Weekly Turkey Report: 3rd Week of September 2025 

The Republican People’s Party (CHP), facing the risk of government-appointed trustees, convened an extraordinary congress and re-elected Özgür Özel as party chair. Yet the week’s defining development was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s secret meeting at his Dolmabahçe Palace office with Donald John Trump Jr., son of former President Donald Trump and a businessman in real estate. News of the meeting was leaked by state insiders to CHP leader Özel.

Özel revealed the allegation as follows:

“Last week, in Dolmabahçe, concealing his identity, he [Erdoğan] sat down at the table with Trump’s son, Jr. Trump, to bargain. While Palestine is bleeding, they are doing business with Trump’s son through lobbying firms. They are abandoning Palestine to Trump. I said, ‘Come with me, let’s go arm-in-arm to Palestine.’ Silence. I stand with the Palestinians—where are you, Erdoğan?”

Özel added further claims about the negotiation:

“He tells Trump’s son: ‘If you arrange a meeting for me with Trump, I promise to announce, live on air before the whole world, that Turkey will purchase 300 Boeing aircraft from the United States.’ This was the condition for securing the meeting.”

Although Erdoğan attempted to deny the allegations, President Trump confirmed them on his social media platform, declaring that the meeting was indeed arranged on the condition of the $100 billion Boeing deal:

“On September 25, I look forward to welcoming President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the White House. Alongside the large-scale Boeing aircraft sale, we are working on a critical F-16 agreement and the F-35 negotiations, which we hope will conclude positively. My relations with President Erdoğan have always been very strong. I eagerly await his visit on the 25th.”

Reports further suggest that the meeting’s agenda will include a project to transform Gaza into a tourism and gambling hub, involving the removal of its Palestinian population—an initiative Trump Jr. has allegedly been scouting. In response, CHP leader Özel announced that his party will stage a rally on Wednesday at the very hour of the Erdoğan–Trump meeting, inviting all parties to participate under Palestinian flags. Following the rally, demonstrators will march to the Palestinian Embassy in Eyüpsultan in solidarity.

Tensions in the Peace Commission

The eleventh meeting of the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission,” chaired by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, was marked by sharp disputes. Members of both the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party objected to the presentation made by the Islamic Propagation Association.

MHP’s Feti Yıldız stated: “We did not invite you here to insult the military, the police, or the state.” DEM MP Cengiz Çiçek retorted: “You murdered people with hogtie killings. You are the ones who have been a scourge upon the Kurds.” The DEM delegation walked out after the exchange.

DEM MP Saruhan Oluç declared: “How can peace be made with this language? We tolerated it until now. You feed on blood—shame on you, bloodsuckers. May God curse you.”

Later, DEM sources told T24 that the peace process had stalled because reciprocal steps were not being taken. They stressed that once legal reforms are enacted, disarmament and return processes could accelerate.

Sustained Pressure on the CHP

The 42nd Ankara Civil Court of First Instance postponed its ruling in the CHP congress lawsuit to October 24. Meanwhile, the Ankara Provincial Election Board rejected an appeal to cancel the party’s 22nd Extraordinary Congress, confirming that it would go forward.

On Sunday, under the slogan “No to Coups, No to Trustees,” CHP held its congress, which it described as a “legal and political safeguard.” Özgür Özel, the sole candidate, was re-elected party chair with all 835 valid votes.

The judiciary also upheld the conviction in Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s “insult case,” where he had been sentenced in 2022 to two years, seven months, and 15 days in prison along with a political ban. His lawyers noted that the Supreme Court appeal remains open and that the ruling does not yet impose a definitive political ban.

Municipal Crackdowns

A corruption probe into Bayrampaşa Municipality led to the arrest of Mayor Hasan Mutlu and 25 others on charges including bribery and extortion. Mutlu denounced the arrests as unlawful. İmamoğlu condemned the arrests as part of what he called an “Escobar system” designed to intimidate opposition mayors with fabricated charges and state pressure.

Police also detained the deputy mayor of CHP-run Köyceğiz Municipality on allegations of zoning-related corruption. Meanwhile, ten municipal administrators from Istanbul’s Kartal and Ataşehir districts continued to face trial in the “Urban Reconciliation” case.

Defections from opposition municipalities to the ruling AKP continue. Since March 2024, 59 municipalities have switched sides, with rumors suggesting the number could reach 100. Speculation is growing that Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and two other CHP mayors may soon join the AKP.

AKP in Disarray

Internal fractures in the AKP leadership deepened as eight provincial chairs resigned within three days, including those of Elazığ, Muğla, Adıyaman, Niğde, Çanakkale, and Tunceli.

Bahçeli Calls for NATO Exit

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, Erdoğan’s coalition partner, reacted strongly to recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu targeting Erdoğan. Bahçeli called for the creation of a “Turkey–Russia–China (TRÇ) Alliance,” presenting it as an alternative to NATO.

Growing Rift Over Police Appointments

CHP deputy chair Murat Bakan suggested that recent police reshuffles, which have sidelined nationalist and Alevi commanders once favored under former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, are creating tensions within the coalition. He noted that Bahçeli’s recent warnings against a “parallel structure” mark an unprecedented move that reveals possible cracks between the AKP and MHP.

Crackdown on Artists and Musicians

Merve Göntem, scriptwriter of the popular TV series Kızılcık Şerbeti, was briefly detained over social media posts and past remarks linked to her earlier work. She was released under judicial control.

Separately, the Ministry of Family and Social Services requested access restrictions on singer Mabel Matiz’s latest song Perperişan. The Interior Ministry also filed a complaint against the artist on grounds of “obscenity in the media.”

Kurdish Visibility in Sports

Diyarbakır-based football club Amedspor debuted a new jersey featuring a Kurdish-language sponsor slogan, marking the first time a Kurdish phrase has appeared on a professional league kit in Turkey.

Restoration Controversy at Selimiye Mosque

Fifty-five leading calligraphers condemned a state-approved restoration project at the 16th-century Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, designed by Mimar Sinan. The project aims to replace original calligraphy attributed to Hasan Çelebi, a student of Ahmed Şemseddin Karahisari, with modern inscriptions. Critics argue the plan would erase the mosque’s historical integrity.