The postponed hearing could lead to the removal of Ozgur Ozel, the Republican People’s Party’s chairman.A court in Ankara has postponed the hearing of a controversial case that could oust the leader of Turkiye’s main opposition party, amid protests against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.On Monday, the hearing about alleged internal irregularities during the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 2023 congress was adjourned until October 24.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of listProsecutors have accused CHP leaders of vote-buying at the internal event in 2023 in which Ozgur Ozel was elected chairman, allegations the CHP says are politically motivated.The case is the latest in a long line of challenges faced by the party.The Turkish government has rejected accusations of political interference, insisting the judiciary acts independently.Officials said the cases against CHP figures stem from corruption charges, which the party denied and argued are designed to weaken the opposition.Turkish authorities have jailed hundreds of CHP members this year for alleged corruption, including Erdogan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in March.Critics say the crackdown is an attempt to destabilise Turkiye’s oldest political party, which won a large victory over Erdogan’s AK Party, or Justice and Development Party, in local elections last year.On Sunday, Ozel told thousands of protesters in the national capital that the case was part of Erdogan’s wider attempt to undermine democracy.“This case is political, the allegations are slander,” said Ozel, who claimed CHP was experiencing the “grave consequences” of government oppression. Advertisement “Anyone who poses a democratic threat to the government is now the government’s target,” he suggested.The government denies the c …
