Police used pepper spray inside the Istanbul offices of Turkey's main opposition party on Monday, to disperse dozens of party officials and clear the way for a court-appointed interim chairman to enter the building amid fierce protests over his controversial appointment, party officials said.
Riot police also scuffled with supporters of the Republican People's Party, or CHP, who assembled at locations close to the headquarters in defiance of a temporary ban on public gatherings and a police blockade of its local branch.
The police raid came amid an intensifying crackdown on the CHP, including municipalities run by the party over alleged corruption, which has led to a series of arrests, including that of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The deposed mayor is widely regarded as the leading challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-decade rule, and his arrest in March sparked the largest protests Turkey has seen in over a decade.
Last week, an Istanbul court suspended the CHP's provincial leadership, citing alleged irregularities in the party's 2023 congress. The court also appointed Gursel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker aligned with the party's old guard, as interim chair. Critics have condemned the move as a politically motivated intervention aimed at weakening the party.
In response, CHP leadership called on supporters to gather at the party's Istanbul headquarters ahead of Tekin's scheduled arrival on Monday. The call prompted the governor's office to announce a three-day ban on public gatherings late Sunday, as police surrounded the building, erected barricades and restricted access.
Despite the restrictions, supporters began rallying outside the headquarters on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the internet watchdog NetBlocks said several social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp, were restricted in Turkey following the CHP's call for rallies.
On Monday, Tekin arrived at the headquarters under heavy police protection. His arrival was met with loud protests from gathered supporters and party members angered that he accepted the position following the court ruling that the party had denounced as unjust.
Speaking to journalists outside the building, Tekin stated his intention was not to escalate tensions but to help resolve the party's legal challenges.
“We will do everything in our power to put an end to the legal troubles our party has been subjected to in the court corridors,” he said.
Police later used pepper spray inside the building and pushed back party officials opposed to his arrival, senior CHP legislator Gokhan Gunaydin and other officials told the opposition-aligned Halk TV television. Witnesses saw dozens of people exiting the building, visibly affected by the pepper gas.
Tekin was later seen entering the building, where he was filmed sitting in a room reserved for journalists and taking a phone call.
In a symbolic rejection of Tekin's court-appointed leadership, the CHP announced that it had officially closed its Istanbul provincial headquarters and reassigned another building as its new operational base.
The CHP has rejected the corruption allegations, saying they are politically motivated and part of a broader effort to undermine the party's growing influence. Erdogan's government maintains that the judiciary operates independently and denies any political interference.
“We are against the government (which is) stealing our right to vote and arresting the people we voted for,” said Tulay Ozbay, who took part in Monday's demonstrations. “We reject this injustice.”
Later this month, a separate court in Ankara is expected to rule on a similar case targeting the CHP's 2023 main congress, which elected Ozgur Ozel as party leader. A ruling against the party could potentially reinstate its former leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a figure whose tenure drew widespread criticism.
