Turkish police block access to opposition headquarters in Istanbul

Tensions escalated following a court-ordered leadership change of the party’s local administration.

Hundreds of Turkish police forces blocked access to the main opposition’s Istanbul headquarters on Sunday, escalating tensions following a court-ordered leadership change of the party’s local administration.

Chairman Ozgur Ozel has called the series of legal cases against his officials “a coup” initiated by the government. (AFP)

Officials from the Republican People’s Party, or CHP as the party is known, decried the “siege” and called on supporters to head to the party’s Istanbul headquarters. The governor’s office imposed a three-day ban on demonstrations and protests across six main districts in the country’s largest city.

Local media showed footage of crowds forming outside the CHP’s building despite the heavy police presence.

The CHP, established by the Turkish Republic’s secular founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has been facing an intensified judicial crackdown since its landmark success in local elections last year. Those legal pressures reached a new climax in March with the jailing of the party’s most popular politician and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main opponent, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Chairman Ozgur Ozel has called the series of legal cases against his officials “a coup” initiated by the government. The country’s justice minister insists that courts run independently.

Tensions climbed earlier this week when a local court invalidated the CHP’s Istanbul administration on alleged irregularities, and instead appointed trustees led by former CHP lawmaker Gursel Tekin — who was due to assume his role on Monday.

However, the CHP has condemned the appointee as illegal and said it won’t recognize any trustees. On Sunday evening, Ozel urged supporters to defend “Ataturk’s home.”

The political turmoil — one which Ozel has warned could result in the “end of the multi-party system” in the country — has also unnerved investors and led to a selloff in Turkish assets.

Sunday’s events come ahead of a critical hearing on Sept. 15 against Ozel and his administration, which could lead to their removal and potentially lead to further uncertainty.

The CHP is slated to hold an extraordinary congress on Sept. 21 to safeguard Ozel’s leadership by re-electing him in a fresh vote.