Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel led thousands of supporters on a march through central Ankara on Saturday to protest his court-ordered removal as head of the Republican People's Party (CHP).

An Ankara court ruled on May 21 that the 2023 CHP congress that elected Ozel as chairman was invalid due to alleged irregularities. The court provisionally reinstated Ozel's predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

The CHP and its supporters argue the ruling is politically motivated, aimed at weakening the opposition by removing Ozel from contention for the 2028 presidential election. The party's most likely challenger to President Erdogan, former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was jailed last year amid a broader crackdown on the CHP.

Ozel led the march to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey and the CHP. At the rally, he rejected the notion that the situation is an internal CHP dispute, saying, "This matter concerns Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people."

Ozel declared Kilicdaroglu's leadership illegitimate despite the court ruling and called for an immediate party congress. Supporters chanted "Leader Ozgur!" and called Kilicdaroglu a "traitor."

Meanwhile, Kilicdaroglu spoke in front of the CHP party headquarters to mark the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha. He promised to "bring a ballot box for party congress before you as soon as possible" and to hold a "clean, completely transparent party congress."

Source: www.dw.com