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Turkish opposition criticism of government actions

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2026-10-27 22:31 UTC → 2026-10-28 20:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Özgür Özel, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), has issued several critiques regarding the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Initially, Özel protested the intervention at Halk TV Istanbul studios, alleging that authorities raided the station and halted broadcasts shortly before Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was due to present a legal defense. Özel accused the AK Party of undermining press freedom through the appointment of trustees and the creation of a ‘pool media’ system intended to silence dissent. Subsequently, the opposition leader expanded his criticism to include foreign policy. He argued that the government’s handling of relations with Egypt has weakened Turkey’s standing in the Eastern Mediterranean, noting that the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum lacks international acceptance compared to Greece-Egypt agreements. Additionally, Özel highlighted Turkey’s exclusion from the €150 billion SAFE defense program and raised concerns regarding the Customs Union and potential European tariffs affecting the automotive industry. Expanding on these diplomatic concerns, Özel criticized the government’s inability to secure benefits from the United States despite economic concessions, specifically citing the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions. He further noted that Greece possesses more advanced military aircraft, contrasting this with Turkey’s current regional standing. In recent developments, Özel intensified his critique of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, accusing the government of retreating from established Turkish positions regarding maritime zones and the ‘casus belli’. He also criticized the administration's stance on the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection, suggesting Turkey could have proposed alternative routes instead of opposing the project. Furthermore, Özel highlighted failures in the defense sector, specifically the inability to secure engines for the domestic KAAN fighter jet.

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