Erdoğan slams CHP over ‘blacklisting’ artists, urges cultural revival

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday claims the Republican People's Party (CHP) led a campaign of intimidation against artists and athletes, calling it a return to ‘single-party era tactics.’

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Yeditepe Biennial in Istanbul, Erdoğan criticized the CHP for allegedly encouraging what he described as a “mob mentality,” saying, “Many public figures were harassed, forced to shut down their social media accounts, and even blacklisted, simply because they didn’t align with the opposition’s narrative.”

Referring to demonstrations held in response to investigations into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality officials, Erdoğan claimed the opposition's rhetoric led to "fascist pressure that made people yearn for the days of soft social control."

“The main opposition attempted to stigmatize local and national brands, artists, and athletes in an effort to damage our economy,” Erdoğan said, warning, “No one can strip this nation of the freedoms we have paid such a heavy price to secure. We will not tolerate the bullying tactics of a few loud voices.”

Erdoğan also condemned what he described as disrespect shown to historic mosques during recent events and stressed that “no one has the right to impose on our artists and cultural figures.”

Highlighting the importance of cultural heritage, Erdoğan praised the Yeditepe Biennial as a significant platform for showcasing Türkiye’s traditional arts and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to preserving cultural values rooted in national identity.

The president also emphasized his administration’s longstanding efforts to support and revitalize traditional arts, stating that Türkiye had “risen from the cultural destruction inflicted during the single-party era.”

Taking aim at what he called “Westernist Jacobins,” Erdoğan argued that past generations of secular elites attempted to erase the nation’s cultural identity. “A people without tradition has no future,” he said, repeating a phrase often used in his political discourse: “We are a nation whose future is rooted in its past.”