Hundreds of protesters in Turkey's western province of Izmir clashed with police on Tuesday (May 26) as they rallied in support of the unseated leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel.

Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters, who had marched to a square in the centre of Izmir, a CHP stronghold, despite a ban by the governor. A protester climbed on top of the water cannon and kicked it as it was spraying, videos showed.

The crowd later marched to another square where the rally was sanctioned by the governor's office and Ozel addressed the crowd from the top of a bus there.

Last Thursday's (May 21) court ruling ousted Ozel by annulling the results of the 2023 CHP congress where he was elected, citing irregularities, and reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost to President Tayyip Erdogan in a national election that year. The CHP accused the court of acting as "a branch of the ruling party".

The crisis comes amid an unprecedented judicial crackdown on the CHP, which is running roughly even with Erdogan's Islamic-rooted and conservative AKP.

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Turkish police use water cannon in clash with supporters of unseated opposition leader

VIDEO SHOWS: SUPPORTERS OF TURKEY'S UNSEATED MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER, OZGUR OZEL, CLASHING WITH POLICE IN WESTERN PROVINCE OF IZMIR

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART VIDEO QUALITY AS INCOMING

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: IZMIR, TURKEY (MAY 26, 2026) (ANKA - No use Turkey.)

1. VARIOUS OF SCUFFLES BETWEEN TURKISH POLICE AND PEOPLE PROTESTING IN SUPPORT OF UNSEATED MAIN OPPOSITION REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) LEADER, OZGUR OZEL / POLICE USING WATER CANNON TO DISPERSE PROTESTERS

2. MAN CLIMBING ON TOP OF AND KICKING WATER CANNON AS IT SPRAYS CROWD

3. SCUFFLES BETWEEN POLICE AND PROTESTERS

4. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS AND WATER CANNON SPRAYING

IZMIR, TURKEY (MAY 26, 2026) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - Access All)

5. VARIOUS OF TURKISH POLICE USING WATER CANNON AGAINST PROTESTERS

6. MAN STOMPING ON WATER CANNON AS IT SPRAYS CROWD

7. VARIOUS OF CROWD AS WATER CANNON SPRAYS