Turkey’s main opposition calls for rallies after police barricade Istanbul office

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By Bulent Usta and Umit Bektas

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s main opposition CHP called on citizens and residents of Istanbul to gather on Sunday, after police set up barricades in areas around its headquarters in the city, in what the party leader called a “siege”.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been the target of a months-long legal crackdown, which has swept up hundreds of its members – including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival – whose March arrest set off Turkey’s largest street protests in a decade.

The CHP has denied all accusations against it and said the legal measures are politicised attempts at eliminating electoral threats against Erdogan and weakening the opposition.

The latest moves against the CHP began on Tuesday when a court ordered the removal of the party’s Istanbul provincial head over alleged irregularities in a 2023 congress.

Speaking at a CHP event in Istanbul, the party’s chairman, Ozgur Ozel, called on Turks to gather and demonstrate against the court decision and the crackdown against his party, as well as the police measures to set up barricades around the headquarters and restrict public access to it.

“From here, I invite all democrats and CHP members whom my words and voice reach to, to protect the home of Ataturk in Istanbul,” he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey’s founder.

“Shame on those who have put our home under police siege, who brought police special forces to our Istanbul provincial headquarters … to those trying to cancel our Istanbul provincial congress via unauthorised courts and seat an appointee there.”

The CHP’s youth wing also called on all Istanbul residents to gather at the party’s provincial headquarters at 2000 GMT. The party will also organise another demonstration on Monday at 0700 GMT, it said.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the court had decided in its ruling on Tuesday to appoint an interim delegation to run the CHP’s Istanbul team and that disregarding that decision amounted to obstruction of justice. He made the remark after Ozel said the appointment was null and void for the party.

“Disregarding court rulings, trying to pour people out onto the streets is openly challenging the law. Nobody is above the laws. The state will do what is necessary against any illegal initiative with determination,” Yerlikaya said on X, adding that it would “never allow” public order to be disrupted.

(Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Paul Simao)