Everyone is Banned, but Erdoğan is Free

4 Feb 2025
Everyone is Banned, but Erdoğan is Free
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The Turkish government prohibits civil servants from joining political parties, yet teachers were enlisted as members of the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party). This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred. Mehmet Aydoğdu, President of Eğitim-Sen Ankara Branch No. 1, stated that while prosecutors dismissed complaints, teachers were left dealing with administrative investigations.

Teachers Unknowingly Enrolled in AKP

In 2024, AKP announced that 156,824 people had joined the party from Ankara alone, decorating billboards across the capital to celebrate the rising membership. President and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even boasted on social media, stating, “When we say AK Party is Turkey’s largest family in terms of membership, we are not being rhetorical; we are simply stating the facts.”

However, it has now been revealed that AKP not only signed up thousands of people without their knowledge but also enrolled government employees—who are legally prohibited from political party membership. Many teachers in Ankara discovered their membership status after checking the government’s e-Devlet system. Shocked by the revelation, teachers expressed their outrage, raising concerns over political manipulation and unlawful enrollment.

This incident has sparked fresh debates about the abuse of power and the politicization of state institutions, as opposition voices demand accountability for these unauthorized registrations.