Tens of Thousands Rally in Ankara Against Court Case Threatening Main Opposition

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the Turkish capital on Sunday to protest a legal case against the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), warning it could undermine the country’s largest opposition force and destabilize its political future.

Protesters gathered in central Ankara waving Turkish flags and CHP banners while chanting slogans calling for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s resignation. Live footage and media reports, including from Radio Farda, showed a sea of supporters rallying in solidarity with the opposition amid what many describe as a politically motivated judicial campaign.

The court case centers on the legitimacy of the CHP’s 2023 congress, which elected its current leadership. A court in the Turkish capital Ankara postponed on Monday a case of “absolute nullity” against the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the proceedings which the opposition slammed as politically motivated judicial interference. Analysts warn that the ruling could remove the party’s leader from office and alter Turkey’s political balance ahead of the 2028 elections. Financial markets are also expected to react to the court’s decision, as political uncertainty weighs on investor confidence.

The case comes after a year of heightened legal pressure on opposition figures. Hundreds of CHP members have reportedly faced charges during this period, with critics accusing the government of exploiting the judiciary to suppress dissent. Rights groups and opposition leaders argue that the proceedings reflect a broader erosion of democratic institutions in Turkey under Erdoğan’s rule.

The CHP, founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, remains Turkey’s oldest political party and a central pillar of the opposition bloc. Its potential weakening through legal maneuvers could reshape the country’s political landscape, leaving fewer avenues for dissent in a system already dominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Sunday’s mass rally in Ankara highlighted deepening frustration among opposition supporters and growing concern over judicial independence.