TURKEY: The CHP’s Primary Elections & more – 11th Feb 2025

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 11th of February twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Tuesday the 6th, Turkey marked the second anniversary of the twin earthquakes that devastated the southeast, killing over 50,000 and injuring more than 100,000. According to a Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency report, despite two years passing, almost 650,000 people still live in container cities meant for temporary housing- Meanwhile, President Erdoğan said 453,000 housing units would be completed by the end of the year, though only half of the promised developments have materialized in the last two years.

Many tributes took place in southeastern cities affected by the earthquakes. Survivors held banners blaming the government’s negligence for the disaster.

Next up. On Monday the 10th, Mansur Yavaş, the mayor of Ankara from the Republican People’s Party (or CHP) announced that he would not participate in the party’s upcoming primary elections to determine the CHP’s presidential candidate. Instead, he suggested a two-candidate formula, where both candidates would run in the actual elections, and the one with fewer votes would serve as vice president.

Yavaş is against the CHP’s method for selecting the candidate, as he’s concerned that primaries could divide party members and argued that it shouldn't be the only criterion for candidate selection. He believes alternatives, like polls, should also be considered to avoid division within the party.

Still on the opposition, on Tuesday the 4th, a Turkish court launched an investigation into Cemal Enginyurt, a lawmaker from the CHP, for allegedly insulting and threatening President Erdoğan. The probe followed remarks Enginyurt made at a CHP group meeting, where he criticized Erdoğan’s leadership and called for resistance against oppression. Enginyurt, who recently left the Democrat Party to join CHP, had long been a vocal opposition figure.

The timing of the investigation raised questions, as it came right after his switch to the main opposition, which faces increasing pressure from the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Özgür Özel, the CHP leader, dismissed the investigation as politically motivated, arguing that Enginyurt had parliamentary immunity, and criticized Prosecutor Akın Gürlek for targeting opposition voices.

The government crackdown on the opposition continues. On Monday the 10th, authorities detained nine CHP municipal officials in Istanbul, including deputy mayors from Kartal and Ataşehir, as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist activities. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the arrests are tied to a political strategy called Urban Consensus, orchestrated by the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK.

Prosecutors stated that the strategy aimed to integrate Kurdish political actors into municipal governments, particularly in western Turkey, as part of a broader plan for regional autonomy. Authorities cited past statements from PKK leaders where they described Urban Consensus as a crucial strategy to increase Kurdish influence in Turkish cities, achieve autonomy, and forge alliances with democratic forces as evidence.

Meanwhile, on Friday the 7th, the Istanbul Governor’s Office rejected an application from the CHP to hold a march at Galata Bridge in support of Palestine. The party’s Istanbul branch planned the protest for Sunday the 9th, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statement about taking over Gaza.

Authorities cited regulations on demonstration locations as the reason for the rejection. However, on the 1st of January, the pro-government Turkish Youth Foundation held a similar pro-Palestine march at the same location for the second time. The decision raised questions about selective enforcement of demonstration rules, as opposition-organized events continue to face restrictions while government-affiliated groups receive approval.

Now, some news on press freedom — or the lack of it. On Saturday the 8th, Turkey blocked the Twitter account of Metin Cihan, an independent journalist, after he reported on Turkish companies trading with Israel despite an official ban. His posts included documents showing exports of barbed wire, cement, and petroleum by pro-government businesses.

Cihan denied any court ruling against him and accused Twitter of complying with government censorship. He announced he would continue publishing on Bluesky, a social media platform that markets itself as an alternative to Twitter. In recent months, President Erdoğan and former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım both took legal action against Cihan after he exposed business ties between their families and Israel.

On a similar event, on Thursday the 6th, a Turkish court arrested astrologer Hilal Saraç for allegedly insulting President Erdoğan and Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, on social media. Earlier in the week, reports of Bahçeli’s hospital visit emerged, and upon this, Saraç reposted a December prediction suggesting he would fall seriously ill. She also speculated about early elections and a political leader’s death before voting took place.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation, leading to her detention. Saraç defended her comments as medical astrology, which she says analyzes health potential through astrological charts. Her arrest sparked debate over free speech and the limits of political criticism in Turkey.

On Tuesday the 4th, President Erdoğan met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the newly appointed Syrian president, in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, to discuss security and economic cooperation. Erdoğan stated that Turkey was ready to support Syria’s new leadership against terrorist groups in the northeast, including the Islamic State and Kurdish militants.

He also said that the return of Syrian migrants would accelerate with increased stability and reiterated Turkey’s push to lift international sanctions imposed under Bashar al-Assad’s rule. The Syrian leader mentioned the need for a strategic partnership with Turkey and invited Erdoğan to visit Syria.

The meeting also included discussions on economic ties, as Turkish companies explored expansion opportunities in Syria, with expectations of tripling trade between the two countries.

In other news, this week, media outlets reported that over one hundred people have died from bootleg alcohol poisoning in Istanbul and Ankara since January. Another two hundred thirty people have been hospitalized, with forty in critical condition.

Rising alcohol prices due to heavy taxes under the Erdoğan administration have led many to turn to illicit liquor. Authorities have arrested twenty-four people and seized large quantities of smuggled alcohol and toxic substances. The Istanbul Governor’s Office announced stricter regulations, including mandatory cameras in alcohol-selling shops and increased inspections to curb the spread of bootleg liquor.

On Monday the 10th, the government announced plans to increase traffic fines as part of a new judicial package. The changes aim to improve deterrence, raising fines for offenses like hit-and-run accidents, driving without a license, and obstructing vehicles. Currently, hit-and-run offenders face a 2,170 lira fine, which is sixty US Dollars, and twenty penalty points. Penalty points are added to a driver’s record for violations, and accumulating too many can lead to a suspended or revoked license.

Under the new plan, those who flee the scene of an accident could face longer license suspensions, higher fines, and, in some cases, imprisonment. The government hopes these changes will deter dangerous driving behaviors.

On another note, on Thursday the 6th, the Turkish Statistical Institute shared some figures about population growth. Reportedly, Turkey’s population reached 85.66 million, increasing by nearly 300,000 in one year.

The foreign population declined by nearly 90,000, dropping to 1.48 million. Istanbul’s population grew to 15.7 million, adding about 46,000 residents. Most newcomers were from Sivas, with over 759,000 Sivas natives now living in the city. Bayburt remained Turkey’s least populated province, with around 84,000 residents.

Men and women make up nearly equal shares of the total population,

And to close this edition, on Saturday the 8th, villagers of Çamlıca, in the northeastern Edirne province, celebrated Bocuk Night, a medieval tradition similar to Halloween. Dressed in sheets and makeup, they went door to door shouting, "Bocuk is coming!"

The Bocuk, a malevolent spirit, is believed to roam on the coldest night of winter. On this day, villagers eat pumpkin dessert for protection and prepare traditional foods like roasted nuts. The ritual, aimed at warding off evil spirits and the fear of the cold, has been celebrated for centuries in Thrace and the Balkans.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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