CHP/Ozgur Ozel: Our best defense against Erdogan is to resist
ozgur-ozel
Main opposition party leader Ozgur Ozel shared CHP’s strategy against Erdoğan post-İmamoğlu arrest in an exclusive interibvew with Financial Times Turkey representative John Paul Rathbone. Here are the highlights:
🔍 Context & Trigger Event
Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Istanbul mayor and likely presidential candidate, was arrested on March 21 on corruption charges he denies.
His detention, coming just hours after his presidential nomination by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), led to:
Massive public protests—Turkey’s largest in a decade.
Investor panic, causing the central bank to burn $30bn in reserves.
2,000 arrests, according to officials.
⚠️ Political Fallout
The arrest was a major blow to opposition hopes of unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been in power for 22 years.
Authorities claimed the arrest proves “no one is above the law”; Erdoğan dismissed the protests as “street terror.”
🧭 CHP’s Three-Pronged Strategy (Led by Özgür Özel)
Mass Mobilization & Symbolic Campaigns
Goal: Collect 30 million signatures—more than Erdoğan received in 2023—to demand İmamoğlu’s release and early elections.
Over 10 million signatures have already been gathered.
Weekly and Nationwide Demonstrations
Regular Wednesday rallies in Istanbul and rotating protests across the country.
First major rally held in Samsun, a symbolic city for Turkish independence.
Turning İmamoğlu’s Arrest into a National Cause
Aimed at young voters, especially those under 35 (who made up 94% of recent protestors).
Challenge: Only half of these young protestors support CHP directly.
🧩 Strategic Alliances & Inclusivity
CHP is open to new coalitions, including former rivals (e.g., DEM Party, İYİ Party).
Özel emphasizes: “There is no salvation alone.”
Pushing for a broader “democrats’ front” to counter Erdoğan’s entrenched power.
Since Özel became leader, CHP membership has risen by 800,000 to 2 million.
👤 Profile: Özgür Özel
Former pharmacist, elected MP in 2011.
Known for his raspy voice (post-surgery) and calm determination.
Has infused the party with youth quotas and gender balance (half of shadow cabinet are women).
His leadership has energized the CHP and framed him as a key resistance figure.
📊 Political Landscape & Outlook
Recent polls show CHP slightly ahead of Erdoğan’s AKP, with about one-third voter support.
CHP won the popular vote in recent local elections and retained Istanbul & Ankara.
Still, analysts warn of the difficulty in unseating Erdoğan, described as a “limitless” political operator.
🌍 International Angle
Europe and the US largely remain quiet on democratic backsliding, prioritizing Turkey’s strategic and military value.
Özel notes: Global turmoil (Trump, Putin, Syria) has made Erdoğan indispensable to Western powers.
🛡️ Final Note
Despite the risks, Özel remains resolute:
“The best defence is what we are doing now — resisting.”