Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel delivered a blistering critique of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policy of appointing government trustees in municipalities, labelling it “hypocrisy” in his speech at the party’s weekly group meeting on Tuesday. Özel’s comments came amid mounting tensions over recent trustee appointments in Kurdish-majority municipalities, including Esenyurt and Mardin (Mêrdîn), which have fuelled widespread controversy in Turkey.
In an impassioned address, Özel lambasted Erdoğan for accusing him of insincerity regarding his past support for Mardin’s elected mayor, Ahmet Türk, who was later replaced by a government trustee. Recalling an event in Mardin where he shared a stage with Türk, Özel remarked, “We stood there with the people’s chosen leader, because that’s democracy. Erdoğan calls me insincere, but who is the real hypocrite here? The same person who once opposed authoritarianism now silences the voices of those he doesn’t agree with.”
The Mardin incident, Özel argued, illustrates a broader pattern in Erdoğan’s approach to Kurdish-majority municipalities, particularly in places like Siirt (Sêrt), where Erdoğan himself once rallied for votes. “You, Erdoğan, were the one who went to Siirt, inspired the people with your speeches, and spoke out against restrictions,” Özel said, invoking Erdoğan’s own history in the region. He pointed to the 2020 trustee appointment in Siirt as emblematic of a persistent policy that undermines elected officials in Kurdish areas. “Yet today, you are the same person who strips these people of their chosen leaders with a stroke of a pen. That’s the real hypocrisy.”
Özel continued to condemn the government’s recent intervention in Esenyurt, where elected CHP official Ahmet Özer was arrested amid accusations of wrongdoing. Highlighting the severe treatment Özer received, Özel shared that authorities allegedly broke down Özer’s door, shoved his wife, and dragged him away as if he were “a live bomb”. By contrast, Özel pointed to singer Serdar Ortaç, who was simply “invited to the station” over separate allegations. “Where is justice when two citizens are treated so differently?” he asked.
The CHP leader also called out the judiciary’s role in supporting these trustee appointments, singling out Judge Akın Gürlek for what he described as politically motivated decisions. “Akın Gürlek’s role here is telling; he’s the ruling party’s tool to legitimise unjust arrests,” Özel charged. He implied that Gürlek’s swift rulings to replace elected officials were part of a coordinated strategy to sideline the opposition.
Expanding on his critique, Özel condemned Erdoğan’s minimum wage policy, accusing the government of making “cosmetic” changes that fail to address the economic challenges faced by workers. “Raising wages only after pressure from the people is not enough,” he stated. “If the minimum wage does not reach 30,000 lira, we’ll keep resisting. We will make this country unbearable for you if you keep suppressing the people’s demands.”
Through his remarks, Özel underscored the CHP’s commitment to defending democratic principles against what he sees as an increasingly authoritarian government. “Siirt’s people voted, and Mardin’s people voted. But Erdoğan’s response has been to replace their leaders with his own appointees,” he said, vowing to continue speaking out against these policies. The clash between Turkey’s government and opposition remains fierce, with Özel’s statements intensifying the debate on democratic representation in Kurdish regions.
