 is facing fierce criticism as it is accused of an inadequate response to the detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which sparked mass protests across the country.){kind=link}
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is facing fierce criticism as it is accused of an inadequate response to the detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which sparked mass protests across the country.
İmamoğlu, who is seen as a leading challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was detained early Wednesday as part of a wide-ranging investigation on suspicion of corruption and links to terrorism.
CHP representatives condemned the move as a “political coup,” but their measured calls for orderly demonstrations rather than direct action drew sharp criticism from protesters, opposition figures and political commentators.
Mass protests broke out spontaneously in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir and other major cities, even though the government had imposed a ban on demonstrations and shut down public transportation.
The demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Rights, law, justice!” and “Government resign!” with thousands gathering in city squares, university campuses and in front of CHP offices.
In İstanbul’s Saraçhane district, CHP leader Özgür Özel was openly booed by protesters when he called for taking action at the polls rather than on the streets, leading to chants of “The solution is on the streets, not at the ballot box.”
Critics on social media echoed the frustration of the protesters, accusing the CHP of timidity and lacking a decisive strategy in the face of what many described as an authoritarian crackdown.
Internal disagreements within the CHP became apparent as party members debated whether to escalate tactics, with some suggesting radical measures such as mass civil disobedience or the withdrawal of MPs from parliament.
Özel maintained that the party would hold its primaries for the presidential election on March 23, a decision that some party insiders feared would appear weak in light of İmamoğlu’s ongoing detention.
Former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and other opposition politicians urged the party to take a more assertive stance, underscoring the impression that the CHP’s current approach does not meet the public’s expectations for vigorous leadership.
The widespread demonstrations indicated that the grassroots are in favor of more decisive action against Erdoğan’s government.
The protesters remained defiant. Hundreds of them continued to hold a vigil in front of CHP headquarters in Ankara, calling for continued resistance until İmamoğlu is released. A widely circulated slogan summed up the mood, calling on CHP leaders: “Either you lead us or you get out of our way.”