Turkiye’s Judiciary War: Ankara Is Erasing Opposition Through Courts And Media Crackdowns – The Cradle

October 27, 2025 TheMcgwire

Turkiye’s Judiciary War: Ankara Is Erasing Opposition Through Courts And Media Crackdowns

With Istanbul’s opposition mayor accused of espionage and a prominent news channel forcibly seized, the Turkish state edges further toward a future without elections.

As 24 October 2025 approached, anyone closely following politics in Turkiye was anxiously awaiting the court ruling in a case being heard in the capital, Ankara. That day, the court was expected to deliver a final verdict on whether to annul the 4–5 November 2023 congress of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The case seeking to annul the congress was brought by CHP members known to oppose both Ozgur Ozel, who won the party leadership at the congress, and Ekrem Imamoglu, the CHP’s jailed presidential candidate. But the consensus in opposition circles was that the case was politically motivated and orchestrated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to weaken the CHP.

Indeed, under Turkiye’s laws, outcomes of party congresses confirmed by the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) cannot be legally contested. Nevertheless, the AKP-controlled judiciary accepted the case and initiated proceedings, with ruling party officials publicly calling for the congress to be annulled.

But a year later, the balance of power had shifted, preventing any court decision that could remove the current CHP leadership. The party resisted effectively, and the ruling AKP was unwilling to risk the political and economic fallout of redesigning the CHP via the judiciary. Thus, this case came to a quiet close.

A new probe and a deepening purge

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle

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