Turkish police storm offices of main opposition CHP party, firing tear gas and rubber bullets

ANKARA (AP) — Police stormed the offices of Turkey's main opposition CHP party on Sunday, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at party supporters and officials who had been holed up inside for three days.

It was a violent end to a standoff between members of the Republican Peoples’ Party, or CHP, and a leadership team appointed by an appeals court.

Footage taken by local media Sunday in the courtyard and inside the building showed clouds of tear gas as riot police stormed through the premises, before journalists were removed by the police. Supporters initially attempted to resist the police by spraying them with fire extinguishers, but were quickly stopped. Doors, furniture and the ground floor windows were destroyed.

Among those inside the building was Ozgur Ozel, elected as party chairperson in November 2023 but removed by the appeals court ruling.

Leaving the headquarters building to cheers and applause from supporters outside, Ozel told the journalists gathered at the entrance: “We are leaving (the building) now only to reclaim it in a way no one will be able to interfere again. When we return neither this administration nor the administration’s collaborators will dare do this again.”

Ozel and his supporters then began marching toward Parliament over 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from the CHP headquarters.

Tension had been rising since Thursday, when an appeals court nullified Ozel's election as CHP chairperson, suspending him and members of the party’s executive board.

The court ruling said Ozel should be replaced by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, his predecessor, who led the party for 13 years but never won any national elections.

Meanwhile, Ozel, in his first and only election as party leader, delivered a decisive blow to Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party in the 2024 municipal polls.

The opposition says the decision was politically motivated to weaken the party as it struggles under waves of legal cases targeting its members and elected officials.

Immediately after the raid began, Ozel posted a 3-minute video on social media in which he said, “We are under attack. Our crime? To make our party Turkey’s number one party after 47 years. Our crime? Defeating the Justice and Development Party."

“We will resist here till the end. And if they forcibly remove us, we’ll resume our march towards (becoming) the administration in the public square," he said.

The next presidential election isn't due until 2028, but Erdogan can call for an early vote. His main challenger, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a CHP member, has been imprisoned since March last year and is on trial on corruption charges.

Many observers have said the legal cases against the CHP — mostly centered on corruption allegations — are aimed at neutralizing the party ahead of the next election. The government insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.

The vast majority of the party has rallied behind Ozel. He and most of the party had been inside the CHP headquarters in the capital Ankara since Thursday’s ruling, with the new administration unable to enter. The rival teams were supposed to meet Sunday afternoon to figure a way out of the impasse.

Early on Sunday, a crowd gathered outside the office, watched by a growing police presence. In his social media video, Ozel said those outside had been sent to intimidate CHP members.

Kilicdaroglu’s lawyer, Celal Celik, sent a request to Ankara police to assist in vacating the building. The Ankara Governor’s office released a statement approving the request.

The police raid comes at the start of a nine-day holiday for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, when many people are on vacation and out of the big cities.

Erdogan has ruled Turkey, first as prime minister and then as president, since 2003. His electoral record suffered a setback in 2019, when the CHP seized control of several major cities in local elections. In Istanbul, Imamoglu emerged as a popular and charismatic figure who many felt could successfully topple Erdogan.

Police officers arrive at Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, Sunday, May 24, 2026, to evict supporters gathered inside. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Photo via AP)

Supporters of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) shout slogans as they gather at party's headquarters in Ankara, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Photo via AP)

Police officers arrive at Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, Sunday, May 24, 2026, to evict supporters gathered inside. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Photo via AP)

Leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, addresses supporters gather outside the party's headquarters in Ankara on Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

Supporters of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, shout slogans as they gather outside the party's headquarters in Ankara, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Gunsu Ozmen/DIA Photo via AP)

Supporters of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, gather outside the party's headquarters in Ankara, Friday, May 22, 2026, in support of party's leader Ozgur Ozel. (Yavuz Ozden/DIA Photo via AP)

Former Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu waves from a car after talking to journalists in Ankara, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Photo via AP)

MADRID (AP) — Thousands of people rallied in central Madrid on Sunday against spiraling housing costs that have priced many Spaniards out of the housing market despite a recent economic boom, particularly in cities such as the capital and Barcelona.

Spain’s housing crisis is one of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s main political vulnerabilities before elections in 2027.

The country has a strong tradition of homeownership and scant public housing for rent, while rents have been driven up by increased demand, including due to tourism and population growth linked to immigration, analysts say.

The protesters chanted slogans and held banners highlighting their right to housing. “We want neighbors, not tourists,” one banner read.

Estrella Baudu, a 28-year-old teacher who was among the protesters, said she was living with her grandmother. “The situation for many young people like me is quite complicated, and it is very difficult to find a rental home due to the prices and low salaries,” she said.

The march comes a day after tens of thousands of people protested in Madrid against Sanchez, as political tensions and criticism rose over corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government.

Buying a home in Spain has become unaffordable for many, with market pressures and speculation driving up prices, especially in big cities and coastal areas.

Last month, Spain’ s government passed a sweeping plan worth 7 billion euros ($8.23 billion) to build more public housing over the next four years and provide help for young renters and homebuyers, among the hardest hit by high rental and home costs.

“The government may say it is taking measures, but the reality for those of us who rent is that we are receiving notices from our landlords who want to evict us," said protester Fernando de los Santos, a 36-year-old university professor. “The only thing they offer us are abusive price increases.”

A separate decree that would have extended temporary rent freezes did not pass Parliament, exposing the Sánchez government in the short term to more housing-related discontent.

Over the past few years, Spaniards have taken to the streets in numerous demonstrations across the country to protest high rental and home costs. A top demand is that the government crack down further on tourist rentals that have proliferated in city centers across Spain, which received a record 97 million international visitors last year.

Housing costs rose nearly 13% year-on-year at the end of 2025, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

The Bank of Spain estimates the Southern European nation of 50 million is short of 700,000 homes, comparing demand to the pace of new construction.

Associated Press writer Suman Naishadham contributed to this report.

A woman holds a banner reading in Spanish: "Right to housing" during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 24, 2026, against rising housing costs that are pricing many Spaniards out of the market amid Spain's broader housing crisis. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

People take part during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 24, 2026, against rising housing costs that are pricing many Spaniards out of the market amid a broader housing crisis in Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A woman holds up a set of keys as a symbol of protest during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 24, 2026, against rising housing costs that are pricing many Spaniards out of the market amid Spain's broader housing crisis.

People take part during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 24, 2026, against rising housing costs that are pricing many Spaniards out of the market amid a broader housing crisis in Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

People take part during a protest in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday, May 24, 2026, against rising housing costs that are pricing many Spaniards out of the market amid a broader housing crisis in Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)