Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
As the first hearing in the main “corruption and bribery” case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his colleagues approaches — along with the anniversary of his detention — CHP Chair Özgür Özel said there are preparations to delay the proceedings by another three months.
Soon after Akın Gürlek began serving as justice minister, the gloves were taken off in politics with the CHP. One of the newly-promoted prosecutor's first acts was to restrict imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s access to his lawyers.
The “process report” that charts the roadmap for Parliament toward solving the Kurdish question has been finalized. The document did not push the limits of the AKP and MHP too far; it received a cautious “hopeful” endorsement from the CHP on the grounds that accepted democratic demands “must not remain mere words on paper”; the DEM Party deemed it “better than nothing” despite its shortcomings; and the Yeni Yol group welcomed with a familiar “not enough, but yes.”
The CHP emphasizes moving away from personalized, leader-to-leader foreign policy toward one grounded in formal institutions, rules, transparency, and oversight.
The CHP was shaken by the resignation of Ankara’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, but the political momentum shifted after the AKP did not move forward with his expected transfer, leaving him politically isolated. CHP Chair Özgür Özel challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to publicly pin an AKP badge on Özarslan amid speculation he would join the ruling party.
The Turkish main opposition, the CHP, has been shaken by the resignation of Ankara’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who is expected to join the ruling AKP soon. The move has added to growing signs that the CHP’s post-election momentum is under strain, compounded by profane WhatsApp messages sent by party Chair Özgür Özel shortly before the resignation was announced and later leaked online.
Legal pressure on the main opposition CHP continued as allegations of drug use were expanded to include relatives of Ekrem İmamoğlu’s wife, while prosecutors finalized a separate “political espionage” indictment against the imprisoned presidential candidate. At the same time, an Istanbul court ordered the release of a high-profile mayor held on corruption charges, marking a notable shift in the broader judicial process. As a significant development in the ongoing corruption trials, the court ordered the release of Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who had been in detention since July. Karalar became the first CHP mayor to be freed since the start of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case on Jan. 27. Eight other employees of several municipalities were also released.
With the “Terror-Free Turkey” process on one hand and the row over operations targeting CHP-run municipalities on the other, it’s easy to forget that the country’s main problem is deepening poverty and social decay.
Adana-based local Koza TV is preparing to establish a new Istanbul broadcasting hub, with recruitment underway, an effort to launch a new opposition channel with the support of the CHP.
Turkey’s main opposition party is recalibrating its political strategy, reviving a discourse of 'normalization' in a calculated bid to dismantle the country’s deep-seated polarization and lure voters from the governing alliance.
The CHP has unveiled its new shadow cabinet, touting it as the team that would govern Turkey if elected. However, the lineup has sparked backlash from left-wing critics over the dominance of business figures and center-right politicians occupying key posts. Despite advocating a return to the parliamentary system — where the executive is known as the Council of Ministers and members are elected, not appointed — the CHP has mirrored the presidential model by labeling its team a “cabinet” and appointing shadow cabinet members who are business figures active in the very sectors they oversee.
Ahmet Özer. A Kurd from Van. An academic. He was elected mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district from the CHP in the 2024 local elections. He also holds the distinction of being the first CHP mayor to be arrested and replaced by a state-appointed trustee.