Turkish riot police stormed the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara on Sunday, May 24, 2026 [1].
The raid marks a significant escalation in the internal and legal struggle over the leadership of Turkey’s primary opposition party. The clash between state security forces and party supporters highlights the volatile intersection of judicial rulings and political power in the capital.
Security forces entered the CHP headquarters to evict supporters who had gathered inside the building [2]. Police deployed tear gas to clear the premises, reports said [3]. Some reports further said that officers fired rubber bullets during the operation [4].
The police action followed a court decision regarding the party's leadership. The operation was intended to enforce a judicial ruling that reinstated former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu after the party’s leadership had been dismissed [5]. Other reports said the entry occurred days after a court had dismissed the party's leadership [6].
Supporters of the CHP had occupied the building, leading to the confrontation with riot police. The use of force to resolve a leadership dispute within a political party is rare in the capital, though tensions have remained high following the court's intervention in party governance.
Turkish authorities said the move was necessary to uphold the law. The CHP has not issued a formal response to the specific tactics used during the eviction, but the event has drawn international attention to the stability of the opposition's internal structure [2].
“Turkish riot police stormed the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara.”
This incident underscores the precarious nature of political leadership transitions in Turkey when they are mediated by the judiciary. The deployment of riot police to settle a party leadership dispute suggests that legal rulings are being enforced with immediate, physical state power, potentially deepening the rift between the main opposition and the government.
