Riot Police Fire Water Cannons at Özel Rally in İzmir

Turkish riot police deployed steel barriers and water cannons in İzmir's Cumhuriyet Square on May 26, 2026, to prevent supporters from gathering to hear ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel speak. The crowd — described by reporters as largely middle-aged professionals — was soaked as people attempted to reach the square. Despite the police blockade, Özel arrived in the city and eventually addressed thousands at a nearby location, declaring he would 'go wherever the people are waiting.' The İzmir crackdown drew condemnation as a significant escalation beyond the Ankara headquarters raid of May 24. Pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV broadcast footage of the water cannon deployment. The events in İzmir — Turkey's third-largest city and a CHP stronghold — suggested the government was prepared to use force to suppress opposition gatherings across multiple major cities. İzmir has historically been the most secular and pro-opposition major urban center in Turkey.