Tensions were running high on Sunday outside the headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara as the police moved to evict the ousted leadership.
Supporters of Özgür Özel occupied the building as his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, was preparing to take over following a court ruling that nullified Özel’s tenure.
The issue laid bare the deep divide within the party between supporters of Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel. A group of CHP lawmakers who sided with Kılıçdaroğlu attempted to enter the building in the early hours of Sunday, only to be confronted by an angry crowd. Kılıçdaroğlu was expected to move to the building, but tensions apparently prevented him, as he did not leave his residence on Sunday. Delegations representing both sides are expected to hold a meeting later during the day to resolve the issue.
Kılıçdaroğlu earlier sent an eviction notice through his lawyer to the CHP, and a group of civil servants accompanied by police arrived to deliver the notice.
On Thursday, a Turkish appeals court annulled the results of a CHP congress in 2023 in which Özel was elected, citing irregularities. A lawsuit filed by former CHP delegates and a former mayor of the party claims associates of Özel were involved in vote-buying and fraud to sway the election in favor of Özel.
