The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) celebrated its 102nd anniversary on Sept. 9 with ceremonies, even as tensions escalated over a court-appointed interim chair for its Istanbul branch.
CHP leader Özgür Özel laid a wreath at the Republic Monument in Istanbul's Taksim Square alongside ousted provincial head Özgür Çelik and other officials. A heavy police presence surrounded the event.
"If you get your authority from the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP judiciary, you need 5,000 police officers. If you get your authority from the people, you come to Taksim, and 5,000 party members will welcome you," Özel said.
The ceremony followed scenes of discord at the party's Istanbul headquarters on Sept. 8, when officials and supporters protested the arrival of Gürsel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker appointed as interim provincial chair. He was met with boos as he entered the building under police escort.
"I won't forgive anyone who wants to harm this party by becoming a tool of the palace, even if they are my own flesh and blood," Özel told supporters. "They are trying to remove the ballot box from the Istanbul branch and bring in appointees. We will not surrender."
Tekin earlier placed a wreath at Taksim on behalf of the provincial leadership. Speaking to journalists the day before, he said his goal was not to inflame the situation.
"We will do everything in our power to put an end to the legal troubles our party has been subjected to in the court corridors," he said.
The dispute stems from a court ruling last week that suspended the CHP's Istanbul leadership over alleged irregularities in its 2023 provincial congress.
The ruling also coincides with an ongoing legal battle in Ankara, where judges are expected later this month to decide on the legitimacy of a 2023 convention that elected Özel as party leader.
Before arriving in Istanbul, Özel led a delegation to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Türkiye and CHP founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
"We will defend our party, which is under heavy attack today, the ballot box you entrusted to us, democratic competition and multi-party system at any cost," Özel wrote in the guest book.