Turkish Court Removes Leader of Main Opposition Party from Office

Turkish Court Overturns Leadership Election Result of Main Opposition Party

A court in Ankara has annulled the 2023 leadership election result of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), a main opposition party in Turkey. The ruling overturned the outcome that had chosen current party head Ozgur Ozel as leader, instead reinstating former chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu as interim leader.

The decision was made on Thursday and marks the latest move by the government to target the CHP, which has been rising in the polls since winning a significant victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party in 2024 local elections. The court’s ruling is seen as a test of Turkey’s balance between democracy and centralized power.

The CHP rejected the decision, calling it an “attempted coup”, while the government stated that it renewed Turks’ faith in the rule of law. The party has faced an unprecedented judicial crackdown since 2024, with hundreds of its members and elected officials detained on corruption charges that the party denies.

In response to the ruling, Ozgur Ozel convened a meeting with party leaders to discuss a response. Ali Mahir Basarir, CHP deputy parliamentary group chair, stated that those behind the decision “will be held accountable before the courts”. The Ankara court’s ruling also led to a decline in the stock market, with Turkiye’s Borsa Istanbul dropping 6 percent.

The central bank sold billions of dollars in forex to ease the fallout from the ruling. Investors are watching for similar risks as they assess the impact of the latest political turmoil on Turkey’s economy.

Source: Al Jazeera