CHP Leader Özgür Özel Blasts Erdoğan Over Mayor Arrests, Signals November 2 Election Showdown

Following a series of detentions targeting prominent opposition mayors, Turkey’s main opposition leader Özgür Özel delivered a fiery address, denouncing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government and hinting at a possible electoral confrontation on November 2.

The extraordinary meeting of the CHP’s Central Executive Board (MYK) was convened urgently on Friday after Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained in simultaneous operations. The meeting, chaired by Özel, lasted three and a half hours.

Despite the political upheaval, Özel opted not to cancel the party’s Amasya rally scheduled for the evening. Speaking to reporters afterward, he accused Erdoğan of leading a “creeping coup” against democracy and vowed to continue resisting what he called an effort to eliminate electoral legitimacy in Turkey.

“If You’re a Tough Guy from Kasımpaşa, Face Me on November 2”

Özel didn’t hold back in his remarks: “This government declared war on the people on March 19. They no longer want to rule with the consent of the nation. They’re rehearsing a system without elections. If Erdoğan truly believes in democracy, I challenge him—let’s go to the polls on November 2,” he said.

Referring to Erdoğan as “God’s coward,” Özel warned: “Don’t force me to call people to the streets.”

Mayors Detained in Dawn Raids

The latest detentions mark a dramatic escalation in the government’s crackdown on opposition-controlled municipalities. According to the CHP, twelve of its mayors are now behind bars, while others remain under investigation. These actions, unprecedented in the history of the Turkish Republic, follow the opposition’s sweeping victory in the March 31 local elections.

Özel denounced the use of “secret witnesses” and “fabricated allegations” to silence elected officials, calling the charges against mayors like Karalar and Böcek “absurd and politically motivated.”

“World-Renowned Mayors Being Targeted”

“Zeydan Karalar is a three-term mayor with cross-party support,” Özel said. “Muhittin Böcek has served the people of Antalya for 26 years and has broken electoral records. Abdurrahman Tutdere was nominated by the people of Adıyaman—Kurd and Turk, AKP and CHP alike. And now, they’ve been paraded like criminals. Their only crime is serving the people.”

He added that the government’s political motives were transparent: “The mayors they can’t defeat at the ballot box, they try to remove by police raids.”

Rising Costs and Deepening Crisis

Özel criticized the government’s economic mismanagement, saying the political repression has already cost Turkey dearly. “In 108 days, the state has spent 150 billion dollars—about six trillion lira—to silence democratic opposition. Meanwhile, the Turkish people are getting poorer.”

He slammed Erdoğan for dismissing Amasya’s recent agricultural losses due to frost damage and claimed that the government refused to allocate the needed 4.5 billion lira in relief—while spending 1,333 times that amount on political suppression.

Amasya Rally: Defiant in the Face of Repression

In a charged rally in Amasya—attended by thousands—Özel praised the historic city’s legacy of resistance and independence, invoking its symbolic role in Turkey’s War of Independence. “This country was built by the brave, and it will be saved by the brave again,” he declared.

“This is no longer about party lines. It’s about defending the people’s will,” Özel said. “The AKP and MHP voters of Amasya must understand—your suffering is ignored while this government spends trillions protecting its own power.”

An Unprecedented Political Crackdown

According to opposition figures, a total of 17 CHP-controlled municipalities have been subjected to criminal investigations or raids since March. In addition to IBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu, detained mayors include those from Beşiktaş, Beykoz, Şişli, Gaziosmanpaşa, Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and several others.

The official charges range from “membership in a criminal organization” to “corruption” and “terror support,” but critics say the investigations are part of a coordinated campaign to erode the opposition’s electoral gains.

“We Are Facing a Government That Has Lost the People”

Özel concluded his Amasya speech with a scathing assessment: “This is a government that has lost the people’s support—both in their eyes and their hearts. The Turkish people want justice, they want democracy, and they want a government that listens to their suffering—not one that jails their mayors.”

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