Opposition Leader Delivers Rare Praise for Turkey’s Top Cleric Amid Fierce Economic Attack on Erdoğan

ORDU, Turkey – In a move that surprised many observers, Özgür Özel, the Leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), offered a rare moment of praise for the head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) during a major rally in Ordu on Friday.

However, the conciliatory tone on religious affairs quickly gave way to a scathing, highly detailed critique of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s economic policies, which Özel accused of plunging pensioners and minimum wage earners into poverty. Speaking at the “Defending the Will of the Nation” rally in the Black Sea region, Özel’s address focused heavily on local agricultural concerns and national financial distress.

I. A New Era of Dialogue? The Praise for Diyanet

CHP leaders have historically been critical of the Diyanet, accusing the institution of political alignment with the ruling AK Party. Özel, however, signaled a potential shift in the relationship, expressing satisfaction with the approach of the current Diyanet President.

Recalling past criticisms, Özel stated he saw positive changes in the Diyanet’s approach, which began following the observance of Atatürk’s remembrance at the start of the current President’s term.

“Since the Diyanet President, who started his term by having a Mevlid (commemoration) for our founder on October 29th, began his tenure, the Friday sermons have become apolitical, they do not offend women, they do not interfere with the freedoms of youth, and they embrace everyone,” Özel said.

He elaborated on his personal observations from a recent Friday prayer: “I went to the sermon yesterday, and it was about loyalty. I said that if things continue this way, I will differentiate this Diyanet from its predecessor in the future. We are watching this carefully.”

Özel emphasized that the CHP fully supports religious officials performing their duties freely and is a “guarantor of religious and belief freedom to the very end.”

Objections to Ministry of Education Protocols

Despite the praise for the Diyanet’s sermons, Özel drew a clear line regarding the Ministry of National Education (MEB). He voiced strong opposition to certain collaborations that involve religious personnel and outside foundations or associations.

“We do not approve of various protocols, associations, and foundations entering into all sorts of improper work through the Ministry of National Education and religious officials. The place for religious education is clear. The duty of religious officials is clear. The place and duty of a teacher are clear. We wholeheartedly defend this,” he stated.

Özel highlighted the paradox in the education system: “There is a severe shortage of teachers in schools—331 schools here lack teachers—yet ‘spiritual counselors’ have been sent to every school via the ÇEDES program.”

II. The Economic Onslaught: Pensioners and Poverty

The core of Özel’s speech was a blistering attack on the government’s economic management, using concrete historical data—often referenced in terms of gold—to illustrate the devastating decline in living standards.

The Quarter-Gold Standard

Addressing the large crowd, Özel used the quarter-gold coin as an irrefutable measure of erosion in purchasing power:

“When Tayyip Bey came to power, the lowest pension could buy 8 quarter-gold coins. If you don’t believe me, go to a jeweler and ask for the price of gold in 2002 and compare it to the lowest pension of 2002. It was 8 quarter-gold coins. Today, the lowest pension buys barely one and a half quarter-gold coins,” Özel asserted.

He calculated the staggering cost of this decline: “If Tayyip Bey had never interfered, if things had just remained the same, the lowest pension today would be at least ₺80,000. You are absolutely not condemned to this misery of ₺16,000.”

A similar argument was made for the minimum wage: “The minimum wage could buy 7 quarter-gold coins when he came to power; now it barely buys two.”

The Disappearance of the Middle Class

Özel declared that the country no longer has a middle class, arguing that the segment once considered “middle class” is now poor. Citing data from the Turkish Confederation of Labor (Türk-İş), Özel painted a dire picture of living costs:

• Hunger Line: The hunger threshold is around ₺26,000 or ₺28,000.
• Minimum Wage: The minimum wage is ₺22,000.
• Lowest Pension: The lowest pension is ₺16,000.

“All pensioners, all minimum wage earners—if they are bringing home a single salary—are hungry.”

He added that the official poverty line, according to Türk-İş, currently stands at an astounding ₺92,000.

“Five Gold Medals for Ruining the Country”

Özel did not hold back in his final condemnation of President Erdoğan’s 23-year tenure:

“Tayyip Erdoğan deserves a gold medal for his 23 years. Do you know why? He holds five gold medals for ruining this country. First in Europe for unemployment, first in Europe for income inequality, first in Europe for high interest rates, and first in Europe (fifth in the world) for inflation.“

He pointed out that Turkey is ranked among the worst in the world for inflation, alongside countries like Iran, Burundi, Venezuela, and South Sudan. He lambasted the government for planning salary hikes of only 25% for workers and pensioners, accusing the government of using target inflation, not real inflation, to calculate increases.

“This is unbearable. We will fight against this, we will resist, we will escalate actions. We will either get our rights, or we will remove them and bring an administration that will give us our rights.”

III. Local Issues: Hazelnut Monopoly and Environmental Destruction

Addressing the Ordu audience directly, Özel focused on critical regional issues, namely the dominant hazelnut industry and environmental concerns.

The Fight Against the Hazelnut Monopoly

Ordu and the Black Sea region are the global center of hazelnut production. Özel accused a major global firm—without naming it directly, but referencing its “world giant” status (commonly understood to be a reference to Ferrero)—of deliberately manipulating prices:

“When the harvest was high this year, they initially lowered the price. But then frost and blight hit, and the yield in Ordu remained very low. Prices started going up a bit, and then this so-called world-giant, which is a hazelnut monopoly, came out and made a statement.”

He alleged that the company leaked false information to reputable European media, claiming they would “not buy hazelnuts from Turkey this year.”

“This caused market manipulation and panic. Hazelnut prices started to drop. I told them we will give the strongest reaction. We called on the Competition Authority to act. I don’t recognize any world giant; there is only one hazelnut giant in the world, and that is Ordu in the Black Sea,” Özel declared.

He pledged that under a CHP government, the issue would be resolved by strengthening the local cooperative Fiskobirlik and collaborating with the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) to protect producers and ensure the final processed product (like chocolate or hazelnut paste) is sold on the global market, not just the raw product.

Mining Threats to the Black Sea Environment

Finally, Özel warned the people of Ordu and Giresun about the massive environmental damage caused by mining licenses:

“When you fly low over the Black Sea, you see the mountains and forests behind this beautiful coastline are riddled with holes, punctured. Today, 74% of Ordu is open to mining licenses. 65% of the forests and 76% of agricultural lands have been allocated for mining licenses.”

Özel stressed the CHP’s commitment to prioritizing people and nature: “We are the party that says ‘people first, nature first, Ordu first,’ and we will continue our approach of protecting agricultural areas and forests to the very end. We will never compromise on this.”