The Turkish opposition bloc, facing defeat in the May 28 elections, is grappling with internal disarray. The position of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who has led the Republican People's Party (CHP) as the main opposition leader for 13 years, is now subject to debate.
Internal opposition within the party insists that Kılıçdaroğlu, who has managed to cling to his leadership through postponed congresses, should step down. Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, issues a warning that if Kılıçdaroğlu continues, the opposition will lose Istanbul in the upcoming local elections. Even parties that allied with Kılıçdaroğlu in the election are now making statements like "thankfully, Kılıçdaroğlu didn't win."
Nevertheless, Kılıçdaroğlu remains steadfast in retaining his position. The upheaval within the main opposition has sent shockwaves through opposition-affiliated media outlets. Kılıçdaroğlu's revelation that journalists and columnists close to CHP are being financially supported by municipal resources to undermine internal rivals made headlines. However, the true scandal erupted when the CHP announced the cancellation of their agreement with Halk TV, stating they would no longer provide funding through a notarized document. CHP Deputy Chairperson Eren Erdem's statement, "We pay money not only to Halk TV but also to other channels," only added to the controversy.
Opposition-affiliated media outlets and unions have remained silent about the exposed "dirty laundry." They are probably praying that this scandal involving their "senior" members will be forgotten immediately.
However, some pro-CHP journalists, fearing the mud might splatter on them, have already begun exposing the names of opposition journalists receiving money through blackmail from municipalities. Among the accused are well-established, award-winning and popular journalists.
Once backed by the secularist media, namely Halk TV and the Sözcü newspaper, a Turkish journalist and a pro-CHP journalist who cannot remain silent about the unfolding situation, Yılmaz Özdil's recent tweet summarized it well: "For the first time in the history of the world press, a media organization was fired by a political party through a notary notice ... There are journalists who have been lying low as objective reporters for years and ignoring this news; I wonder if there are still ongoing contracts?"
Will these discussions pave the way for a cleansing process in the Turkish media, which has lost its credibility under the shadow of political polarization?
Of course, the sole problem does not originate solely from the opposition media entangled in murky relations. The pro-government media has also lost its critical edge, becoming mundane and failing to function properly.
Despite everything, I remain hopeful. I believe that the May 28 elections, which eliminated uncertainty following tremendous societal tension, will open up pathways to resolve blockages in all fields. Society is weary of being dominated by political agendas and the deterioration of institutions during this process. From the economy to daily life issues, it seeks solutions to problems overshadowed by grand politics.
Actors who fail to grasp this collective demand and persist in outdated habits will ultimately fade away, despite their resistance.
