Supporters of the Turkish opposition Republican People's Party tried to overcome police barricades in Istanbul late last night after a court dismissed its district leadership earlier in the week over alleged irregularities in its election, DPA reported, citing Turkish television “Halk“.
Despite the ban by the authorities, the CHP protested to prevent the occupation of its Istanbul office by the court-appointed interim leadership, which is due to take place today.
The Istanbul Governorship announced on Sunday evening a temporary ban on public gatherings in several districts of the city, including Besiktas, Beyoglu, Eyüpsultan, Kadıköy, Sariyer and Şişli with the argument of preserving public order, reported “Türkiye Today“.
The ban covers all demonstrations, statements to the media, open-air meetings, tent camps, stands, occupations, signature collection, commemorative events, distribution of leaflets and putting up banners and posters.
The restrictions will be in effect until midnight on September 10.
The authorities took the measures after the court appointed an interim manager of the Istanbul organization of the main opposition force – The Republican People's Party (CHP) after the court ruling to remove its district leadership.
After the ban was announced, security forces erected barricades to prevent citizens from approaching the area of the CHP district organization building.
At a CHP event in Istanbul, CHP leader Özgür Özel called on Turks to demonstrate against the court ruling and against police restrictions around the CHP district leadership, Reuters reported. “I hereby call on all democrats and CHP members within my reach to protect Ataturk's house in Istanbul,” Özel said. “Shame on those who put our house under police siege, who brought police special forces to our Istanbul district office, (…) on those who are trying to sabotage our Istanbul district congress through illegal courts and to place an appointee (of theirs) there“, the opposition leader added.
The HDP youth organization called on all citizens of Istanbul to gather in front of the party building in the city. A demonstration is also scheduled for this morning.
For his part, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on the Ex platform that the court had decided to appoint a temporary team to lead the HDP Istanbul branch, and that ignoring the court decision constituted obstruction of justice. “Ignoring court decisions, trying to bring people out onto the streets, is open resistance to the law. "No one is above the law. The state will do whatever is necessary with determination against any illegal initiative," Yerlikaya wrote.
On Tuesday, a court annulled the results of the party's October 2023 Istanbul district congress due to alleged irregularities, resulting in the removal of the chairman of the HDP district organization, Özgür Çelik, and 195 others. In their place, the court appointed five people to temporarily lead the district organization.
The HDP, the largest opposition force in the Turkish parliament, won a landslide victory against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2024 local elections.
Since then, the party's representatives in local governments have been the target of a wave of arrests and lawsuits. In March, the popular and influential mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was sent to prison on corruption charges that he denies.
The arrest of Imamoglu, the AKP's presidential candidate and considered a key rival to Erdogan, sparked the country's biggest protests since 2013.