Demonstrators attend a rally in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Sept. 10, 2025. Tens of thousands of people rallied in Istanbul on Wednesday to protest a court decision that removed the leadership of the main opposition party's provincial branch, a move opponents have decried as politically motivated. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)

ISTANBUL, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people rallied in Istanbul on Wednesday to protest a court decision that removed the leadership of the main opposition party's provincial branch, a move opponents have decried as politically motivated.

Demonstrators, called to protest by the Republican People's Party (CHP), gathered at the port in the Kadikoy district on the Asian side of Türkiye's largest city. They were joined by other political groups and civil society organizations, waving Turkish flags and party banners.

The CHP estimated the turnout at 125,000. There were no official police figures available.

The rally followed a court decision last week that voided the CHP's 2023 Istanbul provincial congress over alleged procedural irregularities. The ruling removed elected provincial chairman Ozgur Celik and his team and installed former CHP deputy leader Gursel Tekin as trustee. Tekin, who was later expelled from the party, took office on Monday under police guard.

The Istanbul branch is seen as a key asset for the opposition. Türkiye's economic and cultural hub delivered major victories for the CHP in the 2019 and 2024 local elections, when Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu defeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan defended the judiciary's independence and called on the opposition to respect the court's decision.

"No one in Türkiye is beyond the reach of the law," Erdogan said. "Criticizing court rulings is one thing; refusing to recognize them is another. Legal avenues for challenging decisions you believe are wrong are wide open."

Imamoglu, a key rival of the Turkish president and the CHP's candidate for the next presidential elections, has been jailed since March 19, and more than a dozen other mayors and municipal officials have also been detained on fraud charges. ■

This photo taken on Sept. 10, 2025 shows a rally in Istanbul, Türkiye. Tens of thousands of people rallied in Istanbul on Wednesday to protest a court decision that removed the leadership of the main opposition party's provincial branch, a move opponents have decried as politically motivated. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)