Özgür Özel criticises AKP over Istanbul council vote controversy

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has criticized Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following a local council vote in Istanbul's Üsküdar district that shifted administrative authority to the AKP. Speaking at a public rally in Üsküdar and during a television appearance, Özel described the council proceedings as among the darkest in the country's political history while directly challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The opposition CHP had 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