Sawt Falasteen - Tens of thousands join Ankara protest ahead of court showdown

The protesters packed into the Turkish capital's vast Tandogan Square in a massive show of defiance on the eve of the hearing at an Ankara court, with CHP's vice president Murat Bakan giving a figure of 50,000.

AFP correspondents at the scene said many tens of thousands were packed into the square, waving Turkish flags and wearing t-shirts of the Turkish republic's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

In a speech from the podium, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said the crowd had gathered to "stand against the (judicial) coup" being waged against the party, referring to Monday's court hearing that could see him ousted as leader.

"This government does not want democracy. They know they cannot win the elections if there is democracy. They don't want justice: they know if there's justice they won't be able to cover up their crimes," he said.

Monday's hearing seeks to overturn the results of the CHP's November 2023 congress on grounds of vote-rigging. At the congress, voters elected Ozel as leader.

Critics say the case is a politically-motivated attempt to undermine Turkey's oldest political party, which won a huge victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP in the 2024 local elections and has been rising in the polls.

Addressing the Turkish leader, Ozel said: "Erdogan, did you ever see Tandogan Square like this?" as the protesters chanted: "Erdogan resign!"

A.AlHaj--SF-PST