Turkish Government and Opposition Locked in Strategic Deadlock

WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TURKEY — DEC. 4, 2025

Opinion by Mümtaz'er Türköne

Both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) find themselves in a state of "lockdown," though for starkly different reasons.

While the government appears paralyzed, its ability to reason and produce solutions frozen like a muscle spasm, the opposition has locked onto its target with energized ambition. As Turkey approaches 2026, two critical issues—the economic crisis and the Kurdish "solution process"—stand as the arbiters of the country's political destiny.

The Government's Paralysis

Power is not a privilege for luxury but a mandate to solve problems. Yet, the current administration seems unable to address the burning demands of the public. The government is stuck, unable to solve the economic crisis or navigate the Kurdish issue because the only viable solutions require abandoning the very tools it uses to maintain control.

The economy has lost its most valuable capital: trust. Stubborn policies that ignore the real sector and agriculture, coupled with a system running on rent and black money, have hit a wall. No austerity measure can restore confidence after 30 months of "crying wolf."

Similarly, in the Kurdish issue, rhetoric about "taking responsibility" rings hollow without the backing of law. The only tool capable of opening doors is justice—unconditional and unlimited. However, returning to the rule of law presents a paradox for the government: if it restores judicial independence and obeys the constitution, it loses the arbitrary powers that currently sustain its rule. This dilemma is the root of its paralysis; it plays for time while consuming its own strength.

CHP: Locked on the Target

In contrast, the CHP is increasingly assertive in its claim to power. The public perception that the opposition will win the next election is solidifying into a general conviction.

However, this shift is less about the CHP's inherent appeal and more a result of the government's paralysis pushing desperate voters away. The lawlessness and the vacuum of trust created by the administration are generating a centrifugal force, flinging the electorate toward the opposition.

(The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Wise News Press.)

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