Weekly Turkey Report: 2nd Week of August 2025

While Turkey is trapped in a spiral of repression against the opposition, economic collapse, and the impoverishment of wage earners, concerns over the country’s future are prompting some centers within the state to view measures aimed at strengthening domestic unity as essential. The most visible spokesperson of this tendency is MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) leader Devlet Bahçeli.

In Turkey’s political culture, rife with intrigue, it may be tempting to assume that Erdoğan, head of the AKP (Justice and Development Party), plays the “bad cop” while Bahçeli plays the “good cop” to deceive and stall both the opposition and the Kurds. Yet the current structure of power does not really require such theatrics, as the ruling bloc already dominates both parliament and the state bureaucracy.

Still, some within the state apparatus seem to look at Syria and Iraq and see Turkey’s potential future. Both countries, unable to provide a democratic legal framework in which diverse ethnic and religious communities can coexist peacefully, have failed to unite their societies or resolve their crises, leaving them on the brink of devastating civil wars.

Since its founding, Turkey has likewise failed to resolve the Kurdish and Alevi issues, instead seeking to erase these identities through denial and repression while attempting to impose a singular Sunni-Turkish identity. If anything, one might argue that this trajectory was shaped more by Talaat Pasha than by Mustafa Kemal. Despite decades of coercion, however, both Kurdish identity and Alevism remain powerful undercurrents in Turkish society. At moments of political rupture, both groups may feel their very existence is threatened and consider charting their own path—much like developments in Iraq and Syria.

Moreover, the age of mass communication and social media has made it nearly impossible to suppress or deny such identities, while the Turkish diaspora in Europe provides fertile ground for their flourishing.

MHP’s “Alevi Initiative”

It is likely with this reality in mind that Bahçeli and segments of the state are now signaling an “Alevi Opening,” following the earlier (and ultimately aborted) “Kurdish Opening.” According to a report by Habertürk, preparations are underway for a comprehensive reform package on Alevis.

Rumors in Ankara suggest that once construction of Bahçeli’s Alevi-Bektashi complex in Hacı Bektaş is completed, he may announce a “historic initiative” on Republic Day, October 29. The move is expected to emphasize national unity on the 102nd anniversary of the Republic. Possible components include:

• Education: Introducing curriculum content that respects Alevi beliefs and traditions.
• Worship Status: Granting cemevis official recognition as houses of worship.
• Institutional Framework: Establishing an autonomous “Alevi-Bektashi Faith Authority” directly under the Presidency.

President Erdoğan, however, appears reluctant to act decisively on these initiatives. While he gives the appearance of consent, he remains focused on pursuing his own political agenda. His recent crackdown on CHP (Republican People’s Party) figures and the transfer of opposition mayors to the AKP are telling examples.

CHP Under Siege

Despite Bahçeli’s calls for easing political repression, prosecutors have intensified operations against CHP-controlled municipalities.

• In Istanbul, an investigation into the Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) led to detention warrants for 44 individuals, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney.
• In Antalya, a corruption probe resulted in the arrest of 17 municipal employees.

Meanwhile, mayors under investigation have faced mounting pressure: accept imprisonment or defect to the AKP. Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu—known for her staunchly nationalist and anti-Kurdish stance—switched sides with nine other mayors. Reports suggest she faced both legal threats and financial collapse of her family’s business. Following her defection, her husband’s company’s stock value rose by 4.2 billion lira in just three days.

Erdoğan personally welcomed the defectors at a public ceremony, pinning AKP badges on them and lashing out at critics:

“The AK Party family is growing. To those who attack our new members with vulgar and shameless language, I say: ‘Enough.’ These people sit in filth while throwing dirt at others. We will not bow to such dishonor.”

Corruption and Judicial Decay

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, speaking at a rally in Bayrampaşa, promised to expose further scandals, targeting AKP figure Mücahit Birinci. Özel accused Birinci of attempting to coerce a detained businessman into signing a false statement in exchange for $2 million. Soon after, Birinci resigned from the AKP.

Meanwhile, journalist Murat Ağırel revealed new allegations that Turkish students had secured admission to medical and law schools using falsified foreign passports, adding to the ongoing scandal of forged diplomas and fake IDs.

Pressure on the Media

Journalist Fatih Altaylı, already facing trial for allegedly “threatening the president,” is now under investigation for “spreading misleading information” under Article 217 of the Turkish Penal Code.

Other Developments This Week

• Diyanet Sermon: The Directorate of Religious Affairs sparked controversy by declaring in Friday prayers that depriving daughters of inheritance rights, or daughters refusing to accept their God-given share, constitutes a violation of divine justice.
• Military Resignation: General Kemal Yeni, recently appointed Commander of the Third Army, submitted his retirement shortly after the Supreme Military Council meetings.
• Natural Disasters: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Balıkesir on August 10, killing one person and damaging 20 homes. In Çanakkale and Ayvacık, forest fires destroyed large tracts of land.