Anticipation rises in Turkey ahead of Thursday’s historic meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters, 16:00 local time.
Commentators have speculated over the agenda, with the opposing leaders’ diverging interests, and on the impact of the controversial face-to-face meet on the state of democracy in the country.
The questions lie in whether the opposition’s willingness to engage further consolidates a presidency described by critics as a ‘one-man rule’, or if Özel can initiate a long overdue dialogue with the AKP, and set the country rolling towards a more democratic future.
It is the first such meeting in a decade, coming a month after the CHP gained a lead at local polls with 37.7 per cent of the vote. Erdoğan’s AKP suffered the first defeat of its kind in 22 years with 35.4 per cent.
Erdoğan is touted to push a new constitution in talks with Özel, having swiftly brought the issue back post-elections, which critics argue is a move to extend presidential term limits, ‘dressed’ as reform.
This follows constitutional amendments in 2017 converting Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system, further consolidating Erdoğan’s power. Efforts have also been made to lower the presidential election threshold.
Also expected on Erdoğan’s list are moves to deepen the Republic’s Islamic leaning, including narrowing of rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community, and furthering the state on its road away from secularism.
Özel, in a press conference on 23 April, expressed doubt that a government that cannot adhere to the current constitution was likely to comply with a new one. Özel’s attitude before the meeting has been to urge Erdoğan to comply with the current constitution, in terms of judicial rights violations and foreign policy, before he suggests forming a new one. However, Özel pledged to listen to Erdoğan’s proposals and encourage dialogue.
Özel intends to address a kaleidoscope of issues, including, most currently, the bans on democratic May Day protests at Taksim Square in Istanbul. The CHP leader is set to press the President on the fact that the bans were unconstitutional. Özel said that he made four requests to meet with Erdoğan prior to May Day but had no headway.
The CHP led a march to Taksim but stopped short of forcing entry through the police barricade into the square. “We came, we walked, but I am not in the mood to do anything like break the barriers or push the police,” Özel said, as reported by Artı Gerçek.
Özel will point to the AKP’s failure to adhere to a Constitutional Court (AYM) ruling against the imprisonment of MP Can Atalay, representing a “judicial coup d’état”, which sent the country into a constitutional crisis late last year.
The CHP leader will also discuss the government’s non-compliance with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings, such as in the case of Selahattin Demirtaş, a jailed opposition MP handed a release order from the ECHR, which Turkey failed to adhere to.
Ozel is also expected to address the economic crisis in the country, overdue hikes in minimum wage and pensions, and major debts brought forward to the CHP in municipalities gained from AKP-MHP leadership during the local elections.
Join Medya News for updates after the meeting.
