People gather outside the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, on May 21, 2026. [Efekan Akyuz/Reuters]
Whereas in Greece the lack of a strong opposition has led to political ferment and the birth of political parties, in neighboring Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making sure that the opposite happens, removing – by court decision – the leadership of the powerful major opposition party.
The annulment of the CHP’s 2023 party congress decapitates the party that Kemal Ataturk founded in 1923, and annuls all its decisions and congresses since then. The party’s presidency will return to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is distinguished by his losing every electoral contest with Erdogan from 2010 until his being succeeded by Ozgur Ozel after yet another loss in the presidential elections of 2023. The Ankara court of appeals Thursday ruled that there had been bribery in that congress.
Turkey’s government may claim that Justice is independent, but the country’s judges are notably enthusiastic in eradicating any possible threat to the president, who has been in power since 2003, first as prime minister and, after 2014, as president with swiftly expanding powers. The CHP’s dominance in local elections in 2024 led to Erdogan intensifying his hold on state institutions so as to preclude any possible threats.
