CHP leader Özel sharply criticizes Turkish government over Üsküdar council vote

CHP leader Özgür Özel has condemned Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following a controversial local council vote in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, which transferred key administrative authority to the AKP. Speaking at a public rally in Üsküdar and during a television appearance on Koza TV, Özel directly challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, describing the council proceedings as among the darkest and most tainted in the country’s political history.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had previously won the municipality during recent local elections. Addressing another recent political event, Özel clarified that Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş’s meeting with Erdoğan aimed solely at addressing municipal administrative obstacles facing the capital, rather than engaging in broader political negotiations.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet