Turkish opposition leader Özel condemns AKP council maneuver in Istanbul's Üsküdar district
CHP leader Özgür Özel criticized Turkey's ruling AKP over losing control of Istanbul's Üsküdar district while defending Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş's meeting with President Erdoğan.
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has intensified his criticism of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following a local vote that transferred executive control of Istanbul's Üsküdar district back to the AKP. Speaking at a public rally in Istanbul, Özel directly challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over democratic standards, reiterating that the opposition had legitimately secured the municipal mandate.
In a television interview on Koza TV, Özel described the council vote as "the darkest, most polluted" event in modern Turkish electoral history. Addressing broader administrative interactions, the CHP leader also defended a recent meeting between Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and President Erdoğan, maintaining that direct dialogue remains necessary to ensure uninterrupted municipal services.
Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet
Sources
Earlier coverage
- Oct 26, 2026, 02:30 AM UTCTurkish opposition leader slams Üsküdar municipal handover to ruling AKP
- Oct 25, 2026, 09:00 PM UTCÖzgür Özel condemns municipal power shift in Istanbul's Üsküdar district
- Oct 25, 2026, 02:30 PM UTCTurkish opposition leader condemns transfer of Üsküdar municipal control to AKP
- Oct 25, 2026, 09:00 AM UTCCHP leader Özel criticises Erdoğan over Istanbul's Üsküdar municipal vote
- Oct 25, 2026, 02:00 AM UTCÖzgür Özel challenges Erdoğan over transfer of Istanbul's Üsküdar district to AKP
- Oct 24, 2026, 03:00 AM UTCTurkey's opposition leader Özel criticises AKP over Üsküdar municipal vote
- Oct 23, 2026, 09:00 PM UTCTurkish opposition leader criticises AKP after Üsküdar municipal shift
- Oct 23, 2026, 03:00 PM UTCCHP leader Özel slams AKP over Istanbul's Üsküdar leadership shift
- Oct 23, 2026, 08:30 AM UTCÖzgür Özel criticizes AKP over Üsküdar municipal vote while defending Yavaş-Erdoğan talks
- Oct 23, 2026, 02:30 AM UTCTurkey's CHP leader criticises AKP executive takeover in Üsküdar