Turkey’s ousted opposition leader Ozgur Ozel has become the master of the loud-but-useless protest. It seems that there’s no chance of a spontaneous, headline-grabbing outpouring from demonstrators while he’s around.

The passionate-but-ultimately-dull Ozel was on May 21 stripped by a court of his role at the helm of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), with his predecessor Kemal Kilicdaroglu re-appointed party chief by legal order.

Following the court decision – which brought talk of a “dark day for democracy” from Ozel – Turkey entered a nine-day long religious holiday that lasted until June 1. Eyes turned to the possibility of pressure whipping up in the financial markets and some out-of-the ordinary protests from wider Turkish society. Nothing happened.

Crowds taken on walks

On the day he was dislodged from the CHP chairmanship, Ozel climbed on to a police water cannon truck and got a bit feisty. Then he led the crowd through Ankara on a quite arduous walk in the rain from CHP headquarters to the parliament. Ozel supporters who managed to get their noggins before the media cameras gave off an air of extreme happiness and satisfaction.

That walk completed, Ozel was soon holding another walk combined with a rally in Izmir, a CHP stronghold. Then, on May 31, after a rally in Ankara, he led the crowd on a walk to the grave of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the CHP and the Turkish republic.

Under Ozel’s direction, angry, charged-up crowds during the long holiday have expended their energy on completing controlled walks, prior to returning to their day to day lives.

Spitting feathers

On June 2, Ozel, who currently claims that he is the head of the CHP’s parliamentary group (the claim is disputed by the party’s official management), was permitted to hold a group meeting.

It is on Tuesdays that the CHP holds such meetings of the parliamentary faction. At the gathering, the party leader always condemns the government, occasionally spitting feathers. TV channels supportive of the CHP go live. The meeting participants applaud the party chair and disperse.

On June 2, Ozel stuck to the party tradition. His speech was hot, so hot. Then he held a meeting with reporters.

Next election. Bring it on

“If they want to hold a snap election in November, I will be the first to cast my vote in parliament [in support of approving the required early poll legislation]. We will put forward our candidate, and we will change the president,” Ozel told reporters.

Jailing of mayor of Buca goes unremarked

On June 1, the number of jailed CHP mayors increased to 26 when the mayor of Buca was detained. Busy as a juggler with 10 balls in Ankara, Ozel has yet to comment on the latest incarcerations.

“Since 2025, around 20 CHP mayors and hundreds of municipal officials have been imprisoned,” Ozel wrote on June 1 in an op-ed for Newsweek.

He can check up on the exact updated statistics as regards jailed mayors here.

Imamoglu trial continues

Over at the Silivri Prison courtroom, the trial of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) individuals continues. Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – who remains the CHP presidential candidate but, given his predicament, will not, as things stand, get permission to run – is facing the beak for allegedly leading a corrupt gang that regime officials like to describe as an “octopus”.

The case very much rests on alleged statements made by state witnesses. However, most of the witnesses have been changing their statements in court.

The CHP contends that the allegations have collapsed. An alternative reading is that the Erdogan regime being what it is, it does not need any legal reason to keep Imamoglu in jail. It just will.