Populist Surge: Former President's Turkey Trip Sparks Regional Buzz and Domestic Fury

Domestically, in Iran, the reaction to the July 2024 trip was markedly different and highly critical, particularly from hardline conservative media and establishment circles. Iranian media outlets often focused their criticism on the very photographs that gained popular traction in Turkey, specifically those showing him posing with women who were not wearing the mandatory hijab. This was seized upon by his Iranian detractors as evidence of a shift towards 'liberalism' or 'populism' that betrayed the foundational principles of the Islamic Revolution, further fueling the ongoing political rivalry he has with the clerical establishment.