Newly Appointed Policy Advisor Criticizes CHP Voters in First Column

Ali Saydam, a pro-government columnist recently appointed to Türkiye’s Presidential Council for Culture and Arts Policies, stirred controversy with remarks published just hours after his official appointment was announced in the Official Gazette.

In his column in Yeni Şafak, Saydam criticized voters of the main opposition CHP, accusing them of supporting “criminals, provocations,” and embracing “chaotic behavior.”

Saydam: ‘CHP Voters Support Provocation and Criminality’

In the article, Saydam questioned the opposition’s stance on Turkish democracy:

“Despite backing every kind of coup and tutelary regime since 1950, they now accuse the AK Party—which has won the people’s confidence for 23 years—of being coup plotters,”
he wrote.

Saydam went on to imply that CHP supporters would respond with ‘noise and chaos’ if Ekrem İmamoğlu, the detained mayor of Istanbul, is convicted:

“They’ll keep supporting provocation, clanging pots and pans, and backing criminal behavior,”
he claimed.

Criticism Over Partisan Rhetoric in Cultural Appointment

The appointment of a politically charged figure to the Culture and Arts Policy Council has raised concerns about the increasing politicization of public institutions in Türkiye. Critics argue that Saydam’s tone may undermine efforts to build unity or represent the diverse political spectrum within the arts and cultural sector.