Erdoğan and Özel hold key talks to normalize Turkish political climate

This marked Erdoğan's first visit in nearly a decade and his first under the leadership of the new CHP chair, Özgür Özel.

The meeting, held at the CHP's headquarters in Ankara, symbolizes a significant step in "softening" the historically tense relations between the ruling government and the main opposition. The event was marked by formalities, including a red carpet reception for Erdoğan, who has long been a vocal critic of Türkiye’s oldest political party.

Erdoğan and Özel shook hands and proceeded to the 12th floor of the building for their discussion, posing briefly for media crews. The meeting lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes. Post-meeting, both leaders shook hands again before Erdoğan returned to his party headquarters to debrief on the discussions.

This engagement follows their initial meeting on May 2 at the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters. It comes after the March 31 municipal elections, where the AK Party lost several strongholds to the CHP. Previously, Erdoğan and Özel had also informally interacted during a national holiday reception at the Presidential Complex.

During the meeting, Erdoğan was accompanied by Mustafa Elitaş, the acting group chair of the AK Party, while Özel was joined by CHP lawmaker Namık Tan. This second formal meeting underscores a shift in political dynamics, as Erdoğan had never held such discussions with Özel's predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Özel emphasized the importance of dialogue between political rivals, stating: “If politicians do not shake hands, it will play into the hands of circles seeking domination of Türkiye. Politicians meet, discuss and finally compete. In the end, it is Türkiye that wins.”

Erdoğan has described their meetings as indicative of a “softening climate” in Turkish politics, but he noted that the AK Party has "red lines" that the CHP should not cross. Özel, on the other hand, framed the ongoing dialogue as part of a broader "normalization" process rather than a mere softening of stances.

This development is seen as a potential harbinger of more cooperative political discourse in Türkiye, amidst the backdrop of competitive local and general elections since the early 2000s. The CHP’s recent gains in the 2019 municipal elections have set the stage for this renewed engagement between Türkiye’s political heavyweights. (ILKHA)