Ozgur Ozel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during the party's 22nd extraordinary congress in Ankara, Turkey, September 21, 2025. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
ANKARA (Reuters) -A Turkish court dismissed a case seeking to oust the main opposition party's leader, Ozgur Ozel, and annul its 2023 congress over irregularities, in a move that could ease tensions triggered by a year-long legal crackdown on the party.
The case in an Ankara court was seen as a test of the country's shaky balance between democracy and autocracy. The verdict came amid an unprecedented year-long legal crackdown on the Republican People's Party (CHP) that has left hundreds of its members and elected leaders in prison.
Had the court ruled to oust Ozel, it could have thrown the opposition into further disarray and infighting, boosting President Tayyip Erdogan's chances of extending his 22-year rule of the big NATO member country and major emerging market economy.
But the court threw out the case, boosting Turkish assets. After the verdict, Turkey's main Borsa Istanbul index rose 3.4% and the lira strengthened.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Daren Butler and Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
