The streets of Turkey are boiling in massive protest against the dictatorship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Amidst intense police crackdown and atrocities on the members of the opposition political party, the opposition has reiterated that democracy is dead and has ceased to function in the country. The institutions of the state such as the police and judiciary are said to be functioning in favour of and as per the commands of President Erdogan. The President has hijacked the institutions of state, claims the protestors.
In the latest row, in a fractured and dictatorial political landscape of Turkey, the police and security forces have launched a massive attack on the headquarters of CHP, the principal opposition party of the country. Police have unleashed tear gas and fired bullets on the members of the party. It is said that even the judiciary of Ankara is rendering a verdict against the opposition party leader at the behest and command of the authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This illustrates how democracy is dead and draconian is the rule under President Erdogan, reiterates the opposition party as it protests against the ruling regime of Erdogan.
The flashpoint that triggered massive protest
Recently, the election victory of Ozgur Ozel as the leader of the opposition party of CHP was nullified and rejected by the court in Ankara. It is said that the court has delivered the ruling as per the demands and aspirations of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thus it is aimed at uprooting the rise of a strong leader in the opposition party. As per the verdict, the control of the CHP must be apparently handed over to Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, Ozel’s predecessor, who led the party for 13 years but has never won a national election. Thus the ruling and the attack on Ozel, his party headquarters and his supporters are deemed as acts in Erdogan’s coercive campaign to consolidate power.
Against this autocratic rule and iron fist of Erdogan, the CHP party and its leader Ozgu Ozel has hit the streets unleashing a massive protest. However, the police have launched an intense crackdown on the protestors. However, this is not the maiden act of Erdogan to remain in power. In 2025, he had arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu from the CHP party on false political allegations. Erdogan has also imprisoned dozens of other political leaders, intellectuals and critics whom he deem as a threat, obstacle and challenge to his rule. Lately, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and CHP leader Ozgu Ozel have emerged as a major hurdle to the iron fist of Erdogan.
In the 2024 municipal elections, Ozgo Ozel led his CHP party and won key cities including Ankara and Istanbul. On the contrary, President Erdogan’s AKP party suffered from a massive defeat. Post the loss in the elections, President Erdogan has intensified his crackdown on the opposition and the critics of his rule. Apparently, Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003. In 2014, he amended the constitution, converted it into a Presidential system of government and has been held on to power since then. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Ozgo Ozel has vowed to defeat President Erdogan by rebuilding his party and gaining a massive support base.
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, clutches to power for a prolonged duration, the economic progress and development of Turkey is drastically derailing. The nation is suffering from double-digit inflation which is oscillating between 47 to 75 per cent coupled with soaring cost of living crisis. Businesses are exiting Ankara due to the economic crisis and authoritarian rule with the backsliding of democracy. The fragile geographical location of Turkey leads to repeated high-intensity earthquakes adding further burden and cost on the economy. The President Erdogan regime is also illicitly channelising terrorism and regional security threats. It infact supported Pakistan against India, by supplying drones and other military assistance during Operation Sindoor.
