Turkey’s political agenda has recently become almost entirely centered around the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). President and AKP Chairman Tayyip Erdoğan, using the judiciary and security bureaucracy as political weapons, is relentlessly targeting the CHP. The operations began with challenging the congress that elected Özgür Özel as party leader and escalated with the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and a total of 11 CHP mayors—leaving Turkey’s main opposition party reeling.
At the same time, Erdoğan’s propaganda chief Fahrettin Altun is conducting media campaigns that depict Özgür Özel and his team as a criminal network. Indeed, in today’s Turkey, the main opposition has been turned into a punching bag.
Who Is Özgür Özel Angry At in Erdoğan’s Turkey?
What especially angered CHP members was the way mayors and bureaucrats detained in the fifth wave of operations were publicly paraded before cameras. Özgür Özel, visibly furious, appeared at Silivri Prison and at rallies in Istanbul with a red face and strained voice from shouting. These are his words from a recent rally:
“You hit a solid wall, son. A solid wall! Watch yourselves! I will not witness such dishonor again! We’re at the end of our patience. I say this with the resolve of Saraçhane: I will come and tear it all down. Get your head straight. We come like gentlemen, we demonstrate and we disperse. But don’t push me too far—next time we’ll gather and not disperse. I say this to Mr. Erdoğan and to anyone in the AKP with a brain: From now on, this won’t end well. Take him out of there. Take him!”
Picture a furious Özel, veins bulging, voice cracking. Many in the Turkish opposition likely felt this signaled a new, more confrontational political phase. But another scene that aired soon after cast doubt on the sincerity of his rage.
A Stark Contradiction in Turkish Politics
With the help of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, AKP’s Numan Kurtulmuş was re-elected Speaker of the Turkish Parliament. But the real headline came from behind the scenes. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli—who’s been battling serious illness—arrived to vote and was resting in the parliamentary lounge. That’s when Özgür Özel entered and walked straight over to Bahçeli, warmly greeting him and shaking his hand.
Özel expressed his respect in a polite and seemingly sincere manner. Bahçeli responded, “You’re very active, mashallah.” The two shared a cordial moment. Naturally, this confused many observers in Turkey. While it wasn’t the first time Özel acted warmly toward Bahçeli, the friendliness still raised questions.
After all, Bahçeli openly snubs Özel. When Özel was attacked in Istanbul, Bahçeli issued a cold statement that didn’t even mention Özel’s name, referring to him only as “a political institution’s representative.” Imagine: Turkey’s main opposition leader is attacked, and the ruling coalition’s junior partner doesn’t even name him in a supposed get-well message. Bahçeli even excluded the CHP from official holiday greetings. In short, he treats Özel like an outcast.
While CHP mayors and bureaucrats are paraded before the cameras like criminals, Özgür Özel shows unwavering deference to Bahçeli. Yet he unleashes his fury on Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek—saying things like “You’re finished, son!” as if he were a teenager in a schoolyard fight. But when it comes to Erdoğan and Bahçeli—the masterminds behind these actions—he becomes completely docile.
Surely Özel knows that Akın Gürlek is merely a pawn. It’s glaringly obvious who’s actually in charge in Turkey’s deeply politicized judiciary. And yet, he is respectful—even submissive—toward both Erdoğan and Bahçeli. That inevitably raises the question: How sincere is his outrage?
You Can’t Oppose Erdoğan’s Regime Using Its Own Language
Let’s not forget: the man you greet respectfully and whose hand you shake doesn’t even bother to say your name. He publicly describes your party as a criminal organization. He controls the police who parade your mayors like terrorists. He refuses to even grant you a meeting. In this context, it’s fair to question both the sincerity and the integrity of Özgür Özel’s anger in the political climate of today’s Turkey.
He behaves the same way toward Erdoğan. After the CHP’s historic election win and the positive momentum it created, Özel defused it all with rhetoric about “normalization.” He tolerates every insult from Erdoğan and, like with Bahçeli, shows utmost respect. Consider this: Özgür Özel visits New York on the very day the U.S. media is full of corruption stories centered on Erdoğan. And yet, in front of the very building at the center of the scandal—Turkish House—Özel defends Erdoğan. He even adopts Erdoğan’s exact terminology for political opponents. It’s a level of double-dealing that has long since worn thin.
According to Özgür Özel, the detentions of İmamoğlu and others are baseless, based on false testimony and politically rigged trials. The arrested are paraded in ways that violate the presumption of innocence. And yet, when it comes to earlier crackdowns—especially those against the Gülen movement—Özel sides squarely with the regime. He accepts Erdoğan’s narratives without question and keeps parroting the government’s worn-out “FETÖ” accusations.
The so-called opposition media in Turkey fails to ask the obvious: “If you accept the regime’s narrative, then shouldn’t you also accept that CHP is a criminal organization and İmamoğlu a gang leader?” Because of this inconsistency, the same political charade continues.
In short, CHP leader Özgür Özel has a serious consistency and character problem. His contradictory actions and statements are so blatant, they make the question “Is he working for Erdoğan’s Palace?” a legitimate one in today’s Turkey.
