Ümit Özdağ
Turkish opposition’s anti-refugee stance threatens all of us
| OpinionUnfortunately, xenophobia has been on the rise in Türkiye. This is not about patriotism in …
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OpinionTurkish opposition’s anti-refugee stance threatens all of us
By Burhanettin DuranIt is no secret that the opposition Good Party (IP), the Victory Party (ZP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) fueled xenophobia in Türkiye with reference to Syrian asylum-seekers and illegal migration ahead of the May 2023 elections. The opposition’s joint presidential candidate and CHP chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, built his campaign around anti-refugee sentiment – which effectively triggered the negative side effects of the cost of living. It seems highly likely that the CHP and the rest will resort to the same tactics for next year’s municipal elections.
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OpinionTurkish opposition persists in blame game as local elections loom
By Burhanettin DuranWith just seven months left until Türkiye’s local elections, the opposition remains focused on assigning blame for their election defeat. One might argue that properly reflecting on what happened in May 2023 would benefit the new alliance model. Yet, commentators close to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) make accusations against the alliance’s right-wing members, whose spokespeople make negative remarks about the alliance – which hardly amounts to meaningful analysis. If anything, the current debate threatens to alienate non-ideological voters, whom the opposition attempted to win over to secure a simple majority.
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OpinionIs the CHP’s crisis the government’s comfort?
By Burhanettin DuranIstanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu took the stage in the final act of the "change" debate within the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Issuing a call to action on social media, he essentially argued that the Turkish people demand “a change of CHP’s leadership and management in terms of generation and vision.” Imamoğlu’s emphasis on “youth” was a thinly veiled jab at the party’s 74-year-old chairperson, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Bu Konuda Daha Fazla
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CHP pulls down all opposition in Türkiye
By Burhanettin DuranThe CHP chairperson holds the upper hand because he controls the majority of party delegates. Accordingly, he can get reelected comfortably and handpick mayoral candidates. Yet, the leaked Zoom meeting suggests that Kılıçdaroğlu must sack a large number of CHP executives. By contrast, Imamoğlu needs to step into the arena.
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Sinan Oğan’s move: What does it mean for Türkiye’s...
By Burhanettin DuranSinan Oğan, who contested the presidential election as the ATA Alliance’s candidate, endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of Sunday’s second round. Rejecting allegations of a “deal” between himself and the incumbent, he insisted that he acted in line with his “principles” and highlighted the importance of “stability” with reference to the People’s Alliance’s parliamentary majority.
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Insight Turkey Publishes Its Latest Issue “Türkiye at the...
By SETAWe are confident that this issue of Insight Turkey entitled “Türkiye at the Crossroads: The 2023 Election” will addresses some of the issues that have been dominating the political agenda lately in Türkiye and we hope and believe that the insightful and stimulating debates raised on the issue will be helpful to our readers.
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Akşener’s uphill battle and the ‘process’ passion of table...
By Burhanettin DuranIronically, the level of difficulty increases as the Turkish opposition bloc's 'processes' become clearer
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What will the destiny of alliances be in Turkey’s...
By Burhanettin DuranAnkara decided to decrease the electoral threshold from 10% to 7%