Riot police in Turkey have used tear gas and water cannon to break up a rally called by ousted opposition leader Özgür Özel, days after a court dismissed him from his role as head of the main opposition CHP party.
On Sunday, police forced their way into the CHP headquarters in Ankara, firing tear gas and beating party members before evicting them, according to Özel.
The court ruling overturned a 2023 party primary that elected Özel, causing chaos within the party. The ruling ordered Özel's defeated rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to resume as leader.
Özel addressed a crowd in İzmir, calling for a party congress and challenging Kılıçdaroğlu to hold a new primary within weeks. He described the ousting as a move by President Erdoğan against a rising party.
The court case involved allegations of vote-buying in the 2023 primary, initially dismissed but overturned on appeal. The crackdown on CHP has included the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, seen as a political rival.
