Turkish court rules to remove leadership of main opposition party

Turkish court rules to remove leadership of main opposition party Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 15:59 Court ruling removes current CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and reinstates former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu Ozgur Ozel of the Republican People's Party (CHP) speaks during a protest marking one year since the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul on 18 March 2026 (Yasin Akgul/AFP) Off A Turkish court has suspended the leadership of the main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), provoking outrage from the party's membership. A court in Ankara ruled for the temporary removal of chairman Ozgur Ozel and his team, to be replaced by former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his allies. The Court of Appeals ruled that the CHP's 38th Ordinary Elective Congress held in November 2023 – at which Ozel was elected – was null and void due to allegations of vote rigging.