Turkish opposition leader Özgür Özel is facing criticism after a series of verbal slips in which he confused political party names during recent public remarks, according to multiple Turkish media outlets.
CNN Türk reported on Saturday that Özel, who leads the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), made repeated errors while speaking. Habertürk said he referred to the CHP as his "former party" before later mistakenly naming the nationalist İYİ Party. Sabah reported that he also mixed up his own party, further fueling the controversy.
The remarks come amid ongoing political tension in Turkey. Özel also addressed pensioners during his comments, with Hürriyet reporting that he promised them a raise. The exact context of the promise and the timing of any potential increase were not detailed in the reports.
The slips have drawn sharp responses from political rivals. T24 reported that İYİ Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu reacted angrily to Özel's comments on a proposed "framework law." Dervişoğlu questioned Özel's consistency, asking why Özel voted in favor of the measure if opposing it were the correct stance, and whether he was forced to do so.
The reports do not specify which event or speech triggered the series of errors, nor do they clarify the exact nature of the framework law in question. The criticism highlights the heightened sensitivity around party loyalty and legislative positioning in Turkey's current political climate.
Özel has not yet publicly responded to the accusations of verbal missteps, according to the reports. The episode adds to a period of friction between opposition parties, who have at times struggled to present a united front against the ruling bloc.
What to watch next is whether Özel issues a clarification or apology, and whether the party-name mix-ups become a recurring talking point for his political opponents in the coming weeks.
