Tens of Thousands March with Özel to Atatürk Mausoleum in Ankara; Kılıçdaroğlu Holds Rival Rally

Ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel drew tens of thousands of supporters to Güven Park in central Ankara on May 30, 2026, in the largest opposition demonstration since the judicial crisis began on May 21. After Özel delivered a speech condemning his removal as a 'coup against democracy,' the crowd joined an impromptu march to Anıtkabir — the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's founding figure and the symbolic heart of CHP identity. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, seen as a credible 2028 presidential candidate, joined the march and called for the party to hold a democratic congress. The march to Atatürk's tomb was laden with symbolic force: by marching to Anıtkabir, Özel's supporters were implicitly invoking Atatürk's legacy against what they characterized as a Erdoğan-backed judicial subversion of the secularist republic. Simultaneously, Kılıçdaroğlu held a rival event at CHP headquarters, drawing a notably smaller crowd. Kılıçdaroğlu accused the previous CHP administration of 'widespread corruption.' The dueling events cemented the perception of a split party and raised international concerns that judicial manipulation was effectively fracturing Turkey's main opposition ahead of the 2028 presidential election.