Law Enforcement Deploys Tear Gas Towards Demonstrators Gathered at CHP Headquarters in Istanbul - Law enforcement deploys tear gas against demonstrators gathered outside the CHP headquarters in Istanbul.
In the heart of Turkey, the city of Istanbul is currently facing ongoing political tension, following a series of events that have seen the removal of the leadership of the main opposition party, the CHP, and the arrest of its popular mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Last Tuesday, a court in Istanbul removed the leadership of the CHP due to alleged irregularities at their party congress in 2023. This decision came as part of a tough stance against the opposition in Turkey, as authorities have also been targeting CHP mayors in other cities. Since October, nine out of the 26 CHP district mayors of Istanbul have been arrested, most on corruption charges which they vehemently deny.
The most high-profile arrest, however, was that of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who emerged as the clear winner in the municipal elections in spring 2024. Considered the biggest rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, İmamoğlu was arrested in March, sparking protests across the city. The AFP reported on these protests, and tear gas was used by police to control the crowds.
Following his arrest, Gürsel Tekin, the former CHP deputy chairman, was appointed as the acting regional head of the party in Istanbul. However, the current chairman of the CHP in Ankara, Özgür Özel, remains in office for now after a court postponed the decision on his potential removal following the authorities' intervention against the party leadership in Istanbul. A hearing on a similar court case against the national leadership of the CHP in Ankara is scheduled for September 15.
The court case against both the Istanbul and Ankara CHP leaderships is related to alleged irregularities at their respective party congresses. The CHP headquarters, located in Istanbul, has been the centre of these political developments. A ban on demonstrations was imposed outside the CHP offices in Istanbul and several districts of the city until Wednesday.
The CHP politician Ekrem İmamoğlu accuses the authorities of trying to politically eliminate him. He has maintained his innocence and continues to assert his commitment to serving the people of Istanbul. The city, one of the most populous in the world, is now grappling with these political upheavals, as the future of its leadership and the opposition party remains uncertain.
