Tens of Thousands Rally in Ankara Against ‘Judicial Coup’ Targeting CHP Leadership

Sept 2025 : Ankara witnessed a massive show of defiance on Sunday as at least 50,000 people gathered at Tandogan Square to protest against what Turkey’s main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), described as a “judicial coup” aimed at toppling its leadership.

The protest came on the eve of a critical court hearing scheduled for Monday, which could overturn the results of the CHP’s November 2023 congress and potentially remove party leader Özgür Özel from office. The congress had elected Özel to succeed longtime leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, a move now under legal challenge on alleged vote-rigging grounds.

CHP vice president Murat Bakan claimed around 50,000 people were present, Many in the crowd waved Turkish flags and wore T-shirts bearing the image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the republic’s founding father.

Addressing supporters, Özel denounced the case as politically motivated. “This government does not want democracy. They know they cannot win elections if there is democracy. They don’t want justice, because with justice they cannot cover up their crimes,” he said. Calling the allegations “slander,” he added: “This is a coup, and we will resist.”

Özel warned of the broader implications of the trial, saying: “We are facing the grave consequences of Turkey’s government abandoning the ‘democracy train’ and choosing to govern through oppression rather than the ballot box. Anyone who poses a democratic threat to the government is now its target.”

The case comes at a politically sensitive moment. The CHP scored a major victory in the 2024 local elections, defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AKP in several key cities and gaining momentum in national polls. Critics view the legal challenge as an attempt to weaken Turkey’s oldest political party.

Turning his speech directly toward Erdoğan, Özel asked, “Erdogan, have you ever seen Tandogan Square like this?” The crowd responded with chants of “Erdogan resign!”

As Monday’s court hearing looms, the protest underscored the CHP’s determination to defend its mandate and resist what it calls an attack on Turkey’s democratic process.