Turkey's main opposition party has re-elected its leader in an attempt to protect him and other senior party figures from an upcoming court ruling which could order their removal.

Ozgur Ozel was initially elected chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 2023, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the vote "tainted" and a "fraudulent process."

A court in Ankara is set to rule on October 24 on whether to annul the results of the 2023 CHP congress, in a case which government critics say highlights Turkey's slide towards autocracy under Erdogan.

Turkey's opposition seek protection from government crackdown

But CHP delegates hope that, by re-electing Ozel at an extraordinary congress on Sunday, they can demonstrate to the court that their party chairman has a fresh mandate to oppose Erdogan and shield him from government allegations.

Ozel and 11 other CHP members — including Erdogan's biggest political rival, jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — face charges ranging from financial irregularities to violations of Turkey's political parties law. All deny wrongdoing.

The CHP is the biggest opposition force in the Turkish parliament and controls Turkey's largest cities, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.

Since the detention of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu in March, Ozel has risen to greater prominence as a potential challenger to Erdogan.

Imamoglu's arrest in March triggered massive protests, with Turkish police arresting nearly 1,900 people.