Turkey's main opposition calls for rallies after police barricade Istanbul office

Turkey's main opposition CHP called on citizens and residents of Istanbul to gather on Sunday, after police set up barricades in areas around its Istanbul headquarters in what the party leader called a "siege".

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has been the target of a months-long legal crackdown, which has swept up hundreds of its members - including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival - whose March arrest set off Turkey's largest street protests in a decade.

The CHP has denied all accusations against it and said the legal measures are politicised attempts at eliminating electoral threats against Erdogan and weakening the opposition.

The latest moves against the CHP began on Tuesday when a court ordered the removal of the party's Istanbul provincial head over alleged irregularities in a 2023 congress.

Speaking at a CHP event in Istanbul, party chairman Ozgur Ozel called on Turks to gather and demonstrate against the court decision and the crackdown against his party, as well as the police measures to set up barricades around the headquarters and restrict public access to it.

"From here, I invite all democrats and CHP members whom my words and voice reach to, to protect the home of Ataturk in Istanbul," he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey's founder.

The CHP's youth wing also called on all Istanbul residents to gather at the party's provincial headquarters at 2000 GMT. The party will also organise another demonstration on Monday at 0700 GMT, it said.