Police officers intervened in a standoff at the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters on May 24 after a court ruling stripped the current leadership of its authority.
Clashes erupted between police and party members gathered outside the headquarters in Ankara after officers broke through the entrance gate and parking barriers despite objects piled up in front of the building to block access. Footage circulating on social media showed police using tear gas as tensions spiraled.
The unrest followed an Ankara court decision on May 21 declaring the CHP’s 38th ordinary convention — where current leader Özgür Özel defeated longtime chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu — a case of “complete nullity” over alleged irregularities.
The ruling effectively reinstated Kılıçdaroğlu as chair and invalidated the current central executive board, party council and high disciplinary board.
As tensions escalated, Özel released a video message vowing to resist the move.
“Our crime is defeating the [ruling] AKP,” he said. “They may take our bodies, but they will not take our struggle.”
Kılıçdaroğlu’s lawyer, Celal Çelik, submitted a petition to Ankara police requesting that the CHP headquarters be handed over to the former leader’s team.
“Despite all constructive initiatives and attempts by MPs to negotiate, it has become clear that even MPs were not allowed inside the Headquarters,” the petition said. “Therefore, we request that the necessary procedures be carried out for the handover of the Party Headquarters to us.”
The governor’s office in Ankara later said in a statement that “instructions have been given to the security forces to implement the court decision.”
Senior CHP lawmaker Murat Emir said he had met Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi earlier in the day and described the talks as productive, adding that the headquarters should not be entered by force.
Earlier, tensions had already flared between CHP lawmakers close to Kılıçdaroğlu and party members gathered outside the headquarters, with scuffles breaking out in some areas.
Kılıçdaroğlu later called on party members to avoid “any actions or behaviors contrary to the organization’s culture and discipline.”
“Necessary measures will be taken against those who act contrary to the instructions,” he said.
His press adviser, Atakan Sönmez, also expressed sadness over the scenes outside the headquarters.
“As the leader of the Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu wants the process to be handled as it should be,” Sönmez said.
The court ruling came one day after Kılıçdaroğlu released a video message calling on the CHP to “purify itself,” intensifying divisions within the party over the legal proceedings. He is listed as a victim in the lawsuit concerning the convention.
