Çamlıca Tower is a beacon of the future for some, and a stove lighter for others. Whatever your view, Turkey is getting 30 more towers.
In this week’s recap:
New legal threats for CHP leaders
The signals behind CHP detentions
PKK to lay down weapons Friday
Domestic and diplomatic wraps
Court orders Grok to stop degenerating
Also from us this week:
Çınar Özer on the Ayşe Barım trial and what it means for Turkish show business
Meclis recap is tracking the legislative rush before parliament’s summer break
Monday: We host a live webcast with scholar Lisel Hintz on the role of media in Turkey’s political transition. Join us here July 14 at 1300 UTC.
Get your detention bingo cards ready. Trend lines point to more repression, so we might as well have fun while we can – which is also this newsletter’s founding mantra.
Reuters published two explainers today for context, but to sum it up: over 500 people have been detained over nine months in sweeping corruption investigations on Turkey’s main opposition party.
This week saw more CHP mayors arrested and new threats to Özgür Özel’s chairmanship while the pro-opposition Sözcü TV channel is under a 10-day broadcast ban.
There’s a lot of moving parts, and we’ll review them one-by-one, though some observers are comparing the measures against CHP to a multi-front war, including Sinem Adar, an associate at the Center for Applied Turkey Studies in the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
“I think a war metaphor is useful to understand what is happening,” Adar told Turkey recap.
“The AKP has opened multiple fronts against the CHP, first of all, to overwhelm and shock the party and its leadership, second to confuse the party in terms of where to defend and which kind of strategy to use, and lastly, to pressure the CHP leadership to an accommodationist position,” she added.
Imamoğlu’s mounting court dates
Erdoğan’s most formidable opponent in future elections faces new charges of “aggravated forgery” over his university diploma, which was revoked this spring. The prosecutor requested a “political ban” and a roughly 2-8 year prison sentence. The trail begins Sept. 11.
Separately, Imamoğlu is on trial for alleged corruption in the Istanbul municipality. The CHP leadership deemed the charges “empty”, and requested the trials be broadcast live on Turkey’s national public broadcaster, TRT.
Speaking Tuesday, MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli supported the call for televised trials. Erdoğan followed up Wednesday with his support, as well. The CHP is expected to submit a parliamentary motion this week to get Imamoğlu’s trials on TRT.
Özel’s immunity threatened
Erdoğan’s second-most formidable challenger, Özel, faces four new charges for criticizing the detentions of CHP mayors and challenging Erdoğan’s mandate. Launched Sunday, the probe sent local markets down Monday morning along with the Turkish lira, which sank below 40 per USD.
A parliamentary motion was also submitted Tuesday to lift Özel’s political immunity. The CHP leader said such a move “would come at a cost” for the AKP in statements to the press. Though Erdoğan Wednesday said Turkey’s judiciary would hold corrupt politicians to account.
“No matter how much the CHP Chairman increases the dose of threats, insults, and delusions, he will face this reality every time,” Erdoğan said in his parliamentary group meeting.
Özel has played a central role in organizing party rallies and pushing back on mounting government pressure. Observers say his outspoken criticism and direct challenge to Erdoğan’s leadership are raising the chances he’ll face legal repercussions. Continued below.
Comply and demand: The signals behind CHP detentions
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