Turkey's Selective Scrutiny of Corruption
Daily Sabah reports that Hasbi Dede, a mayor from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been referred to his party’s disciplinary board over an abuse case. The article details a conventional response to a public ethics allegation: an internal party investigation. This surface-level reporting, however, neatly sidesteps the deeper currents at play. This portrayal of the
opposition's internal struggles by state-affiliated media conveniently resurfaces familiar patterns. Historically, reports from outlets like Daily Sabah often amplify controversies within opposition ranks while downplaying or ignoring similar accusations against ruling party officials. The state-controlled media landscape, which has seen journalists jailed and outlets shuttered, notably shifts
focus away from the government's own human rights record, which Amnesty International documented in 2023, including widespread concerns over freedom of expression and arbitrary detentions. Such selective focus serves a critical political function, framing the opposition as inherently flawed and disorganized, thereby legitimizing the ruling party's dominance. It's a well-worn tactic, echoing
instances from 2013-2016 where government-friendly media systematically undermined the Gülen movement by highlighting internal dissent and alleged corruption, paving the way for a broader crackdown during and after the 2016 coup attempt. The timing, just as local elections loom, forces the CHP to expend political capital on internal damage control rather than external campaigning. Readers should