Turkish police fire teargas to break up protest after opposition leader ousted
Turkish riot police used teargas and water cannons to disperse a rally in Izmir organized by ousted opposition leader Özgür Özel. This action followed a court ruling that dismissed Özel from his position as leader of the main opposition CHP party, overturning a previous primary election. Özel stated that riot police had previously entered the CHP headquarters in Ankara, using teargas and beating party members. The court ruling reinstated Kemal Kıliçdaroğlu, Özel's defeated rival, as CHP leader. Özel called for an immediate party congress to allow members to choose their leader, framing the situation as a conflict between the people and President Erdoğan. The court case involved allegations of vote-buying in the 2023 primary.