Necip F. Bahadir
Turkush opposition leader Ozgür Ozel assumed the chair of CHP leadership as a “placeholder.” The actual heir to the seat is Ekrem İmamoğlu. Otherwise, Özel neither has the strength to win the congress nor the capacity to lead the party. He himself is aware of this… Yet, as the saying goes, “power corrupts.” The allure of the chair has gone to Özel’s head, leaving him oblivious to what he’s doing or saying.
I imagine he often wonders, “What if circumstances change, and I can remain here permanently?” He’s not entirely wrong to think this way. Circumstances are ever-changing. As Süleyman Demirel once said, “Twenty-four hours is a long time in Turkish politics,” and “Yesterday is yesterday, today is today.”
Ekrem İmamoğlu faces the risk of a political ban. Even this possibility alone is enough to cloud Özel’s judgment.
From the very beginning, I advocated giving Özgür Özel a chance. I tried to temper my language and soften my criticism of his statements and actions, which often warranted sharp rebuke. His role in the victory of March 31 cannot be denied—neither can that of İmamoğlu and Yavaş. That victory had many contributors.
However, perhaps because he’s a “placeholder” or due to his inadequacies, Özel couldn’t walk the path opened by March 31. He spun his wheels and stagnated, even though this road led directly to power. Strangely, he stepped into “Erdoğan’s shadow.” I’m not referring to their meeting—of course, it’s natural for the opposition and government to sit down and talk. That’s perfectly normal.
Being the Leading Party Isn’t Enough!
Someone should remind Özel… Winning the presidency requires more than being the leading party. You need to secure 51%. Constantly declaring, “We were the leading party on March 31, and we’re maintaining our position in the polls!” amounts to little more than self-indulgence. It’s like saying, “The inexperienced revels in their newfound success.”
Today, Turkey has a pressing “opposition problem.” The proportion of undecided voters has never been this high—around 24% in recent polls! The “undecideds” are the leading party. Public discontent and opposition to the AKP government on the streets and in the squares surpass anything politics has achieved. Özgür Özel’s task is to amplify this societal opposition and use its momentum to bring about a change in power. The streets have already “written Erdoğan’s ticket.” The public wants change.
The AKP government is unraveling on all fronts. All its policies are collapsing—from the economy to foreign policy, from healthcare to justice. These failures present significant opportunities for the opposition. Cries for justice from courtrooms and prison cells have reached the heavens. What better political climate could there be to highlight leftist values? Poverty is rampant, injustice has reached unprecedented levels, and foreign policy is a complete disaster.
Politicking in Erdoğan’s Shadow
Despite this bleak picture, Özgür Özel’s CHP seems to be “playing in the sandbox.” Even AKP supporters have realized that nothing grows in Erdoğan’s shadow, yet Özel has not. What does it even mean to engage in politics under Erdoğan’s shadow?
His predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, must be exasperated. Kılıçdaroğlu paved the way for change, discovered Ekrem İmamoğlu, and, despite internal objections, made Mansur Yavaş a candidate. I believe Özel has wronged Kılıçdaroğlu, who, with a brilliant analogy, described himself as “a mother who died giving birth.” Yet, he gave birth to something new. It was this “new CHP” that became the leading party.
The MİT Briefing
This brings us to the MİT (National Intelligence Organization) briefing. First, the intelligence agency briefed the AKP. Then, it was the CHP’s turn. Normally, it’s natural for a party aspiring to govern to exchange information with state institutions, including the MİT. But these are not “normal” times! Under Erdoğan’s decade-long rule, nothing has been normal. We live under an undeclared “martial law” or “state of emergency.”
Would anyone, in a normal state, be arrested for criticizing the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Twitter? (As happened with Nasuh Mahruki.) This was something only seen in past BA’ath or communist regimes, which have long disappeared from history. Yet Erdoğan’s rule has revived the spirit of those regimes. The BA’ath Party, Nazism, and communism live on through the AKP. While Erdoğan is the figurehead, the MİT is among the institutions complicit in these transgressions. Today, there are no state institutions, only Erdoğan’s institutions. The state is gone, and the institutions have been razed. The constitution, laws, and regulations exist solely to suppress and imprison dissent. Everything is at the whim of “His Majesty.”
When the main opposition party starts working with the MİT, it’s a disgrace!
Özgür Özel expressed great satisfaction with the MİT briefing. His words, recorded in history as a disgrace, will haunt him in the future. Once spoken, they cannot be taken back. Under normal circumstances, anyone uttering such words would not only be disqualified from politics but would also be ostracized. Especially in leftist circles, no one would condone this statement. His words were: “We requested intelligence support from the MİT to prevent FETÖ or other terrorist organizations from infiltrating the CHP during membership recruitment. They happily agreed to assist us.”
Now, to become a member of the CHP under Özel’s leadership, you must first pass a “security check.” How many current CHP politicians would pass such a screening by the MİT? Starting with Özgür Özel himself… A quick Google search of “Özgür Özel and FETÖ” brings up numerous results. Even a column published in Hürriyet described him as “a star groomed by FETÖ.”
Could that article not be in the MİT’s file? Then there are his tweets—perfect fodder for the MİT. In Manisa, he criticized an operation against the Gülen movement, calling it the “Mahdumlar Operation.” He gave an interview to Sol newspaper, referring to it as “Erdoğan detentions in Manisa.” There’s more: “What’s this? The last GÜLEN is a happy GÜLEN. :)”
Even this alone would be enough to label Özel as a “FETÖ supporter.” Forget being flagged—he’d be imprisoned. Today, people are being sentenced to years in prison for much lighter accusations.
This article isn’t written to report Özgür Özel to the MİT but to highlight the absurdity of the situation. If Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had sought support from the MİT, Özgür Özel wouldn’t even have been an ordinary member of the party, let alone a parliamentarian or leader.
A Disgrace for the Left
It’s bewildering, but history will judge even more harshly. The left will never forget this and will eventually confront him with it. Özel will recall this with shame.
Özgür Özel recently met with journalists and answered every question. Two points stood out to me.
The first was: “Erdoğan is still anxiously awaiting the situation regarding Bahçeli. Bahçeli’s approach to ending conflict and terrorism is not in line with universal principles. Bahçeli dives in like a kamikaze…”
Yes, Erdoğan is uneasy about Bahçeli and remains on standby.
Begging for Early Elections Won’t Work!
The second point was about early elections. Once again, Özel appeared to plead with the AKP and Erdoğan. That’s not how you demand an early election. You use public opposition to force the government into calling one. You don’t beg or grovel…
Özel seems unaware of recent history. Consider his remarks: “The sooner, the better. Whether Erdoğan is a candidate or someone else, we want elections now. Immediately!”
What does he mean by allowing Erdoğan to run? The constitution clearly prohibits it. How could he leave this door open? Doesn’t he consult legal experts? The CHP has many constitutional lawyers. He should have sought their advice. Legally and politically, Erdoğan cannot be a candidate again. The CHP should be the first to draw this red line, yet look at Özel’s words!
Özgür Özel aims to be a “charming opponent” for Erdoğan, but this won’t lead to power. Real power comes from harnessing societal opposition and driving significant change. Perhaps it’s time for İmamoğlu to take back the reins sooner rather than later.
