According to Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, the younger Erdoğan accompanied his father during official visits to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman earlier this week, participating in formal governmental meetings despite holding no official state position. The involvement has drawn sharp criticism from Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), which argues the move violates established diplomatic protocols and undermines Turkey's democratic institutions.
"Children of state officials have no official status. This is an effort to turn Turkey into a de facto dynasty," CHP Deputy Chairman Namık Tan told Cumhuriyet in an interview published October 25, 2025. Tan, who oversees foreign affairs for the opposition party, emphasized that the situation would trouble anyone familiar with Turkey's state traditions and conventions.
Bilal Erdoğan currently serves as Chairman of the İlim Yayma Foundation Board of Trustees and President of the World Ethnosports Confederation—both non-governmental positions that carry no official state authority or diplomatic standing. His presence at high-level governmental meetings during the Gulf tour has raised questions about the boundaries between personal family ties and state business.
Tan elaborated on international diplomatic customs, noting a clear distinction in protocol standards. "International diplomatic conventions grant official status to the spouses of heads of state, government leaders, or ambassadors who have the authority to represent their countries," he explained. "However, this right is not extended to children."
The CHP official expressed concern about Turkey's international image, stating that the arbitrary inclusion of Bilal Erdoğan in these trips "poses a major problem for Turkey's impression in the outside world and for state seriousness." He characterized the development as another manifestation of what the opposition calls a "One Man Regime" that increasingly views itself as the sole authority over the state apparatus.
"We regretfully observe that the One Man Regime, which sees itself as the state's sole ruler at every opportunity, is now making efforts to transform the system into a de facto dynasty," Tan said, reflecting growing opposition concerns about the concentration of power within the Erdoğan family.
The controversy adds to ongoing debates about governance and institutional integrity in Turkey. Critics argue that involving family members without official positions in state business blurs the lines between public duty and private interest, potentially compromising the independence and professionalism of Turkish diplomacy.
The presidential delegation that traveled to the three Gulf nations included numerous ministers and bureaucrats accompanying President Erdoğan on what were characterized as official state visits intended to strengthen bilateral relations and economic cooperation.
Neither the Presidential Communications Directorate nor representatives for Bilal Erdoğan had issued public statements addressing the criticism at the time of publication. The incident has sparked broader discussions on social media and among political analysts about nepotism, institutional norms, and the evolution of Turkey's political system under more than two decades of Erdoğan's leadership.
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