Tens of thousands protest in Ankara against legal crackdown on Turkish opposition

"Speaking at Sunday's rally, the CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel, said the government was trying to cling to power by undermining democratic norms and suppressing dissent after opposition victories in local elections over the past year. Ozel also called for a snap general election. This case is political. The accusations are slander. Our comrades are innocent. What's being done is a coup a coup against the future president, against the future government. We will resist, we will resist, we will resist, he said in his address to the crowd."

"Live footage showed crowds chanting for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's resignation while waving Turkish flags and party banners. The court decision on Monday whether to invalidate the 2023 congress of the Republican People's party (CHP) over alleged procedural irregularities could reshape the party, rattle financial markets and influence the timing of a general election set for 2028."

"The government says the judiciary is independent and denies any political motives. Turkey has detained more than 500 people, including 17 mayors, over the last year in Istanbul and other CHP-run municipalities around the country as part of corruption investigations, according to a Reuters review. Hundreds of members of the CHP have been jailed pending trial in a sprawling investigation into alleged corruption and terrorism links, among them Erdogan's main political rival, Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu."

Tens of thousands of people protested in Ankara against a court case that could oust the head of the main opposition after a year-long legal crackdown on hundreds of party members. Protesters chanted for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's resignation while waving Turkish flags and party banners. The court will decide whether to invalidate the CHP's 2023 congress over alleged procedural irregularities, a ruling that could reshape the party, unsettle markets and affect the timing of the 2028 general election. The CHP leader accused the government of undermining democratic norms and called for a snap election. The government denies political motives and says the judiciary is independent. Over 500 people, including 17 mayors, have been detained and hundreds of CHP members jailed pending trial, including Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose arrest earlier sparked huge protests.

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