Turkish court ousts main opposition chief in blow to Erdogan’s rivals

ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court effectively ousts the main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, annulling the 2023 party congress that elected him chairman in a ruling that dealt a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s challengers and hit financial markets.

The appeals court annulled the congress over irregularities and ruled that former Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu — a divisive figure within the party who lost to Erdogan in an election earlier in 2023 — should replace his successor Ozel.

The case was seen as a test of Turkey’s shaky balance between democracy and autocracy, and the ruling may throw the opposition into further disarray and possible infighting. It could also boost Erdogan’s chances of extending his more than two-decade rule of the big NATO member country and major emerging market economy.

The CHP rejects the ruling as an “attempted coup,” while the government — which denies criticism that it uses courts to target political opponents — says it renewed Turks’ faith in the rule of law.