EditErdoğan’s crackdown: the storming of CHP headquarters and the unraveling of Turkish democracy
By raiding the main opposition party and weaponizing the judiciary, Erdoğan gains short-term control but deepens economic turmoil and public distrust
The developments reinforce the two main drivers of Erdoğan’s declining popularity: the prolonged economic crisis and the politicisation of the judiciary, writes Günter Seufert.
Günter Seufert is the former Founding Director of the Centre for Applied Turkish Studies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He wrote this op-ed in personal capacity.
The police stormed the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara on Sunday afternoon, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets. This move against the country’s largest opposition party not only underscores the deteriorating state of Turkish democracy, but also reveals the increasingly fragile foundations of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule.
Turkish police evict ousted opposition leadership from CHP headquarters
In the 2023 local elections, the CHP wrested control of nearly all major emerging urban centers from Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). For months, its presidential candidate, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, led Erdoğan in the polls. Erdoğan’s Islamist-nationalist alliance faced a genuine risk of electoral defeat. At this critical juncture, the Turkish judiciary intervened: İmamoğlu has now been held in pre-trial detention for over a year on corruption charges.
Last Sunday, an appeals court removed the CHP’s politically successful leadership on questionable grounds and reinstated its former, unsuccessful leadership. It would be naive to dismiss the possibility of government involvement. Yet in the long term, this verdict is unlikely to benefit the government.
On the contrary, it reinforces the two main drivers of Erdoğan’s declining popularity: the prolonged economic crisis and the politicisation of the judiciary.
Turkey continues to grapple with inflation exceeding 30 percent, persistent depreciation of the Turkish lira, rising unemployment, and a lack of prospects for younger generations. The removal of the CHP leadership has further unsettled the economy. Stock market indices dropped by six percent, the finance minister was forced to revise inflation forecasts upward, and the central bank intervened heavily—selling between seven and eight billion US dollars in a single day to stabilize the lira. While the verdict may offer short-term political gains for Erdoğan’s party, it is likely to deepen structural economic problems and accelerate its longer-term decline.
The ruling party has also lost significant public support due to its consolidation of control over state institutions and their use for partisan purposes. The judiciary stands at the centre of this criticism. It has proven ineffective in addressing corruption within pro-government circles, abuses of office, and the appointment of loyalists to key state positions. At the same time, it is increasingly deployed as a tool to sideline political opponents.
Public trust in the judiciary has eroded dramatically. In the early 2010s, around 70 percent of Turkish citizens expressed confidence in the legal system; by March 2026, that figure had fallen to just 36 percent. More than 60 percent of voters believe that the proceedings against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu are politically, rather than legally, motivated. The recent removal of the CHP leadership and the storming of party headquarters – carried out even before the controversial verdict had become legally binding – are likely to further intensify public discontent.
Caption: Turkish riot police enter the headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to evict its ousted leadership after authorities ordered the enforcement of a court ruling in Ankara, Turkey, 24 May 2026. The Ankara governor’s office ordered the removal of CHP members aligned with ousted leader Ozgur Ozel after a Turkish appeals court annulled the 2023 party congress that elected him, citing irregularities, and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu. EPA/NECATI SAVAS
Updated: May 26, 2026 - 11:59
