Abdülhamit Bilici, Washington, D.C.
The US State Department has declined to comment on the removal of the elected leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) through a court ruling on May 21 and the installation of a former party leader whom critics view as more accommodating toward the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Asked by Turkish Minute whether the United States had a position on the court-ordered leadership change in Turkey’s largest opposition party, the State Department declined to provide a statement.
The department has made no public statement about the development, which many observers describe as the most serious blow yet to the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Turkey.
The court intervention came as İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s main political rival and the CHP’s presidential candidate, remains behind bars following his arrest in March 2025.
One day after the court intervened in the CHP leadership, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting.
However, the State Department’s account of the meeting made no mention of the ruling that sent shock waves through Turkish politics.
The silence is notable because Washington frequently comments on democratic governance, judicial independence, electoral integrity and political pluralism in other countries.
The developments have raised concern among opposition politicians and democracy advocates, who say the Turkish judiciary is being used to reshape the political landscape before future elections.
The lack of a US response is likely to fuel debate over whether strategic considerations, including Turkey’s role in NATO and regional security matters, are shaping the current US administration’s approach to democratic backsliding in the country.
As Turkey prepares to host a NATO summit next month, a growing number of analysts say the government’s actions have pushed the country beyond competitive authoritarianism and toward outright authoritarian rule.