Turkey’s Main Opposition Party Dogged by Court Orders, Arrests, Defections

Early this month, an Istanbul court ordered the head of the CHP’s Istanbul branch, Ozgur Celik, to vacate his post.

A protester wrapped in a Turkish flag sits in front of Turkish riot police as they block the entrance of the CHP's Istanbul headquarters on Sept. 8, 2025. Kemal Aslan/AFP via Getty Images

The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party, has been thrown into disarray following a series of court rulings and the arrest of prominent party members.

“The head of our party’s Istanbul branch was removed by court order and replaced by a [government-appointed] trustee,” Ilhan Uzgel, the CHP’s deputy chairperson for foreign affairs, told The Epoch Times.