ANKARA: A Turkish court began hearing a politically charged case on Monday that could remove the leadership of the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The case alleges vote buying during the party’s November 2023 congress that replaced longtime chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu with current leader Ozgur Ozel.
Massive crowds gathered in Ankara’s Tandogan Square on Sunday in protest against what observers call a significant threat to both the party and Turkish democracy.
Critics view the case as a politically motivated attempt to weaken Turkey’s oldest political party following its major victory against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP in the 2024 local elections.
The CHP firmly denies all charges and accuses the government of trying to neutralize it as an effective opposition force.
Journalists and lawyers packed the small courtroom at Ankara’s Diskapa courthouse when the hearing opened at 10:00 am local time.
CHP lawyer Ugur Poyraz requested the hearing be moved to a larger room, stating that millions were watching the judge’s important decision.
Heavy police presence surrounded the courthouse with armed officers at the entrance and hundreds more in riot gear waiting in nearby buses.
The case seeks to annul the results of the CHP’s November 2023 congress based on allegations of vote rigging.
Success in court could result in the removal of current leader Ozgur Ozel from his position.
Ozel denounced the case as political slander and a coup attempt during a rally with flag-waving supporters on Sunday.
He stated that Turkey’s government has abandoned democracy and now targets anyone posing a democratic threat through oppression rather than ballot boxes.
The CHP’s popularity has surged since leading Turkey’s biggest street protests in a decade following the March jailing of its presidential candidate, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The indictment names Kilicdaroglu as the injured party and seeks prison sentences of up to three years for Imamoglu and ten other CHP mayors and officials.
Ozel and eight other lawmakers face similar charges but their cases are being handled by a parliamentary unit due to their immunity.
A court recently ousted the leadership of the CHP’s Istanbul branch over similar vote-buying allegations on September 2.
That ruling triggered angry protests and caused a 5.5% stock market decline, raising concerns about potential economic damage from Monday’s outcome.
If the court annuls the CHP congress results, it could potentially bring back former leader Kilicdaroglu who previously led the party through multiple electoral defeats.
The CHP has scheduled an extraordinary congress for September 21 as a safeguard measure to potentially reinstate Ozel if the court removes him.
Imamoglu denounced the case as an assault on democracy rather than just a party matter during his court appearance on unrelated charges last Friday. – AFP