opposition party.

Over the past year, dozens of CHP officials have reportedly been arrested, investigated, or removed from office. Among them is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest political rival.

The Turkish government has accused CHP figures of involvement in corruption networks. The opposition party has rejected the allegations, describing them as politically motivated attempts to weaken dissent ahead of future elections.

The latest clashes in Ankara are expected to deepen political tensions in Turkiye as the CHP faces growing internal uncertainty and mounting legal pressure.