President Erdogan’s historic return to main opposition’s HQ after 18 years

President and Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Türkiye’s main opposition party, on Tuesday.

This meeting with CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel, scheduled for 4 p.m., is significant as it signifies the first such visit in 18 years. The agenda for the meeting is expected to cover a wide range of topics.

This visit represents Erdogan’s first return to the CHP headquarters since 2006, when he paid a congratulatory visit to then-leader Deniz Baykal.

On May 2, Ozel visited President Erdogan at the AK Party headquarters. Reports suggest that the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere.

Key topics on agenda

Tuesday’s meeting is expected to cover several key topics, including political detente, efforts toward a new civilian constitution, the parliamentary agenda, increases in pensions and minimum wage, the Gezi Park detainees, the Can Atalay issue, rulings from the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights, the appointment of trustees, allegations of terrorism affiliations among some DEM Party mayors, local governments’ debt burdens, teacher recruitment interviews, and the new curriculum.

On the other hand, the seating arrangement for the meeting has also garnered interest.

Ozel explained, “There will be two chairs beside the table. The president will sit next to the Turkish flag, and I will be beside the CHP flag. Since the president is visiting, the presidential seal will also be displayed on the Turkish flag. We requested this from the Presidency in accordance with the law.”