CHP leader Özel condemns AKP council takeover in Istanbul's Üsküdar

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after it gained administrative control of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district council. Speaking at a rally in Üsküdar and during a broadcast on Koza TV, Özel called the council vote outcome anti-democratic and directly challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, asking, "Is this your democracy?" He characterized the developments as among the darkest episodes in Turkish political history, maintaining that local voters had overwhelmingly chosen the CHP.

Özel also addressed Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş's recent meeting with Erdoğan. He explained that the talks were routine administrative consultations intended to resolve bureaucratic delays obstructing municipal services in the capital.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet