Turkish opposition is on the brink: government intensifies repression

Turkish opposition is on the brink: government intensifies repression

The Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey is currently facing massive pressure from government authorities under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They accuse the main opposition party of being involved in corruption scandals. A court recently opened a crucial trial that could have a significant impact on the fate of the CHP. If the 2023 party congress is declared invalid, this could herald the end of an independent political opposition in Turkey, as Kleine Zeitung reports.

Two years ago, Kemal Özel took over the leadership of the CHP from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and led the party in a new direction. In the last local elections last year, the CHP achieved a surprising victory and won the most mayoral offices in the country. Since then, however, the party has become increasingly isolated as numerous opposition mayors, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been arrested in corruption investigations. This development led to strong protests among the population, especially after İmamoğlu, who is considered Erdogan's main opponent in the upcoming presidential elections, was arrested.

Political repression and conflict

Recent arrests increase pressure on the CHP. Last Saturday, Turkish authorities arrested the mayor of Istanbul's Bayrampaşa district, Hasan Mutlu, and 47 other officials on suspicion of corruption. The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a comprehensive investigation targeting extortion, bribery, fraud and tender manipulation. Mutlu dismissed the allegations as unfounded slanders and stressed that it was a political operation, AP News reported.

In recent months, Erdogan's government has arrested more than a dozen CHP mayors and hundreds of city officials for alleged corruption. The arrest of İmamoğlu received particular attention, sparking nationwide protests as the CHP interpreted the arrests as part of a strategy to weaken the opposition. At the same time, the government emphasizes the independence of the judiciary and rejects all allegations of political motivation.

Future of the CHP and legal disputes

The legal disputes surrounding the CHP and its leader will be crucial in the coming weeks. A court will decide on the possibility of invalidating the 2023 CHP congress. Such a verdict could seriously change the leadership within the party. The pressure on the CHP is further increased by the political circumstances and the ongoing investigations in the cities of Istanbul and Antalya. In these cities alone, 30 people were arrested for corruption, many of them members of the CHP or its affiliated institutions, as Zeit reports.

The arrests and the associated allegations are part of a larger offensive against the CHP, whose leadership structures have been repeatedly attacked in recent years. The outcome of these developments could be crucial for how Türkiye's political landscape will shape ahead of the upcoming elections.