Turkish Cypriot politicians responded to the police storming of Turkey’s main opposition party offices on Sunday, warning that the erosion of democracy there would have a knock-on effect on Cyprus.
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was plunged into a major political crisis after a court annulled its 2023 leadership election, removing party head Özgür Özel and reinstating former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
The ruling, issued by an Ankara appeals court last Thursday over alleged irregularities in the party congress, was immediately condemned by CHP figures as a politically motivated “judicial coup”.
Tensions escalated into violence on Sunday, 24 May, when riot police stormed CHP headquarters in Ankara, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to evict Özel and his supporters after a three‑day standoff over control of the building.
Turkish Cypriots troubled
Turkish Cypriot politicians– past and present – got on social media to express their concern about the chipping away at democracy in Turkey and what it could mean for the island.
Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı warned that if Turkey fully surrenders to one‑man rule, then Cyprus “will not be able to breathe”.
Son of former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş and leader of the Social Justice Party (TAM), Serdar Denktaş posted that what is happening in Turkey is not in accordance with law, justice, or democracy.
“What will happen if you take power in this way? All it does is make Atatürk’s Republic a laughingstock in the world… What a shame.”
Turkish Cypriot representative of north Nicosia Mehmet Harmancı noted that Kılıçdaroğlu lost 13 elections throughout his political career, accepting each defeat with an ‘oh well, sir’. He lost one internal party election and entered the party headquarters accompanied by police, he added.
“He prefers to be remembered in history as the jester of the palace. That was his role. The (Turkish) government has planted mines everywhere and detonates them when the time comes. When law and democracy disappear, only farce and perceptions remain,” wrote Harmancı.
If Turkey sneezes…
Kudret Özersay, leader of the People’s Party (HP), said Turkey was experiencing “sad scenes unworthy of democracy”, expressing hope that “common sense based on democracy will prevail”.
He reminded of the famous line by Dr. Özker Özgür: “If Turkey sneezes, Cyprus catches a cold”.
Leader of the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) Zeki Çeler expressed concern and sadness, saying Turkey’s democratic heritage, common sense and the rule of law will ultimately prevail.
Left-leaning news outlet Yeni Düzen wrote that a reign of fear is knocking on democracy’s door.
‘Attempted coup’
Meanwhile, CHP’s Özel described the ruling – which has brought into legal doubt all party decisions taken during his leadership – as “an attempted coup against the party founded by Ataturk”.
The decision triggered a power struggle inside the party, splitting it between supporters of Özel – who led the CHP to unprecedented gains against the ruling AK Party in the 2024 municipal elections – and those backing Kılıçdaroğlu, who had led the party for 13 years before his November 2023 party leadership defeat.
The crisis comes amid a broader crackdown on the opposition. CHP’s Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main rival, has been jailed since 2025 on corruption charges, while dozens of CHP officials and mayors have faced investigations or detention.
Analysts warn the court’s intervention – an extraordinary move overturning an internal party vote – could deepen divisions within the opposition and weaken its ability to challenge Erdoğan ahead of the next presidential election.
Ankara-based Turkish Cypriot journalist Yusuf Kanlı said the latest developments have plunged CHP “into the deepest institutional crisis in its modern history”.
The court’s verdict has created two rival realities inside the opposition movement: a de jure leadership restored by the court, and a de facto political leadership still commanding the loyalty of most MPs, mayors, municipal networks and grassroots activists, he wrote.
It remains to be seen what comes next and whether Kılıçdaroğlu will oversee an extraordinary congress process within 45 days.
The CHP has launched legal appeals, but with rival leadership claims and street protests, the party remains deeply divided, in what observers describe as a critical test for Turkey’s democratic institutions.
Sources: AP, CNA, Guardian, Al Monitor
