Turkey's opposition thrown into crisis | DW News

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Is this the end of Turkey's main opposition party?

[00:00:04]Opposition supporters took to the streets protesting an unprecedented court ruling. That ruling has effectively ousted the leadership of the Republican People's Party, or CHP, the party seen as President Erdogan's biggest challenger.

[00:00:17]Critics say this is another big blow to Turkish democracy, and that the move is aimed at further prolonging the Turkish president's grip on power. So, what happened?

[00:00:27]A court in Ankara ruled that a 2023 CHP party congress was invalid. That congress is where this man, Ozgur Ozel, [music] defeated long-time opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to become [music] party chief. Prosecutors claimed there were irregularities and allegations of vote [music] buying during that internal election, accusations the CHP denies.

[00:00:50]The ruling means that Ozel and the current party leadership are suspended, and that Kilicdaroglu is temporarily, at least, back in charge.

[00:00:59]Kilicdaroglu himself is seen as a divisive figure who lost the last national election to Erdogan.

[00:01:06]Ousted party leader Ozgur Ozel has condemned the ruling as a judicial coup.

[00:01:15]Opposition supporters here in Istanbul have also reacted strongly.

[00:01:40]The CHP is not just any Turkish opposition party. It defeated President Erdogan's ruling AKP in major cities during the [music] 2024 local elections and has been polling strongly. But, Turkey's judiciary has been intensifying pressure on the CHP been more than a year. Hundreds of party members and numerous mayors have been jailed on alleged corruption charges, including Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's most serious [music] political rival.

[00:02:07]The court's decision rattled financial markets and has raised a bigger question. If judges can overturn the leadership of Turkey's biggest opposition party, what does that mean for political competition in the country?

[00:02:20]>> [music] >> Critics warn that Turkey is drifting towards autocracy. They say Erdogan, who has led the country for more than 23 years, is using the judiciary to paralyze the opposition ahead of the next national election. [music] Erdogan's government denies such criticism and insists the judiciary acts independently. The CHP has vowed to challenge the court's decision, but it's likely going to be an uphill battle for the party and for Turkish democracy.