The long AKP rule has exhausted especially the opposition. This fatigue has sometimes led to frustration and sometimes to new searches. One of the most frequently mentioned methods was to strengthen and expand the street opposition. One of the most widespread criticisms of the Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu era was the allegation that he deliberately tried to stay away from the street. Despite organizing one of the largest democratic protests in history, the March for Justice, Kılıçdaroğlu was criticized for being far from the streets and weakening the social opposition.
“We will be on the street,” he said, surprising with normalization
With the congress held on November 4-5, 2023, Kılıçdaroğlu's rule in the CHP came to an end. Özgür Özel's criticism of the previous administration at the congress was about staying away from the streets. In some statements, Özel said, ’We will not fall into the game of not falling into the game of not falling into the game,“ referring to Kılıçdaroğlu's words at the time, ”We will not go to the streets and be played.“ With this expectation, it was thought that Özgür Özel would lead a serious opposition on the streets. However, this expectation was dashed with the ”normalization“ discourse launched after the local election victory.
Özgür Özel's abandonment of the demonstrators at the May Day event in Saraçhane Square drew great criticism. This increased criticism was also reflected in the rallies organized by the CHP and the turnout remained low. However, with the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025, students and citizens took to the streets spontaneously, providing the CHP with an opportunity to break the long-standing accusation of “passivity”.
Students take CHP to the streets
While students were at the forefront of the street protests, the presence of CHP MPs in the protests caused them to be perceived as CHP's actions. In a short period of time, Özgür Özel, who had been accused of failing in the opposition, began to be recognized as the leader of the social opposition, especially on social media. Indeed, Özgür Özel managed the process well and managed to reduce most of the criticism directed at him. He also successfully emerged from the Extraordinary Assembly on April 6, 2025 with the power of the street.
The CHP decided that the demonstrations in Saraçhane, which were attended by different student groups, were not sustainable and decided to organize rallies. Although the first rallies attracted considerable interest, last week's rallies in Istanbul's Başakşehir district and in Konya saw a decline in interest. Nevertheless, the CHP is caught in a dilemma. Even the possibility of softening the rhetoric against the government, which has not backed down, draws reaction.
For example, Özel's warm messages in response to Erdoğan's “Get well soon” statement after the attack on Özgür Özel drew the reaction of many opposition figures, including those close to İmamoğlu, and led to questions such as “Is Özel pursuing a policy of normalization again?”.
Facing criticism, Özel immediately repeated his statements with harsh messages to the government and reiterated that the aim of the attack was to keep them away from the streets.
In short, the process has forced the CHP to be on the streets.
CHP's test has begun
The question now is whether the CHP will be able to sustain these rallies. If the massiveness of these rallies is maintained, they could turn into platforms where the voices of disturbed circles in the country can be heard. However, if they lose momentum, the perception may be that “they have only one shot in the arm” and this will increase the pressure on the CHP. We will see the answer to this question in the coming days.
If the CHP's breath on the streets is not cut off and democratic protests continue actively, it can be a breath of fresh air for democracy.