Overview

• Tens of thousands rallied in Ankara to oppose the potential removal of CHP leader Özgür Özel, with demonstrators calling for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s resignation.
• Prosecutors allege vote‑buying at the 2023 CHP congress, while the government denies orchestrating the case and frames it as an internal CHP dispute raised by party members.
• Özel stays in office after the court sought additional documents and set the next hearing for 24 October, as police mounted a heavy presence outside the courthouse.
• The crackdown on opposition officials continues, including the detention of 48 figures in Istanbul’s Bayrampaşa district such as Mayor Hasan Mutlu on corruption‑related charges.
• The CHP is preparing contingency steps, including an extraordinary congress reported for 21 September, as supporters warn the legal campaign could hobble competitive politics in Turkey.