The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Ömer Çelik criticized the main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel, for engaging in divisive politics that threaten Türkiye’s national interests, warning that such policies would ultimately backfire.
In a statement posted on social media, Çelik claimed that Özel’s political approach had shifted from opposition to “a comprehensive threat against Türkiye itself.”
“Özgür Özel has taken control of all dynamics within the CHP and is now targeting Türkiye’s social and economic life to protect his position as party chairman,” Çelik said. He described Özel’s performance as “the most extreme example of political fanaticism and social divisiveness” in Türkiye’s political history.
Çelik argued that Özel lacks the capacity to conduct constructive opposition and is instead focused on polarizing society.
“He has reduced the CHP not only to a party devoid of any realistic governance vision, but even stripped it of its ability to carry out proper opposition,” he said.
According to Çelik, Özel's political discourse consists of "fanaticism, threats, targeting national firms, profiling citizens, and fueling social division."
“The actions Özgür Özel is taking to undermine Türkiye’s achievements will ultimately only harm him,” Çelik added.
“Our citizens will reject this fake politics and boycott these aggressive political figures,” he added.
Recently, the main opposition party called on its supporters to boycott any businesses and figures who refused to explicitly oppose Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu’s arrest on corruption charges.
Imamoğlu was detained on March 19 and formally arrested on March 23. Between those dates and afterward, riots broke out across Türkiye as the mayor’s CHP sought to mobilize crowds to protest it. Authorities imposed a ban on gatherings after the incitement by the CHP, particularly in Istanbul.
