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Sharp Tension Between Government and Turkish Opposition.. Özal: Erdogan Declared War
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The use of judiciary as a political tool to intimidate opponents shows a recurring pattern of Erdogan's attempts to control state institutions
Political tension escalated in Turkey as authorities launched a broad judicial pursuit campaign against the opposition, which Republican People's Party leader Özgür Özal described as a "declaration of war" by Erdogan.
Istanbul's Public Prosecutor, Akin Gürlek, initiated an urgent investigation against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu during his live speech at a symposium about the politicization of the judiciary.
Turkish police conducted a night raid on the home of Republican People's Party Youth Branch President Cem Aydin, arresting him with the participation of eight security personnel.
Opposition leaders highlighted the regime's use of judiciary to intimidate political opponents, pointing to increasing pressure on opponents as local elections approach.
The judicial campaign included National Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ, who faced investigation for insulting Erdogan, responding defiantly by pledging to repeat his criticisms "a thousand times."
These developments coincided with government efforts to exploit the Öcalan issue to strengthen Erdogan's position, through an initiative launched by his ally Devlet Bahçeli.
The repressive measures sparked widespread condemnation in Turkish political circles, especially with the targeting of prominent opposition figures, while observers accused authorities of attempting to undermine opposition chances in upcoming elections through the use of judicial and security apparatus.
Levant-Agencies
