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The call by Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on citizens and residents of Istanbul to take to the streets and gather after police set up barricades in areas around its Istanbul headquarters is causing unrest while disrupting the public order, officials said late Sunday.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a judicial investigation into the events that occurred outside the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters and those who posted provocative content on social media.
“Respecting the judiciary’s decision is an obligation for everyone. The rule of law guarantees the democratic order. Therefore, street protests that cause tension and unrest in society should be avoided, and everyone must patiently wait for the outcome of the judicial process,” Tunç wrote on social media.
“It is essential that statements made during the ongoing trial be handled responsibly. The best approach is for all party officials, especially the CHP chairperson, to adopt a tone that protects our nation’s peace and democratic order,” he underlined further.
On the other side, 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 the CHP chair 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 law. 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.
The latest incidents 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, party chairperson Özgur Özel 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 Atatürk in Istanbul,” he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, modern Türkiye’s founder.
The CHP’s youth wing also called on all Istanbul residents to gather at the party’s provincial headquarters at 8 p.m. GMT. The party will also organise another demonstration on Monday at 7 a.m. GMT, it said.
Police sealed off the area around the CHP headquarters in the Sarıyer district, but demonstrators gathered and tried to break through barricades.
Istanbul’s governor imposed a three-day protest ban in several districts.
The move follows the March arrest and dismissal of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on corruption-related charges – a step that sparked nationwide protests.
Intraparty rows
Meanwhile, Gürsel Tekin, deputy chair of the party under incumbent chair Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has accepted taking over the Istanbul chairpersonship of the party after the court order.
Tekin says he would start his tenure on Monday, while the CHP administration vowed to stop him. Although Tekin, who was expelled from the party after accepting the job and the CHP administration dismiss it as a personal feud, turmoil within the party will likely take a new turn.
The CHP’s deputy parliamentary group chair, Ali Mahir Başarır, said last week that no one can “take over our party illegally” and said the party would “react harshly” if Tekin comes to the party’s Istanbul offices to replace provincial chair Özgür Çelik on Monday.
Çelik was suspended from duty last week by a court order amid a lawsuit by a former CHP member who filed a complaint against alleged irregularities and fraud in a 2023 election where Çelik was elected into office. The CHP has claimed that the verdict was erroneous and the court had no authority to suspend a party’s chair.
The party will convene an extraordinary congress on Sept. 21, framing the move as a response to mounting political pressure. The congress will follow a Sept. 15 hearing where Özel’s chairpersonship can be nullified.
The CHP is plunging into one of the most chaotic periods in its history, with Özel facing open rebellion, expulsion battles, court-appointed trustees and mounting speculation that the party could fracture entirely.
The sense of internal collapse is amplified after Tekin’s appointment.
Özel’s election to helm Türkiye’s oldest party in November 2023 instilled new hope in the main opposition repeatedly defeated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). But soon, Özel found himself facing accusations of fraud and vote-buying in the November election, with former delegates coming forward to accuse Özel’s close circle of offering bribes to them to sway the vote in favor of Özel.
