Turkish opposition leader condemns AKP following Üsküdar council vote

Turkish opposition leader Özgür Özel has criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following a controversial local council vote in Istanbul's Üsküdar district. Addressing supporters at a public gathering in Üsküdar and appearing on television, Özel condemned the proceedings that transferred the deputy mayoralty to the AKP, describing the process as one of the darkest and most compromised moments in Turkish electoral history.

Özel questioned Erdoğan's democratic principles, emphasizing that the Republican People's Party (CHP) had legitimately won the district during recent municipal elections. Additionally, Özel addressed a recent meeting between Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and President Erdoğan, clarifying that the discussions aimed to resolve technical and administrative barriers facing the capital's municipal administration rather than serving political negotiation purposes.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet