The Turkish government is intensifying pressure on opposition mayors and local officials to switch allegiance to the ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP). This strategy appears aimed at silencing dissent, particularly following the significant electoral victories by the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the March 2024 local elections. Observers note a rise in politically motivated lawsuits and arrests targeting CHP leadership, as the government seeks to undermine their influence.
Since the CHP’s victories, nearly 60 opposition-led municipalities have reportedly defected to the AKP, marking a troubling trend for the opposition. One of the most notable defections occurred in August when Ozlem Cercioglu, the CHP mayor of Aydin, along with five district mayors, announced their switch to the AKP. This change was highlighted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who endorsed the move, further consolidating AKP’s control over local governance.
The CHP claims this wave of defections is part of a broader intimidation campaign, which has seen at least 11 of its 26 mayors in Istanbul province arrested on charges ranging from alleged “terror ties” to “graft.” Among those arrested is Ekrem Imamoglu, the CHP’s presidential candidate and a prominent opponent of Erdogan, whose detention in March sparked widespread protests across Turkey.
In August, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel articulated the stark choices facing opposition mayors: “Join AKP or you’ll go to prison.” This sentiment was echoed by Hasan Mutlu, the mayor of Istanbul’s Bayrampasa district, who was arrested in mid-September. Mutlu stated on social media, “The only reason for my arrest and removal from office is my refusal to give in to pressure to join AKP.”
The ongoing pressure is not limited to arrests. Murat Bakan, CHP’s vice president, highlighted how some mayors are coerced into providing false testimonies against their peers. He noted that while stronger mayors resist these pressures, others succumb to fear and agree to switch parties to avoid imprisonment. Bakan emphasized that the AKP’s motivation is primarily to maintain its grip on power and diminish the opposition’s influence in local governance.
The AKP’s tactics echo those employed after the 2019 local elections, when over 50 mayors from the pro-Kurdish HDP party were removed and replaced by state-appointed administrators under allegations of ties to Kurdish militants. In towns where the CHP holds a narrow majority, there are reports of increasing pressure to alter council compositions, allowing the AKP to exert control over their governance.
Local councillor Sitki Keskin from Cukurova near Adana shared insights into the pressure faced during council meetings, stating that councillors have been compelled to resign, handing over control to the AKP. He noted that while some councils, like Adana’s, have managed to resist such tactics, the ongoing pressure remains significant.
According to political scientist Sinem Adar from the Berlin-based Centre for Applied Turkey Studies, the government’s aim is to “neutralise the opposition.” She underscored that while the AKP is attempting to project an image of popularity through these defections, its overall support has been declining since 2015.
In a recent statement, Erdogan expressed confidence that those defecting “believe AKP is the ideal party to serve the nation,” suggesting there would be “more defections.” However, CHP’s Bakan countered that this strategy is “not working,” asserting that their resistance is strengthening the entire opposition.
As the political landscape in Turkey continues to evolve, analysts predict that the ongoing “war on several fronts” against the opposition will persist. Adar noted that the AKP seems to have reached the limits of its capacity for political reform, resorting instead to repression. She concluded that if free elections were conducted, the AKP would likely face significant challenges, as the confrontation between the CHP and the ruling party escalates.
