Ramadan ends tonight, politicians will spend the holiday weekend in their spiritual hometowns and we’ll be prepping our first Q&A podcast!
Ask us anything about Turkey and Turkey recap with this form or simply reply to this email. We’ll respond next week.
In this week’s recap:
Opposition leader targets justice minister
Turkey joins call on Iran to halt attacks
Conflict alters peace process, election calendar
Domestic and diplomatic wraps
Race horse served as mane course
Also from us this week:
Yaman Akdeniz details the proposed social media regulations
Lahib Higel on how the Iran war is reshaping Turkey-Iraq ties
Tomorrow: Emily Rice Johnson recaps Turkey-Iraq pipeline news
After more than a year of judicial investigations into the CHP, the party’s chair did his own investigation into the justice minister, who then responded with more investigations.
That’s the plot of our lives here in Turkey, broadcast daily on a screen near you under the tentative title: Turnip the heat.
For reference, Turp means turnip or radish in Turkish. And the vegetable is the root of many CHP messages this week, the context of which you can read here.
The assets: In a presser Tuesday, CHP chair Özgür Özel alleged the justice minister acquired and/or sold properties with a total value of 452 million liras or about $10 million—a sum difficult to earn through a civil servant salary, he argued.
“There is an inexplicable accumulation of wealth,” Özel said while reviewing 12 property deeds allegedly held by the minister (available here).
Justice Min. Akın Gürlek quickly denied the claims on X, stating he would file a lawsuit for moral damages. The next day, Gürlek pushed back further, saying he owned four properties, and that as the former chief public prosecutor of Istanbul, he was required to declare his assets regularly.
The same day, reporting by Halk TV Wednesday indicated the public officials who conducted search queries on Gürlek’s properties had been identified and that legal action might be taken against them.
Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabancı University in Istanbul, said Özel’s allegations were significant, if accurate, and would be used by the opposition party to discredit ongoing investigations into the party.
“This is a strategy on the part of Özel to really hit hard at the government, to show that he still has some fight in him,” Esen told Turkey recap. “What that leads to remains to be seen. I don’t think the government is going to retreat.”
“Such allegations are risky in the sense that they are going to further harden the government to come after the CHP,” he continued. “We’re looking at constant fights between the two sides with no sign of any kind of moderation [ahead].”
The pressure: The news comes as Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu marks one year in jail today, on a wide variety of charges detailed by Stüdyo recap. Also the CHP’s presidential candidate, Imamoğlu stood trial in the second week of the Istanbul Municipality case.
Özel led a rally at the city’s main municipality building Wednesday night, though the milestone week for the CHP crackdown was punctuated by the arrest of Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel, who was suspended from office on corruption charges Tuesday.
There’s also ongoing investigations in Antalya’s Manavgat district, where 12 of 36 affiliates detained last week were arrested. Speaking of Antalya, it’s worth noting an informant apologized this week for issuing false statements against that municipality.
The takeaway: Esen told Turkey recap the arrest of Imamoğlu and the ongoing targeting of CHP figures represents the “biggest authoritarian escalation that we’ve had from a civilian government since the 1950s.”
Characterizing the jailing of Imamoğlu as an attempted death blow to the opposition’s electoral prospects, Berk noted public opinion polls show mixed views on Imamoğlu’s case.
“Public opinion has not been swayed by any of these developments,” Esen said, referring to new corruption allegations against CHP figures.
“That may not mean much at this point … but in the medium to long term, this is going to be a huge problem [for the government] … and I don’t see how it can change this one year into the case because public opinion usually hardens, and it’s difficult to persuade people who think this is a political trial.”
Don’t withstand so close to me: Turkey joins call on Iran to halt attacks
