Authorities in Istanbul imposed a temporary ban on public gatherings across several central districts and blockaded the provincial headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Monday, after a court suspended the party’s Istanbul leadership and appointed an interim trustee.
An Istanbul court last week suspended the CHP’s provincial leadership, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s 2023 congress, and appointed Gursel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker aligned with the party’s old guard, as interim chair. CHP leaders had called on supporters to gather at the party’s Istanbul headquarters ahead of Tekin’s scheduled arrival on Monday, prompting the governor’s office to announce a three-day ban on public gatherings late Sunday. Police surrounded the building, erected barricades and restricted access as supporters began rallying outside the headquarters on Sunday night in defiance of the ban.
Rights and media monitoring groups reported restrictions on several social media platforms after the CHP’s call for rallies. The internet watchdog NetBlocks said platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp were restricted in Turkey following the party’s mobilization.
Government officials and the judiciary have said the action against the CHP’s Istanbul branch was taken on legal grounds. The court cited alleged irregularities in the 2023 provincial congress that selected the current leadership. CHP officials and critics have condemned the move as a politically motivated intervention aimed at weakening the party’s organization in Turkey’s largest city.
The developments come amid an intensifying government campaign targeting CHP-controlled municipalities over alleged corruption. The campaign has led to a string of investigations and arrests, including the detention in March of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a widely known opposition figure who is regarded by many as a leading challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu’s detention triggered the largest protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade, with demonstrators accusing the government of democratic backsliding. The CHP has rejected the corruption allegations and described the legal actions as politically driven; the government maintains that the judiciary acts independently and denies any political interference.
Legal action involving the CHP is not limited to Istanbul. A separate court in Ankara is expected to rule later this month on a challenge to the CHP’s 2023 main congress, which elected Özgür Özel as party leader. A ruling against the party in that case could have the effect of reinstating former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, whose previous tenure drew criticism within and outside the party.
In Istanbul on Monday, security forces maintained a heavy presence around the CHP headquarters and in nearby districts, and access to some streets was restricted. Party officials said they would continue to organize and protest any interventions they view as undermining internal party democracy. Authorities said they would enforce the temporary ban and take measures to maintain public order.
The situation remained fluid as the trustee’s scheduled arrival approached and as other legal decisions affecting the CHP are pending. Observers said the rulings and the government’s approach to opposition-run municipalities will be closely watched for their potential impact on Turkey’s political landscape and on public perceptions of the independence of its judiciary.