Ankara: Ousted opposition leader Özgür Özel mobilizes thousands of supporters despite the crisis within the CHP

The ousted Turkish opposition leader, Özgür Özel, managed to draw a large crowd in Ankara on Saturday, demonstrating that he retains popular support despite a court ruling that removed him from his position as head of the main opposition party. Thousands of protesters gathered in the capital to denounce what they consider a political miscarriage of power.

After addressing his supporters—estimated by media outlets close to the opposition at several tens of thousands—Özel led a march through the streets of Ankara. This mobilization comes amid heightened internal tensions within the Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's main opposition force.

The crisis was triggered by a court ruling the previous week that canceled the CHP's 2023 congress and led to Özel's removal from office. The court also reinstated former party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, a controversial figure who had previously led the opposition against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

This court decision is seen by Özel's supporters as a major blow to the political opposition, at a time when the internal balance of the CHP is being seriously challenged. It comes at a time when divisions within the party could weaken its ability to challenge the current government.

At the same time, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made an appearance at the party headquarters in Ankara, where he pledged to fight corruption and reorganize the political party. His statements specifically referenced cases involving certain municipalities run by the CHP.

In response to these developments, Özel's supporters denounce the political manipulation of the justice system, an accusation the government rejects. Özel, for his part, asserted that the crisis transcends internal party disputes, arguing that it represents a broader confrontation between the government and a segment of Turkish society mobilized against it.