Mass rally in Ankara ahead of CHP court hearing

Shafaq News – Ankara (Updated on Sep.15 at 12:27)

About 50,000 people rallied in Ankara on Sunday in a show of force organized by Turkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), ahead of a court hearing that could challenge its leadership.

Crowds filled Tandogan Square in the capital, waving Turkish flags and wearing shirts emblazoned with the image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern republic.

CHP leader Özgür Özel told the demonstrators the protest was a stand “against the coup” unfolding within the party. He accused the government of undermining democracy and justice, saying, “They know they cannot win under democracy, and if justice prevails, they cannot cover up their crimes.”

The hearing was scheduled for Monday to examine a petition seeking to annul the results of the CHP’s November 2023 congress, which elected Özel as party leader, on allegations of vote-rigging. However, Turkish media said that the court has postponed its ruling.

The case comes amid heightened political tensions in Turkiye, where the opposition accuses the ruling party of using the judiciary to erode democratic institutions.