ISTANBUL (AP) — Police used pepper spray inside the Istanbul headquarters of Turkey’s main opposition party to disperse dozens of party officials Monday, clearing the way for a court-appointed interim chairman to enter the building amid fierce protests over his appointment, party officials said.

Riot police also scuffled with supporters of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, who had assembled at locations close to the offies in defiance of a temporary ban on public gatherings and a police blockade of its local branch.

The police raid came amid an intensifying crackdown on the CHP, including municipalities run by the party, over alleged corruption, which has led to several arrests, including that of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The deposed mayor is widely regarded as the leading challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade rule, and his arrest in March sparked the largest protests Turkey has seen in over a decade.

Last week, an Istanbul court suspended the CHP’s provincial leadership, citing alleged irregularities in the party’s 2023 congress. The court also appointed Gursel Tekin, a former CHP lawmaker aligned with the party’s old guard, as interim chair. Critics have condemned the move as being politically motivated and aimed at weakening the party.

In response, CHP leadership called on supporters to gather at the party’s Istanbul headquarters ahead of Tekin’s scheduled arrival Monday. That prompted the governor’s office to announce a three-day ban on public gatherings late Sunday. Police quickly surrounded the building, erected barricades and restricted access.

Despite the restrictions, supporters began rallying outside the headquarters on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the internet watchdog NetBlocks said several social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp, were restricted in Turkey following the CHP’s call for rallies.

On Monday, Tekin arrived at the party headquarters under heavy police protection. His arrival was met with loud protests from gathered supporters and party members angered that he accepted the position following the court ruling the party had denounced as unjust.

Speaking to journalists outside the building, Tekin said his intent was to help resolve the party’s legal challenges, not escalate tensions.

“We will do everything in our power to put an end to the legal troubles our party has been subjected to in the court corridors,” he said.

Police later used pepper spray inside the building and pushed back party officials opposed to his arrival, senior CHP legislator Gokhan Gunaydin and other officials told the opposition-aligned Halk TV television. Witnesses saw dozens of people exiting the building, visibly affected by the pepper gas.

Tekin was later seen entering the building, where he was filmed taking a phone call in a room reserved for journalists.

In a symbolic rejection of Tekin’s court-appointed leadership, the CHP later announced that it had officially closed its Istanbul provincial headquarters and reassigned another building as its new operational base.

The CHP has strongly denied allegations of corruption, saying the accusations are politically motivated and part of a broader effort to undermine the party’s growing influence. Erdogan’s government maintains that the judiciary operates independently and denies any political interference.

On Monday, Erdogan accused the CHP of defying the rule of law and of threatening public order in Istanbul by calling for street protests.

“We will never allow our streets to be thrown into chaos, nor will we permit the peace of our people — especially our fellow citizens in Istanbul — to be disturbed,” Erdogan said.

He also blamed the standoff on an internal power struggle within the CHP.

“We are against the government (which is) stealing our right to vote and arresting the people we voted for,” said Tulay Ozbay, who took part in Monday’s demonstrations. “We reject this injustice.”

Later this month, a separate court in Ankara is expected to rule on a similar case targeting the CHP’s 2023 main congress, which elected Ozgur Ozel as party leader. A ruling against the party could potentially reinstate its former leader, Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, a figure whose tenure drew widespread criticism.

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.