ISTANBUL — The Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul headquarters is in an unlikely place, on the edge of town, surrounded by high-rise residential buildings, shopping malls and large motorways. It’s far from everything, difficult to get to.
But this did not stop hundreds of demonstrators from showing up on Monday morning. They came to protest the court decision that dismissed the leadership of the party’s Istanbul branch.
Inside the headquarters, party officials, including dismissed Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, were determined to defend their building against what they called government interference.
A night earlier, riot police surrounded the headquarters, erecting metal barricades and closing some of the nearby roads. Despite being outnumbered, the protesters Monday attempted to push through the blockade and reach the party building.
The police response was swift. Pepper spray was used indiscriminately. An old man fainted and collapsed on the pavement. Police then charged forward and chased students fleeing the scene, detaining several of them.
“Right now, those in government are taking away our rights, one by one,” exclaimed Tülay Özbay, a middle-aged CHP voter.
“This blockade is not just against the CHP’s building, it is a blockade of the whole Turkish Republic,” she told Turkey recap. “I am not a provocateur. The people here are not terrorists. Those who are doing this are the real traitors of the nation.”
Özbay was holding a sign that read: “According to the 2024 rule of law global index, Turkey is 117th among 142 countries.” But she said she retains hope for the CHP, which was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.
“We are the children of Atatürk. We believe in hope in the most hopeless of times. That is why I am here today, too,” she said.
Court decisions
A Sept. 2 court decision dismissed the CHP Istanbul leadership on allegations of bribery during the party’s internal elections. CHP stated they did not recognize the decision.
They claim only the Supreme Election Council (YSK) has the jurisdiction, not a lower court, to overturn the outcome of a party congress, and that no objections were made in the appropriate period.
Despite the objections, Gürsel Tekin was appointed as a trustee (kayyım) CHP Istanbul provincial chair until the next party congress is convened and a new leadership is elected.
Tekin was himself a former Istanbul chair of CHP but has since fallen out and distanced himself from the party. He is also said to be close to former CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who may be reappointed as party head following a Sept. 15 trial on the CHP 2023 Congress.
“I think the September 2 court decision was even more serious than the March 19 operation [against Imamoğlu],” said Berk Esen, assoc. prof. of political science at Sabancı University.
“There, a CHP-controlled municipality was interfered with, but the leadership remained with politicians supported by the party's grassroots. But with the September 2 court decision, the government judiciary is attempting to replace the CHP Istanbul leadership. This is direct interference with the internal functioning of a party,” he told Turkey recap.
Some demonstrators felt the gravity of the moment. One of them was Enes Karakaş, a recent graduate from Boğaziçi University, where a trustee appointment sparked large protests in 2021.
“I’m not from CHP,” Karakaş said with a laugh. “This is a bigger issue than CHP. They say so themselves. I’m a socialist. The government's interference with opposition parties affects all of us. That is why we are standing here today against this attack.”
Karakaş also joined the protests in March when Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was arrested. He was detained by the police and spent a month in jail for his involvement in the protests.
New trustee, new HQ
Tekin arrived at the CHP Istanbul headquarters Monday afternoon. The crowd was hostile to him, hurling water bottles as he spoke to the press. Riot police then used pepper spray to disperse angry protesters and make way for Tekin to enter the building.
Shortly after, the CHP announced they had officially closed the party headquarters and moved it to another location. They also announced their Istanbul provincial congress would be held on Sept. 24 to vote out the government-appointed trustee.
Hearing the news, the protesters started to slowly disperse.
“I was with Gürsel Tekin just now,” said Bahar Yolcan, out of earshot of the demonstrators going home. She said she served as the president of the CHP’s Istanbul women's branch under Tekin’s first tenure. “We remained friends even after our appointments ended.”
She believes the party was illegitimately taken over by a new group, led by former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, following their loss in the 2023 general elections.
In her view, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was ousted as leader of CHP through bribes. When asked about the independence of the judiciary, she maintained the Sept. 2 court decision was appropriate.
“I saw what happened inside the party building. It was seriously vandalized,” Bahar Yolcan added. “I could not recognize the place. Ekrem Imamoğlu is behind all of this. God willing, he will never be president. He is more dangerous than Erdoğan.”
She continued, stating Tekin supports democracy and that he would not abuse his re-appointment.
“This is a temporary measure. The same will happen in Ankara. So what? Will it be the end of the world?” Yolcan asked.
According to her, the party will not be easily split. But she also thinks that those proven guilty of bribery need to leave – with Ekrem Imamoğlu and Özgür Özel to begin with.
“Founding a new party is difficult. Being successful is even more so,” Esen said. “If Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his team establish a new party, it will most certainly fail. I think they know this themselves.”
Esen believes the ongoing government pressure on the party has, overall, strengthened the unity and the base’s support for the leadership.
“Gürsel Tekin entering the building with a police escort did not look good,” he added. “This will never go down well with the party members. I still think the party leadership will be dismissed on September 15. But will Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu be ready for this? It will be more difficult.”
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