Overview

• President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit against CHP leader Özgür Özel for labeling the government a 'junta' during a recent party congress.
• The civil lawsuit seeks 500,000 Turkish Lira in damages for remarks deemed defamatory by Erdoğan's legal team.
• Özel's comments criticized the government as being fearful of elections, opponents, and the nation, framing Erdoğan as the leader of this alleged 'junta'.
• This legal action is part of a broader pattern in Turkey of using 'insulting the president' charges to target opposition figures and suppress dissent.
• Özel also condemned the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, highlighting what he described as a systematic crackdown on opposition voices.