Turkish opposition legislators piled tables and chairs at the entrance of an office at their party’s Istanbul headquarters yesterday to block police and prevent the replacement of a senior official whom a court ordered out last week.
The dramatic footage of the barricade standoff marked the latest chapter in a nearly year-long crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), during which hundreds of party members have been arrested and jailed.
Outside the building, hundreds of riot police detained protesters, used pepper spray and scuffled with leaders of the CHP, which is the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan.
Last week, an Istanbul court ruled to remove the CHP’s Istanbul provincial head, Ozgur Celik, over alleged irregularities. It ordered that Gursel Tekin, a former CHP deputy chair, should replace Celik on an interim basis.
The CHP rejected the ruling as “null and void”, said Tekin had been expelled from the party and vowed not to relinquish Celik’s post to anyone.
Following the cabinet meeting, President Tayyip Erdogan said the opposition needs to respect the rule of law and quit disrupting the peace of the nation.
“No one in Türkiye is outside the reach of the law. Criticising court decisions is one thing, and disregarding them is another.. Not recognising court decisions is a blatant defiance of the rule of law. This will not be tolerated,” Erdogan said.
Court appointed Tekin arrived at the CHP headquarters amid the protests yesterday to take up the post.
He entered the building with police support after a standoff with party members inside, and told reporters he was not working for the state and pledged to help solve the CHP’s problems.
A few floors above, CHP legislators piled the furniture nearly to the top of the door to prevent the entry of the police and Tekin.
In a stairwell outside the office, police officers evacuated CHP supporters, after having used some pepper spray to force them out, witnesses said.
“Today, they are not only trying to evacuate the building from CHP (supporters) here, but they are actually attempting to dismantle democracy,” Gokhan Gunaydin, a CHP MP standing behind the barricade, said on a live X broadcast from inside the room.
More than 50 CHP MPs were in the CHP headquarters to dissuade police.
The crackdown on the CHP is centred mainly on corruption allegations the party denies.
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