Chair of the Geid Party, Meral Akşener (center), at the ceremony announcing the party’s candidates for the local elections (social media sites)

Ankara -

As the date of the local elections approaches in Turkey, the opposition faces many challenges, in which internal difficulties and challenges are particularly prominent, especially in light of the divisions and conflicts witnessed by the most prominent opposition party, the Republican People’s Party.

The public disagreements between party leader Ozgur Ozil and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu over identifying candidates for local elections in several regions cast a shadow over the party, making it vulnerable to increasing criticism from inside and outside.

Criticisms issued by the current mayors who have not been nominated for future terms include accusations of a noticeable exclusion of Kurds and Alevis within the party’s ranks or “marginalization of Kılıçdaroğlu’s supporters,” which reflected a kind of dissatisfaction and division within the party, which indicates deeper conflicts that go beyond mere Identifying candidates for elections.

On the other hand, the "People's Alliance", which brings together the Justice and Development Party and the National Movement Party, appears to be in a more stable and balanced position, which increases the challenges of the opposition, especially after the sharpening of the differences and the expansion of divisions within the ranks of its parties, which came together under the banner of the "Nation's Alliance." During the presidential and parliamentary elections last year.

Yesterday's friend is today's enemy

The disagreements and clashes between the Republican People's Party and the "Good" Party show the depth of the rifts between the two parties, which began in the wake of the 2023 presidential elections, following the loss of the Umma Alliance led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the President of the Turkish Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while the Justice and Development Party strengthened its position in Parliament. He won 268 seats, leaving the Republican People's Party with 169 seats, and the Good Party with 43 seats.

In an enthusiastic speech delivered by the head of the Geid Party, Meral Akşener, during a meeting of the party’s parliamentary bloc, she used a poetic verse that says, “When a massive war breaks out, men run, but the coward slows down,” in an implicit reference to the reluctance of the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara to accept candidacy for the presidential elections within the Nation Alliance, instead of... About Kılıçdaroğlu, whom Akşener did not see as the ideal candidate.

Aksener announced her party's plan to run in the upcoming municipal elections alone, abandoning previous alliances that she considered disappointing, and then accused the current mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, of preventing the Geyid Party from hanging its propaganda billboards in the streets of the city.

She pointed out that the obstacles facing her election campaign stem from within Istanbul itself and not from the capital, Ankara, in an implicit indication that President Erdogan is not a source of pressure she faces.

In an exciting turn of events within the Turkish political arena, the Geyid Party faced major internal challenges against the backdrop of a series of resignations that struck its ranks, coinciding with the announcement by its president, Meral Aksener, that the party would run in the upcoming elections alone.

But the statements of the former head of the Good Party bloc in Parliament, Ibrahim Ozkan, which came after his resignation, shed light on his repeated meetings with the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, which he described as “practicing back-door politics,” which sparked controversy about the nature of the alliances and promises that were exchanged.

In an expected reaction, Aksener described these resignations and unannounced movements as a “direct attack on the future of the Al-Jayyid Party,” stressing her intention to confront any attempts to interfere in the party’s internal affairs, in strongly worded statements that showed the intensity of the conflict within the ranks of the Turkish opposition.

While Imamoglu denounced the statements of the head of the Good Party, describing them as exceeding the limit, stressing his readiness to extend a hand of cooperation to all parties and maintain friendly relations with the head of the Good Party.

New developments

The headquarters of the Republican People's Party in the "Jorma" district of Trabzon issued a statement declaring its support for the Geyid Party candidate in the upcoming local elections, based on the instructions of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, which once again highlights the escalating tension between Imamoglu and Ozgur Ozil, head of the People's Party. Republican.

Analysts pointed out that this step by İmamoğlu aims to build bridges of communication with the head of the Geyid Akşener Party, who has not issued any comments regarding this development so far.

What was striking was the friendly relationship that emerged between Imamoglu and Akşener during their presence at her sister's funeral, where they exchanged conversations in a way that reflects a level of mutual respect and appreciation, which some considered a step towards the restoration of relations between the two parties.

Ekrem Imamoglu (left) at the funeral of Meral Aksener's sister (Turkish press)

Liberalization of opposition parties

Political researcher Ahmed Ozgur spoke to Al Jazeera Net about major shifts in the strategies of the Turkish opposition parties, which began to run in the elections independently, freed from the pressures of previous cooperation with the Republican People's Party, which reflects a desire to strengthen individual political identities and improve their chances in the upcoming local elections.

Ozgur stressed that the recent presidential elections in May 2023 showed that “unity in the face of President Erdogan is no longer sufficient as a strategy for victory, which reflected a state of frustration and perhaps despair among the small parties.”

The head of the youth branch of the Republican People's Party, Gokchan Alu Koc, told Al Jazeera Net, "The crisis between Imamoglu and Ozgur Ozil is taking an expanding turn, and may reach the point of estrangement, as it seems that each party has begun to search for its interests and aspirations independently, which adds another layer of rift." complexity to the current situation of the party.”

He also pointed out "the need to pay attention to the presence of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who seems to be waiting for the day after the elections to confirm his presence again, especially in the event that the party loses control of the major municipalities."

Alou Kosh warned that “the crisis with the Al-Jayyid Party may negatively affect the balance of the opposition at a critical time, with the local elections approaching,” stressing that all crises that occur before the elections are in the interest of the Justice and Development Party, which puts the future of the opposition at risk.

Source: Al Jazeera