Probe Initiated against Turkish Opposition Leader Ozel on Account of Alleged Presidential Insults - "Turkish Opposition Leader Özel Faces Inquiry over Alleged Disrespect towards the President"
In the heart of Turkey's political landscape, the investigation against opposition leader Özgür Özel for "insulting the President" has reached an advanced stage, escalating political tensions in the country [3][4].
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has initiated an ex officio investigation into Özel on these charges, following his condemnation of the arrests of CHP mayors. The accusation stems from Özel’s claim that members of the Court of Appeals staged a “coup against the Constitutional Court” by refusing to comply with a ruling favourable to another opposition MP. This is considered "insulting a public official" under the Turkish Penal Code, carrying a potential penalty of one to two years in prison [1].
Presidential decrees have been sent to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) to lift Özel's parliamentary immunity to allow for trial. The lifting of Özel's immunity requires a quorum of 151 votes in the TBMM, which could be achieved with the governing AK Party's votes alone. This is not the first time such a request has been made to lift Özel’s immunity. Özel has publicly dismissed fears of imprisonment, stating that if they were afraid, they would not be continuing their political activities [1].
The current head of state in Turkey, President Erdogan, has filed a complaint against Özel for presidential insult in November. This comes as Erdogan increasingly puts pressure on the CHP, which scored a major victory against his Islamic-conservative AKP in last year's local elections. The arrests and investigations against CHP politicians, including the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, a main domestic political rival of President Erdogan, on corruption charges he denies, have sparked the largest wave of protests in Turkey since the Gezi protests in 2013 [2].
The arrest of İmamoğlu is considered part of corruption investigations by the left-nationalist opposition party led by Özel. The arrest of three CHP mayors over the weekend is the latest step in a series of investigations against CHP politicians, with the investigations being handled by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Özel has referred to and implied references to İmamoğlu in his statements, stating that they are taking away the mayors elected by the people [5][6].
In the face of these legal and political pressures, Özel remains defiant and politically active. His stance serves as a symbol of resistance for the opposition in Turkey, highlighting the intensifying political conflict in the country [1][3][4].
- The escalating political tensions in EC countries, as evidenced by the ongoing investigation against opposition leader Özgür Özel in Turkey, may indicate a broader trend of contentious politics and war-and-conflicts, particularly due to the repeated attempts to silence opposition voices.
- General news headlines are filled with reports of the political landscape in Turkey, where employment policy debates often take a backseat to issues such as the ongoing controversies surrounding opposition leaders, their arrests, and allegations of presidential insults, suggesting a polarity that extends beyond economic discussions.
