Hectic times at the CHP: Decisions over Fikri Sağlar and the congress; reaction to Deniz Baykal

Times are hectic at the CHP, where there has been a flurry of activity following announcements by Antalya MP Deniz Baykal and Mersin MP Fikri Sağlar.

The CHP Central Executive Committee convened under the chairship of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. A unanimous resolution was passed at the Central Executive Committee that the Party Assembly be consulted for its recommendation over the consigning of Mersin MP and Party Assembly member Fikri Sağlar to disciplinary proceedings seeking his expulsion. With the Party Assembly, only recently having convened, expected to convene extraordinarily very shortly, Kılıçdaroğlu is reported to have said, ‘The thing that upsets me the most is the granting of an interview to a pro-regime journalists who badmouths our values of all kinds every day and provoking debate over our party.’ With the decision taken at the Central Executive Committee for the ordinary congress process to be set in motion, the congress is expected once more to convene on its ordinary date of January 2018.

REACTION TO DENİZ BAYKAL

Selin Sayek Böke was asked about statements by Deniz Baykal that have occupied the political agenda with the comments he made the day before yesterday on a CNN Türk live broadcast. Böke, saying, ‘Turkey is undergoing regime change,’ commented that it was wrong for matters other than this to be brought onto the agenda and to take priority over this.

‘WE ARE CALLING OUT FROM A TURKEY IN WHICH 159 JOURNALISTS ARE IN DETENTION’

Böke, stating that there was no press freedom, said in commemoration of 3 May World Press Freedom Day, ‘We are calling out from a Turkey in which 159 journalists are in detention. We are speaking of a Turkey that is in 163^rd place in the league table compiled by Freedom House covering 199 countries. This is what we must change.’

‘THERE IS NO LONGER OF PRESIDENT OF THE 80 MILLION. HE IS NOW SIMPLY A PARTY MEMBER AND OPPONENT FOR US’

Böke commented as follows about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AK Party membership, ‘Turkey yesterday became a completely new Turkey. There is no longer a president of the 80 million. The holder of the office of president, Mr Erdoğan, relinquished his position as president of the 80 million by becoming a party member. He is now simply a party member and opponent for us.

FOR THE CHP, ERDOĞAN IS HENCEFORTH SIMPLY AN AKP MEMBER

As of yesterday, in the eyes of Turkey he has fully lost his position and legitimacy to represent the Republic of Turkey state.

For the CHP, Erdoğan is henceforth simply an AKP member. The attitudes that the CHP itself will forge as a body will be shaped fully around his being a party member and not a president who represents the state. What has clearly happened is that the state has once more been brought to its knees.

‘NO, IT HAS NOT FINISHED. IT IS ONLY JUST STARTING.’

Even though the state has been brought to its knees, the CHP is alive to the responsibility incumbent on it. No, it has not finished. It is only just starting. We will continue to advance the fight along with the millions who are standing up for democracy against this illegitimate single-man regime that has usurped the republic and brought the state to its knees. This fight is not over; it is only just starting. Turkey will for sure return to democracy. Turkey will for sure rid itself of this single-man regime. Turkey will for sure return from unconstitutionality to constitutional democracy.’

‘REGIME CHANGE THAT WILL LEND PERMANENCE TO THE STATE OF EMERGENCY CONTINUES TO BE ERECTED’

Böke said, ‘Regime change that will lend permanence to the state of emergency continues to be erected. Turkey has also been condemned to an emergency oppressive regime. Turkey is being governed by instruments that are called decrees with the force of law, but have nothing to do with decrees with the force of law as envisaged in the Constitution.’ 

‘IT IS EVEN AFRAID OF AN ENCYCLOPEDIA AND BANS WIKIPEDIA.’

Böke said, ‘This state of emergency regime which has brought the state to its knees is the enemy of knowledge and fears free minds. It is even afraid of an encyclopedia and bans Wikipedia.’

 ‘IT IS HASTILY APPOINTING ITS OWN PARTY PROVINCIAL AND SUB-PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATORS AS JUDGES’ 

Böke said, ‘This state of emergency regime which has brought the state to its knees itself fears a genuinely independent and impartial judicial order. It is hastily appointing its own party provincial and sub-provincial administrators as judges.’

