Thousands of people marched through the center of Turkey's capital, Ankara, on Saturday in support of Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel.

The demonstration was held to protest Ozel's removal from his post as head of the Republican People's Party, or CHP after an Ankara court ruled on May 21 that the 2023 CHP congress that elected Ozel as chairman was invalid, due to alleged irregularities. 

The court provisionally reinstated Ozel's controversial predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

The CHP protested the ruling, taking to the streets in the aftermath. The party and its supporters argue that the ruling is politically motivated, aimed at weakening the opposition by removing Ozel from contention for the 2028 presidential election.

The man seen as the most likely opponent to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was jailed last year amid a wider clampdown on the CHP.

Ozel's supporters label Kilicdaroglu 'a traitor'

Ozel led the march in Ankara ⁠to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and the CHP.

At the rally, Ozel rejected the notion that the situation is an internal CHP dispute. 

He said Kilicdaroglu's leadership was not legitimate, despite the court ruling, and called for an immediate party congress.

"This matter concerns Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people," he said.

Ozel's supporters chanted "Leader Ozgur!" and called Kilicdaroglu a "traitor."

Kilicdaroglu rallies supporters

While Ozel addressed the crowd at his rally, Kilicdaroglu spoke in front of the CHP party headquarters to mark the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha

He also entered the party headquarters and spoke to his supporters.

"I will bring a ballot box for party congress before you as soon as possible," Kilicdaroglu said.

"We will hold a clean, completely transparent party congress," he said. "Our party members will build our party's safe harbor. We will all go to that safe harbor together," he added.

Edited by: Karl Sexton