Turkey's opposition leader denounces AKP over Üsküdar council vote

Özgür Özel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has publicly condemned the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following a council vote that transferred the deputy mayoralty of Istanbul's Üsküdar district to the AKP.

Speaking at a public gathering in Üsküdar and during a television appearance on Koza TV, Özel described the municipal vote as one of the darkest moments for democratic standards in Turkish electoral history. Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan directly, Özel asked, "is this your democracy?" He maintained that voters had clearly chosen CHP leadership in the district during local elections.

Özel also addressed a recent meeting between Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Erdoğan, stating the discussion was strictly intended to resolve administrative hurdles impacting municipal governance in the capital.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet