How Özgür Özel Became the Unexpected Challenger to Erdoğan
- jessevisionfactory
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
For more than twenty years, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dominated Turkish politics like no one else before him. For a whole generation, he was “the leader” — the man people associated with power, change, and authority. In the early years, many believed he could modernize the country while also giving a voice to religious conservatives who felt excluded from politics for decades. But over time, that shiny image wore off.
Erdoğan’s Grip and Secularism Undermined instead of more freedoms, Turkey saw more restrictions.
Secular values, which had been a cornerstone of the Republic, were steadily pushed aside. Schools became more ideological, hospitals struggled with overcrowding and poor services, and the economy—once Erdoğan’s biggest strength—fell into crisis. Inflation skyrocketed, rent prices became unbearable, and many young people started dreaming of leaving Turkey just to find a future elsewhere.
Social Issues
Walking through the streets of Istanbul or Ankara, it’s easy to see how much everyday life has changed under Erdoğan’s rule. People talk about rising prices at the market, families cutting back on meals, and students skipping outings to save money. These aren’t abstract numbers from a news report — these are real struggles, experienced by friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Özel tapped into this reality by speaking to people not as voters, but as individuals who live these challenges every day.
For a long time, people thought there was no real alternative. Erdoğan’s party had built such a powerful system that it almost felt like no one could break through. The opposition looked weak, divided, and hopeless.
Erdoğan went so far in his lawlessness that he had Ekrem İmamoğlu, the candidate of Özgür Özel, who had announced his presidential candidacy, unlawfully imprisoned. He prosecuted every single person who criticized the injustice meted out to Ekrem İmamoğlu. He unlawfully imprisoned young people who took to the streets to defend democracy and subjected them to police violence. Moreover, this is a constitutional right.
Ideological Change
But then came Özgür Özel. Unlike the fiery leaders before him, Özel didn’t shout, didn’t play the macho game. He brought a calmer, softer tone to politics—something refreshing in a country used to tension-filled speeches. His background in social democracy made him focus on everyday issues: the cost of living, access to healthcare, the struggles of young graduates.
And that clicked with people.Özel managed to do something the opposition had failed to achieve for years: he connected with ordinary citizens in a way that felt genuine. While Erdoğan leaned on identity politics and religion, Özel spoke about problems at the dinner table—like why groceries had become so expensive, or why students couldn’t find jobs. It wasn’t about ideology anymore; it was about survival.This shift made a difference.
Suddenly, Erdoğan looked less invincible. He was still the strongman, but his image had cracks. People who once said “there’s no point in voting, nothing will change” began to feel that maybe, just maybe, change was possible.Özel didn’t “defeat” Erdoğan outright, but he did something equally powerful: he proved that Erdoğan could be challenged. He showed that politics in Turkey didn’t have to be about fear and control, but could be about empathy and hope. For a country exhausted by two decades of authoritarian rule, that message mattered more than any speech or slogan.
And perhaps that’s the real story here. Not just about one man rising in politics, but about an entire society beginning to imagine a future beyond Erdoğan.One thing I noticed when speaking with people in the city was how exhausted many of them were by years of political tension. Their reactions were dull. Parents with children were worried about rising tuition fees and their children's futures.
Grocery stores reported fewer customers not because people didn't want to shop, but because of the high cost of goods. Even young professionals who once had good plans for careers in technology or business are now hesitant to make long-term plans because they're unsure whether they'll have a stable income or a decent home. The anxiety about the future, especially felt by young people, pervades society.
Özgür Özel's approach felt more genuine because it didn't rely on grandiose promises or flashy slogans.
In this context, Özel's message wasn't just political; it was also personal. He reminded people that their struggles matter and that small acts of empathy from leaders can make a real difference in how they view the possibility of change.
