Police have surrounded the provincial headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul as party members resisted a court decision to dismiss the current leadership and appoint a temporary board.
The move came after an İstanbul court issued a temporary injunction on Sep 3, suspending the party's provincial board. The decision is based on allegations of procedural irregularities and vote buying during the party’s 2023 provincial congress.
In its interim ruling, the court said the claims had been “approximately substantiated.” The case could also impact the party’s 2023 general congress, which saw a leadership change in the party for the first time in 14 years.
The current CHP leadership views the court decisions as part of an attempt by the government to reshape the party leadership through judicial means.
In the temporary injunction, the court appointed Gürsel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker affiliated with the faction close to former party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as interim provincial chair.
Following Tekin’s announcement that he would assume office tomorrow, suspended provincial chair Özgür Çelik called on party members to gather at the provincial headquarters. “CHP is the people; we will protect the people’s home,” he wrote on social media.
By the evening, police units had surrounded the party's headquarters. The party leadership urged all district branches and citizens to gather at the building: “We say no to the trustee. We call all our members to the İstanbul Provincial Office.”
MP calls for public support
CHP lawmaker Ali Mahir Başarır recorded a video in front of the police barricades. “There are hundreds of riot police behind us, everywhere. Entry and exit are being blocked. This is the scene in this century. I call on everyone—whether they voted for us or not—to come here,” he said in an outraged plea.
Yüzlerce polis tarafından sarıldık!
— Ali Mahir Başarır (@alimahir) September 7, 2025
İstanbul İl Başkanlığımıza giriş ve çıkış yapılamıyor.
Tüm İstanbulluları buraya, milli iradeye sahip çıkmaya çağırıyoruz.
Bu ülke bu kötülüğü hak etmiyor! pic.twitter.com/iDXGWKWAfo
Another CHP deputy, Suat Özçağdaş, who also joined party members at the provincial office, told Halk TV on live broadcast that “we are not allowed to enter or exit the building.” He added, “We reject this. This is the work of Erdoğan, acting like a coup leader. How can access to our provincial office be blocked? Our chair called the governor, who denied any such order. But the police are here. They are enforcing an unjust decision at a time they should be home. The judiciary is being used as a political weapon to terrorize the opposition.”
Access roads to the provincial office were also blocked, and riot police were deployed. One individual was detained.
Governor bans gatherings
The İstanbul Governor’s Office announced a ban on all demonstrations and events in several districts, including Sarıyer, where the CHP office is located, until Sep 10. Governor Davut Gül warned on social media that “the Temporary Board, Chair, Executive and Disciplinary Committees appointed by the court hold full authority, and obstructing their duties will carry legal consequences.”
He added, “Inviting or calling people to participate in illegal meetings and demonstrations constitutes a criminal offense. Such actions clearly threaten public order.”
Responding on the social media platform X, Çelik tagged Governor Gül and wrote:
“The CHP İstanbul Provincial Office is the home of the people. CHP members coming to their office is not a demonstration, march, or protest. It is certainly not a crime. It is their most natural right and duty.
Preventing our members from entering their own office is a crime.”
View of the polie blockade from the top of the CHP headquarters:
🗣️ "CHP halktır, teslim etmeyiz"
— bianet (@bianet_org) September 7, 2025
👉🏼 CHP İstanbul İl binası ablukaya alındı, çevik kuvvet getirildi. Emrecan Polat isimli bir kişi gözaltına alındı. pic.twitter.com/DXIBwEfdU3
Judicial crackdown on CHP
The CHP has been under increasing pressure from a series of judicial proceedings since early this year. On one front, lawsuits have been filed over alleged irregularities during the party’s 2023 congress, including accusations of vote buying that led to the current leadership’s rise. On the other, corruption investigations have targeted municipalities controlled by the CHP.
As part of the corruption probes, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the now-suspended mayor of İstanbul whom the party has declared its presidential candidate, has been held in pretrial detention since March. In addition, 14 mayors, including those of major cities like Antalya and Adana as well as several district municipalities, have been suspended from office. (VK)
