At least 50,000 people joined a protest by Turkey's main opposition CHP in Ankara Sunday, September 14, ahead of a key court hearing that could oust the party's leadership, the organizers. The protesters packed into the Turkish capital's vast Tandogan Square in a massive show of defiance on the eve of the hearing at an Ankara court, with CHP's vice president Murat Bakan giving a figure of 50,000.
Many tens of thousands were packed into the square, waving Turkish flags and wearing t-shirts of the Turkish republic's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
In a speech from the podium, CHP leader Özgür Özel said the crowd had gathered to "stand against the [judicial] coup" being waged against the party, referring to Monday's court hearing that could see him ousted as leader. "This government does not want democracy. They know they cannot win the elections if there is democracy. They don't want justice: they know if there's justice they won't be able to cover up their crimes," he said.
Monday's hearing seeks to overturn the results of the CHP's November 2023 congress on grounds of vote-rigging. At the congress, voters elected Özel as leader. Critics say the case is a politically motivated attempt to undermine Turkey's oldest political party, which won a huge victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP in the 2024 local elections and has been rising in the polls.
Addressing the Turkish leader, Özel said: "Erdogan, did you ever see Tandogan Square like this?" as the protesters chanted: "Erdogan resign!"