Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has long been under fire for failing to mobilize a strong public reaction against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) over the many corruption charges it faces. Last week, the party finally started to make progress.

The CHP got its hooks into the AKP with a dossier that revealed how nepotism has thrived under the AKP, exposing the names of relatives and friends of AKP members who bypassed the Public Personnel Selection Exam to get public jobs or climbed the public service ladder with lighting speed. On Dec. 7, CHP Deputy Chairman Haluk Koc revealed the first list of 85 names, sparking heated debates in parliament. A second list of 68 names followed on Dec. 14, coinciding with the government’s crackdown on Zaman and the Samanyolu TV station.

Tip-off site

In response to government accusations that he colluded with the informants, Koc said, “Those tip-offs have come from your own former parliament members, bureaucrats, your party base and ordinary citizens.” Quoting a Turkish proverb, he added, “You’ve stolen the minaret, but it doesn’t fit into your cover.”