By Umit Bektas
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Police fired pepper spray and detained supporters of Turkey’s main opposition party on Monday as protesters gathered at the party’s Istanbul headquarters to prevent the replacement of a senior party official ordered by a court last week.
Hundreds of riot police maintained barricades around the Republican People’s Party (CHP) building, scuffling with a group of CHP-aligned protesters that included party lawmakers.
The court’s order to replace the CHP’s chief in Istanbul province was the latest move in a nearly year-long crackdown on the party, during which hundreds of party members have been detained.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, was arrested in March, setting off Turkey’s largest street protests in a decade.
Share and bond markets fell last week in anticipation of further political volatility after the court ruled that Ozgur Celik should be removed from his position leading the party in Istanbul.
The court ordered Celik to be replaced by Gursel Tekin, a former CHP deputy chair. The party’s national leader, Ozgur Ozel, said the ruling was “null and void” and Tekin had been expelled from the party. Celik said his post would not be relinquished to anybody.
Tekin arrived at the CHP headquarters on Monday to take up the post and entered the building after a long standoff with party members inside. He told reporters he was not working for the state, and pledged to help solve the party’s legal problems.
The court actions have stemmed mainly from corruption allegations, which the CHP denies. It says the legal steps are attempts to eliminate electoral threats to Erdogan and to weaken the opposition, which the government denies.
On Sunday, the CHP called on supporters to gather at its Istanbul offices after police initially set up barricades there in what the party called a “siege”. Authorities then announced a ban on protests in much of the city.
Access to major social media websites was restricted in Turkey on Monday, a step taken in the past by the authorities at times of political volatility. Netblocks, a global internet monitor, said access to platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp had been curbed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said disregarding the court ruling amounted to obstruction of justice and that “the state will do what is necessary against any illegal initiative”.
(Writing by Daren ButlerEditing by Jonathan Spicer and Peter Graff)
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