Reaching across the aisle: Erdogan and opposition leader Ozel to meet next week

The Chairman of Turkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, has announced plans to hold a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the ruling AK Party. Scheduled for June 11, the meeting aims to foster dialogue between the opposing political factions.

Addressing journalists’ queries, Ozel confirmed the upcoming meeting, stating, “We are scheduled to convene with President Erdogan on June 11 at 4 p.m. The meeting will be hosted at the CHP headquarters, with both parties represented by their respective delegations, following the customary protocol for such engagements.”

This forthcoming rendezvous, slated to be held at the CHP headquarters, marks the second significant interaction between the two leaders. In the previous engagement, President Erdogan welcomed Ozel at the AK Party headquarters, where discussions lasted for more than an hour.

The initial meeting between President Erdogan and Ozel took place on May 2 at the AK Party headquarters. Despite the inherent political differences, the meeting was characterized by a positive atmosphere, with Erdogan expressing his intent to reciprocate the visit to Ozel’s office in the near future.