New Party leader rallies in Üsküdar after council installs interim mayor
At a rally in Üsküdar on September 12, New Party leader Özgür Özel condemned the Justice and Development Party’s recent seizure of the district’s municipal leadership after the council installed an interim mayor. He referenced the August 31 arrest of Sinem Dedetaş, the mayor elected under the Republican People’s Party, who had received roughly 157,000 votes. Özel noted that he left the CHP on July 24 with a group of 91 lawmakers to launch the New Party and pledged to win the forthcoming election. The episode is cited as an example of how opposition victories may still fail to translate into power under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 93h later
Why it matters
The dispute over Üsküdar’s municipal leadership could shape upcoming elections and the balance of power between ruling and opposition forces.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the Üsküdar episode as evidence of Turkey’s democratic erosion under Erdoğan, while right-leaning coverage presents it as a political dispute centered on the New Party leader’s rally and the AKP’s response, and centrist coverage emphasizes street protests against the mayor’s arrest.
LEFT
Left-leaning coverage portrays the incident as part of a broader pattern of authoritarian back-sliding and institutional manipulation by Erdoğan’s government.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage focuses on the New Party leader’s rally, condemns the AKP’s takeover, and relays the AKP’s counter-accusations against the opposition.
The left emphasises
- the case shows "democratic erosion" under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- the AKP has "reshaped the media, dismissed thousands of civil servants, and politicized the courts" since the 2016 coup attempt
- Western governments are aware of these trends but often... (implied inaction)
The right emphasises
- the New Party leader condemned the AKP’s seizure of municipal leadership
- the rally was framed as evidence of a new political era and a call for democratic unity
- the AK Party and Istanbul governor accused the opposition leader of attacking state organs and covering up failures
How this story developed
- Sep 9 New Party leader rallies in Üsküdar after AKP assumes control of municipality
- Sep 13 Turkish authorities have arrested at least 47 people after raids on LGBTQ+ association offices across 12 provinces, seizing drugs, digital gear and a firearm.
- Sep 14 Additional LGBT‑related accounts on X were blocked after the June bans.
- Sep 19 The council installed an interim mayor following the arrest of the elected mayor.
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