Police Enter CHP Headquarters in Ankara as Court Ruling Triggers Standoff
By Bosphorus News Türkiye Desk
Turkish police entered the headquarters of the Republican People's Party in Ankara on Saturday after a court-ordered handover of the building to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's faction triggered a standoff that lasted several hours. Officers used bolt cutters to break through the iron gate, deployed pepper spray and fired plastic bullets at party members who had barricaded the entrance and were resisting entry.
Ankara Governor's Office issued a formal statement at 10:32 on Saturday confirming it had instructed the Ankara Police Directorate to enforce the court ruling. The instruction followed an application by Kılıçdaroğlu's lawyer Celal Çelik to the Ankara Police Directorate requesting that the party headquarters be physically transferred to his client. Çelik submitted the application citing the Ankara Regional Court of Appeals' May 21 ruling, which annulled the CHP's 2023 congress and reinstated Kılıçdaroğlu as party leader, removing Özgür Özel and the elected leadership from their posts.
Özel was reported to still be in his 12th-floor office inside the building when police entered. He had earlier asked party members accompanying him to leave. Party members inside threw water and glass bottles at police and enforcement officers who breached the gate. Officers deployed tear gas canisters inside the building. A fire extinguisher was sprayed at police attempting to enter. The building's electricity was cut during the operation. Journalists from broadcaster Halk TV and independent media outlet Bianet were inside the building and reported events in real time. Police also pushed journalists and members of the public back from the area around the headquarters.
How It Got Here
The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals annulled the CHP's November 2023 congress on May 21, ruling that delegate vote-buying had taken place at the event that elected Özel. The decision reinstated Kılıçdaroğlu, who lost the 2023 presidential election to President Erdoğan and had largely withdrawn from public visibility since. Kılıçdaroğlu called on party units to comply with the ruling. Özel refused to leave the building and said the decision would be challenged through every available legal avenue.
Saturday's police operation followed a breakdown in negotiations between the two factions. CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Murat Emir said late Friday that both sides had agreed to meet at noon on Saturday with two representatives each to agree on a date for a new party congress. That meeting did not take place. Instead, Kılıçdaroğlu's legal team filed the enforcement application and the governor's office instructed police to act.
The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals case number cited in the enforcement documents was 2026/32 Esas, 2026/658 Karar, dated May 21, 2026. The enforcement file was registered at Ankara 3rd General Enforcement Office under case number 2026/33826.
***Sources: Ankara Governor's Office official statement (May 24, 2026), Hürriyet, Milliyet, Haberler.com, Bianet, Halk TV, Euronews Türkçe.