Weekly Turkey Report: 1st Week of September

Erdoğan’s Escalating Pressure on the CHP

With the arrival of autumn, President Erdoğan has intensified his pressure and encirclement of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which he perceives as the greatest threat to his rule. Meanwhile, in the faltering Kurdish peace process, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has openly called for bringing PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan back into play.

The first week of September marked the anniversary of the Istanbul Pogrom of September 6–7, 1955, a turning point in the demographic and cultural transformation of Turkey. During the Lausanne negotiations, the Kemalist regime sought, unsuccessfully, to include Istanbul’s Greek population in the compulsory population exchange. The pogrom, organized by the Counter-Guerrilla unit of the state, ultimately drove out nearly all remaining Greeks and Armenians from Istanbul and Anatolia.

A fabricated news story claiming that “Atatürk’s house in Thessaloniki was bombed” was used as a pretext. Crowds of lumpen elements, transported to Beyoğlu by truck, were unleashed on Greek and Armenian communities. With the participation of some neighbors, homes, shops, and churches were looted. Fifteen people were killed and more than fifty women were raped. The pogrom forced the last remaining Greeks and Armenians to abandon Anatolia, transforming Turkey into the “99% Muslim” nation that official discourse proudly proclaims today.

Trustees Appointed to CHP Istanbul

The most significant development of the week was the decision by Istanbul’s 45th Civil Court of First Instance to dismiss the CHP Istanbul provincial administration and appoint five opposition figures as trustees. The move escalated into a judicial maneuver between the presidential palace and the CHP, with the party responding to the risk of a broader takeover by calling for an extraordinary congress on September 21.

The case dates back to October 8, 2023, when the Istanbul Provincial Congress of the CHP was annulled by court order. The ruling removed Özgür Çelik and his leadership team from office and suspended 196 delegates, halting the ongoing congress process. Gürsel Tekin, Zeki Şen, Hasan Babacan, Müjdat Gürbüz, and Erkan Narsap were appointed as interim administrators.

However, the CHP’s Central Executive Board (MYK) referred Tekin and the others for expulsion from the party, and Tekin has since been expelled. Two trustees, Hasan Babacan and Müjdat Gürbüz, later resigned. Meanwhile, a case in Ankara raised the prospect of also annulling the party’s 38th General Congress, which elected Özgür Özel as party leader. Pro-government commentators quickly began speculating that his leadership could be overturned by judicial decree.

Although the district election boards of Ataşehir, Esenyurt, and Sarıyer initially halted local congresses, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) reversed those decisions, allowing district congresses to proceed. However, the court-appointed trusteeship of the provincial headquarters remained in force. CHP leader Özel responded: “This is the best decision under the circumstances. Özgür Çelik will once again be chairman in five weeks. Even if nullification is declared, it will be meaningless.”

A Constitutional Violation

The Ankara Bar Association declared the court’s intervention unconstitutional, stressing that only district election boards and the YSK have authority over party congresses. It described the lower court’s move as a blatant usurpation of authority, warning:

“These rulings constitute a grave violation of the rule of law and a serious wound to democracy.”

Following the annulment of the CHP Istanbul Congress, Bloomberg reported that state banks sold $5 billion to defend the lira.

Meanwhile, Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, who had been released, was rearrested within 30 hours after an appeal court reinstated his detention.

Erdoğan Meets Bahçeli

President Erdoğan visited MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli at his residence. The 50-minute closed-door meeting reportedly addressed the parliamentary commission on the Kurdish issue and developments in Syria.

Presidential Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum suggested revising Article 66 of the Constitution, which defines citizenship. He floated a new formulation emphasizing that “regardless of ethnic or religious identity, anyone legally bound to the Republic of Turkey is a Turkish citizen.”

Moves Against CHP and DEM Leaders

Eleven parliamentary motions seeking to lift the immunity of six MPs, including CHP leader Özgür Özel and DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan, were submitted to the Speaker’s Office.

Pervin Buldan, a member of the Imrali delegation, revealed that Öcalan recently expressed strong views on developments in Syria and Rojava, declaring: “Syria and Rojava are my red lines. For me, they are different.”

MHP deputy chair Feti Yıldız confirmed that the parliamentary “National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission,” chaired by Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, is considering hearing Öcalan’s statements. Reports indicate that three or four members of the commission may visit him in İmralı.

Education Under Political Islam

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced plans to revise Turkey’s compulsory 12-year education system, arguing that uninterrupted 8-year schooling is “undemocratic.” He suggested reducing the length of compulsory education, signaling a shift toward an Islamist-inspired educational model.

New Scandals in the Judiciary

Two major scandals rocked the judiciary this week.

• Ercan Sayhan, a prosecutor in Istanbul, was murdered in his own restaurant, allegedly by a former employee who slit his throat.

• Veyselgarani İsmailoğlu, presiding judge of Ankara’s Juvenile Heavy Penal Court, was arrested after a drunk-driving motorcycle accident in Manavgat left one person dead. Legal experts noted that Article 88 of the Law on Judges and Prosecutors prohibits arresting judges except in cases of serious crimes, sparking controversy over his detention.

Meanwhile, DEM Party MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu reported that ailing prisoner İbrahim Güngör died in Menemen R-Type Prison.