Ankara, Turkey – Turkish riot police forcibly entered the headquarters of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Ankara on Tuesday, detaining several party officials and seizing documents, according to party sources. The raid, which unfolded live on television, marks a significant escalation in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's campaign against political opponents ahead of next year's elections.
Footage broadcast by CNN Turk showed officers in riot gear smashing windows and breaching the building's entrance with a battering ram. Party officials said at least a dozen staff members were taken into custody, including the deputy head of CHP's Istanbul branch. The government accused the party of harbouring individuals linked to terrorist organisations, a charge the CHP dismissed as politically motivated.
President Erdogan, who has consolidated power over the past two decades, has increasingly used the judiciary and security forces to silence critics. Since a failed coup attempt in 2016, more than 100,000 people have been sacked from state jobs, thousands arrested, and dozens of media outlets shut. Tuesday's raid follows the closure of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in March and the jailing of its former leader Selahattin Demirtas.
The European Union and the United States condemned the raid, calling it an assault on democratic norms. Nato member Turkey's ties with the West have frayed under Erdogan, who has pivoted towards closer relations with Russia and China.
CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a former civil servant who has challenged Erdogan's narrative of strong leadership, vowed to continue the party's work despite the intimidation. "They can raid our offices, but they cannot raid our will," he said in a statement.
The raid comes as Turkey faces a deepening economic crisis, with inflation soaring above 80 per cent and the lira losing nearly half its value against the dollar this year. Erdogan's unconventional economic policies, including cutting interest rates, have been widely criticised by economists.
Analysts say the crackdown is designed to stifle dissent ahead of elections scheduled for June 2023, which opinion polls suggest could be the most competitive in years. Erdogan is seeking a third term in office, and his popularity has been dented by the economic turmoil.
The government denies targeting opposition parties and insists that legal actions are based on evidence of criminal activity. But critics argue that the charges are often flimsy and that the judiciary has been purged of independent judges.
Tuesday's raid has further polarised Turkish society and raised concerns about the country's trajectory. For many, it is a stark reminder that the democratic space Erdogan once promised has shrunk dramatically. As the world watches, the fate of Turkish democracy hangs in the balance.
