As if ordered by Erdoğan: Turkey's opposition tears itself apart

Rival factions of Turkey's main opposition party, the CHP, engaged in a public feud in Ankara over the weekend, trading accusations of corruption and disloyalty. The internal strife, which observers suggest plays into the hands of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saw two distinct rallies held by opposing camps.

Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu, who was recently reinstated as party leader by a court decision, addressed a crowd of supporters near the CHP headquarters. He accused his party of corruption, aligning with the government's narrative that many CHP mayors deserve to be imprisoned. Kiliçdaroğlu also labeled his internal opponents as followers of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, a figure blamed by Erdoğan for a 2016 coup attempt and designated a terrorist group.

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He wants to cleanse the party of corruption and bribery, adopting the government's line that many CHP mayors deserve to be behind bars.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away, the ousted party leader Özgür Özel spoke to a significantly larger gathering. Özel accused Kiliçdaroğlu of filling his rally with paid attendees and of intending to align the party with the government rather than oppose it. He asserted that his faction, though lacking funds, has the support of the populace. Ankara's popular CHP mayor, Mansur Yavaş, a potential presidential candidate, joined Özel's side.

Polls suggest Özel's faction is larger, and most CHP members reportedly reject Kiliçdaroğlu's court-ordered return. However, Kiliçdaroğlu controls the party apparatus and can move to oust Özel and his allies. He has already requested that Özel be stripped of his position as CHP parliamentary group leader. Kiliçdaroğlu seeks revenge for his 2023 ouster as party leader, an event that saw Özel and İmamoğlu lead a reformist wing, making the CHP the strongest political force in the 2024 local elections. Under Kiliçdaroğlu's leadership from 2010 to 2023, the CHP lost nearly all elections against Erdoğan's AKP party.

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The elected party leadership may not have money, but they have the support of the people.