1st Week of June: Erdoğan Moving Closer to Putin’s Playbook

Weekly Turkey Report – 1st Week of July

Last week, President Erdoğan escalated efforts toward an authoritarian transformation of the regime. In a display of brazenness and defiance, he accused the main opposition party CHP of being steeped in corruption—despite the deep and systemic corruption embedded in his own administration. This week saw a significant intensification of pressure on CHP municipalities and the media. Meanwhile, the suspicious death of whistleblower Muhammet Yakut in Europe drew attention, and a critical stage was reached in the Kurdish peace process.

İmamoğlu and CHP

The week opened with a sweeping police operation targeting the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Under the pretext of corruption and misconduct allegations, 157 individuals were subjected to detention orders. By early morning, 120 people were detained in coordinated raids and taken in for questioning.

Notably, just a week before the operation, Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay had submitted the municipality’s internal inspection report to the prosecutor’s office. CHP MP Mahmut Tanal stated that most of those detained were sent directly to court for arrest without proper legal representation or even being questioned, describing the actions as a blatant violation of defense rights. According to reports, the arrests were publicized through the media, while lawyers were left uninformed.

Of the 99 people referred to court in the Izmir operation, 35 were arrested, including former Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP Izmir Chair Şenol Aslanoğlu. The wave of arrests quickly expanded to other CHP-led municipalities. In an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into an alleged criminal network led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, 10 additional suspects were detained. Despite Aktaş’s past dealings with numerous AKP-run municipalities and public institutions, only his alleged ties with CHP municipalities were pursued—and he was released while hundreds of others faced legal action.

Among those detained in the ongoing operations were Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün’s acting replacement, Ahmet Şahin, and lawyer Onur Büyükhatipoğlu. Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, along with his son and daughter-in-law, was also arrested, with a detention order later issued against him.

Since the March 31 local elections, CHP, now the largest party in Turkey, has seen operations launched against 17 of its municipalities. Twelve mayors—including Istanbul’s Ekrem İmamoğlu—have been arrested, while three more, along with a deputy mayor, remain in custody.

In response, the pro-Kurdish DEM Party condemned the operations, linking them to the stalled peace process. In a statement, the party warned that deepening these unlawful practices gravely undermines societal hopes for peace, calling instead for democratic reforms and rule of law. DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan also criticized the crackdown: “No authoritarian system built on injustice has ever benefited anyone.”

Meanwhile, a corruption probe has been initiated into CHP-led Manavgat Municipality. Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara was taken into custody along with 34 others.

Legal pressure has also been mounting on the CHP’s internal structure. A court case aimed at annulling the party’s two latest congresses and dismissing its authorized committees was postponed until September. The decision prompted a positive reaction from financial markets, with the BIST 100 index rising above 9,600 points for the first time since June 12.

As part of a separate case, another Ankara court ruled it lacked jurisdiction over the CHP’s 38th Congress, referring the matter to the regional appellate court.

At a large rally in Istanbul’s Saraçhane Square marking İmamoğlu’s 100th day in detention, CHP Chair Özgür Özel described the March 19 arrests as “a coup.” Referring to Erdoğan, he said: “The person who was once elected president is no longer a president, but the head of a junta.”

The indictment against İmamoğlu accuses him of obtaining a university degree through fraudulent means, demanding a political ban and a sentence of up to 8 years and 9 months. Boğaziçi University sociology graduate Doruk Dörücü protested İmamoğlu’s imprisonment by tearing up his diploma at his graduation ceremony, stating, “The diploma issued by this despotic regime is void.”

Dörücü was later detained in a dawn raid and placed under judicial control, including a travel ban.

Parliament also received summary proceedings against CHP Chair Özgür Özel and MP Tuncay Özkan, requesting the lifting of their parliamentary immunity. The case against Özel stems from his public criticism of the Court of Cassation’s ruling against TİP MP Can Atalay.

Kurdish Issue

Reports indicate that the PKK is planning a symbolic move in Iraqi Kurdistan by having a small guerrilla unit surrender and destroy their weapons. Media and civil society representatives have been invited to witness the event. However, the group emphasized that Ankara has yet to take any steps—especially regarding the release of Abdullah Öcalan—toward restoring democratic norms or legal processes.

Erdoğan, speaking to loyalist journalists aboard his plane, promised that “significant steps” would be taken soon. Facing declining support due to the economic crisis, Erdoğan appears to be seeking Kurdish backing—however superficially—in a bid to secure future electoral wins.

PKK leader Mustafa Karasu criticized Ankara’s reluctance to act, saying:

“This process began with Devlet Bahçeli’s call—he suggested the party speak in Parliament, disband its armed wing, and end armed resistance. He then promised participation in the ‘right to hope.’ That call was fulfilled by our leadership, yet the state has failed to uphold its part—lifting isolation, granting hope, and involving Öcalan in the process. If this is indeed a serious issue, then the Turkish state must take serious steps, beginning with Öcalan’s freedom.”

Freedom of Speech

RTÜK (Turkey’s media regulator) imposed a 10-day broadcast suspension on Halk TV, accusing it of “inciting hatred and hostility.” The channel will be taken off-air starting July 8. If sanctioned again within a year for the same reason, its license may be revoked.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that a criminal investigation had been opened against satirical magazine LeMan for allegedly insulting religious values. That evening, the magazine’s building was attacked by a group.

The controversy stemmed from a cartoon misinterpreted as depicting the Prophet Muhammad. LeMan clarified that the character named “Muhammed” was a civilian killed in Israeli airstrikes, not a representation of the Prophet, noting that over 200 million people bear the name worldwide.

Subsequently, LeMan’s website and X (formerly Twitter) account were blocked by court order for allegedly threatening public order and national security.

Journalist Şule Aydın reported that Timur Soykan, who had criticized the CHP operations online, was detained and brought to police headquarters.

Other Developments

• Since March 2024, when interest rates were raised to 50% to fight inflation, natural gas prices have soared by 149%.
• While President Erdoğan will receive a mid-year salary increase of 55,479 TL and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek will get 51,821 TL, civil servants and retirees will receive far less—6,677 TL and 2,412 TL respectively. No raise was announced for minimum wage workers.
• Despite government claims of halting trade with Israel, economist İnan Mutlu shared official Israeli data revealing Turkey exported $393.7 million worth of goods to Israel in the first five months of 2025.
• Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 156 suspects were detained in nationwide operations targeting the so-called FETO in 30 provinces over the past two weeks. Of these, 65 were arrested and 34 placed under judicial control.
• According to the World Justice Project’s 2024 Rule of Law Index, Turkey ranks 117th out of 142 countries, placing it in the bottom quartile. Analysts highlight politically motivated prosecutions as the main factor undermining public trust in the judiciary.
• The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) received 21,600 complaints from Turkey—36% of all filings from 47 European countries. Since 2002, the ECHR has issued 3,363 violation rulings against Turkey.