 
‘INFLATION REMAINS AT AN EIGHT AND A HALF YEAR PEAK’ 

Böke, touching on Turkish Statistical Institute reports, commented, ‘All of we 80 million, not least those on limited incomes, are paying the price for the state of emergency. We saw this price once more with the Turkish Statistical Institute reports announced this morning. The inflation figures were announced. Inflation remains at an eight and a half year peak. This reminds us of the years of economic crisis. Unemployment is also at a seven year peak.

‘THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS LOSING DUE TO THIS OPPRESSIVE ORDER THAT HAS THE STATE OF EMERGENCY FOISTED ON IT.’

Growth is at a seven year low. The Turkish economy is losing due to this oppressive order that has the state of emergency foisted on it. The 80 million all together share in this loss. There is a fire and we are all engulfed in this fire. The poverty limit has risen to 4,944. Those who raised the minimum wage actually left citizens engulfed in fire. They have melted away the raise in the minimum wage in a few weeks with the incorrect policies that have been implemented. We along with the millions will for sure change this state of emergency order that condemns Turkey to poverty, inequality and tyranny. No, it has not finished. It is only just starting.’

‘MR ERDOĞAN ALSO APPEARS TO WRITE NOTES TO HIMSELF’

Böke commented as follows when asked for her views on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s assessment of CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s words, ‘We’ll show them the door’ that he made at yesterday’s group meeting, ‘It is worth remembering cartoons in these politics in which there is a fear of cartoons. There was one Mithat who used to write notes to himself in Gırgır. Mr Erdoğan also appears to write notes to himself. If there is to be a discussion about who is afraid of freedoms and other opinions, this discussion must be made about the AKP and the Turkey it has created, and not the CHP.

(ERDOĞAN'S WORDS) I PREFER TO LEAVE THEM ALONE WITH THE INTERNAL VOICES

We are very familiar with our own history and the Republic’s history. The fight we are waging is a fight for a new future that will be written into the history we know. No, it has not finished. We will continue together to wage a disciplined fight for a Turkey in which cartoons can be discussed and different voices can speak freely.’ 

‘THE ‘NO’ VOTE THAT WE KNOW TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 50% IN ANY CASE EVOKED THE SPIRIT OF THE NATIONAL FORCES’ 

Böke said, ‘The ‘No’ vote that we know to have been at least 50% in any case evoked the spirit of the national forces. The millions who stood up for ‘No’ on Mayday and displayed a colourful unity over constructing this future are in any case the embodiment of it. There is no doubt about this. There is not the slightest doubt that Turkey will emerge from here with its head held high. We will continue to be party to the fight.’

CONGRESS DECISION

Following Böke, CHP Deputy General Chair Tekin Bingöl came to the rostrum. Bingöl said that there was no extraordinary congress on the party’s agenda. Bingöl said that an ordinary congress would be held in keeping with the schedule and the process had been put in motion.

CHP Deputy General Chair Tekin Bingöl said that the Republican People’s Party’s ordinary congress process had been put in motion today under a resolution passed at the Central Executive Committee and there was no extraordinary congress on the CHP’s agenda.

Tekin Bingöl, stating, ‘Because the resolution passed at the Central Executive Committee falls within my area of responsibility, increasingly detailed assessments over this resolution will continue in the ensuing process,’ said, ‘It will be appropriate for members of the press to be kept posted about this by me. That is why I have come among you. We held our 35^th ordinary general assembly following the congresses we initiated in 2015 on 16 and 17 January. The provision of our rule book dictates that an ordinary congress and general assembly be held every two years. So, the conclusion to emerge is that we must schedule an ordinary congress and then hold our congress on a date to be set by the Party Assembly this year. At the Central Executive Committee we held today, we set the ordinary congress process in motion. Our schedule covers quite a lengthy period. Our congresses are not limited to provincial and sub-provincial congresses and this is a congress process that calls for a whole host of tasks and procedures from the outset. Our ordinary congress schedule has been launched as of today. As soon as this process has been concluded, our Party Assembly will set the date for the 36^th Ordinary Congress in keeping with the results that we send to the Party Assembly, and we will hold the congress. With such a schedule before us, it would be incorrect to discuss an extraordinary congress. There is no extraordinary congress on our agenda.’