Step towards the HDP; message to Akşener

With it certain that each party will field its own presidential candidate, CHP General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has concentrated his working time on the alliance in the parliamentary election of the parties in the “no” block. Kılıçdaroğlu has said, “The broader the configuration the election is contested with, the better. If, at the end of the day, political parties are an indispensable component of democracy, if these are legitimate parties, there is no objection to them coming together for democracy.” Saying, “To demonise a party as a whole and brand it an enemy of democracy and oppose certain parties – we do not entertain such a thought,” Kılıçdaroğlu stated, “They sit side by side in parliament. Nobody says they won’t sit next to anyone. But, they say let us not be together on the ballot slip. You will not be side by side on paper but will be side by side in parliament.” CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu replied to my questions on the way back from Marmaris and had the following messages:

 -We do not oppose parties: To demonise a party as a whole and brand it an enemy of democracy and oppose certain parties – we do not entertain such a thought. There are those who do not want either the Felicity Party, the Independent Turkey Party, the Patriotic Party or the Good Party. There is a section that does not want the Free Cause Party. If it is a democracy, they should also enter parliament. There are those who stand aloof from AKP voters, too. These postures are incorrect.

 -Unity of “no” in its entirety: There is no HDP-CHP union anyway and the “no” components as a whole must be in the union. We will be delighted if it is with all the “no” components. Everyone should contest the election with their own list. Only the threshold is done away with and it neither infringes on us nor we on it. Their candidates for the central administration, the presidency, are separate. The threshold placed in front of democracy has to be crossed.

 -Each party general chair has a historic responsibility: At heart, democracy cannot tolerate double standards. They should ask citizens if they support the ten per cent as mandated by 12 September coup law. Do they or don’t they?

 -They did it so why shouldn’t we?: The ruling body is dispensing with the threshold for the MHP; it will win seats even if it gets one per cent of the vote. There will be no justice as long as there is no equalising of conditions. You will both speak of justice and there will be double standards. They did it so why shouldn’t we?

 -We sit side by side in parliament: They sit side by side in parliament. Nobody says they won’t sit next to anyone. But, they say let us not be together on the ballot slip. You will not be side by side on paper but will be side by side in parliament. There are laws that are passed unanimously and all parties vote for it. There is the proclamation of the four party’s deputy group chairs following 15 July. And they all defend democracy.

 “We are combatting Erdoğan – this is not directed at AKP supporters”

 -Democracy cannot tolerate double standards: Each political party general chair has a historic responsibility over this period. When it comes to constructing democracy, the heart of democracy cannot tolerate double standards. For, at the heart of democracy is the right for those who do not think like us to speak and I must also tolerate this. We, for example, are combatting Erdoğan and there may be harsh exchanges of words. But, this rhetoric is not directed at AKP supporters. On the contrary, we are sending out warm messages. We also want them to vote for democracy when they go to the polls.

 -Citizens are aware: Two elections are taking place together for the first time; the legislature and executive will be together. This must be got across to the people very well. We regard this as being a vital election. Our base is aware that there must be a very good campaign in this election with a view to maintaining democracy and with a view to strengthening it. The ordinary citizen is in a way aware of the importance of this election. A more pessimistic outlook could have presented itself.

 “Prime Minister Yıldırım should resign”

 Kılıçdaroğlu commented on the clash to have emerged between President Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım over shortened military service through payment with the words, “It is unpalatable for a president to cold shoulder his own party’s Group Chair and Prime Minister saying he had disrespected martyrs. The action taken was aimed directly at the person of Binali Yıldırım. I do not imagine that Yıldırım has taken it lying down and he should immediately stand down as Prime Minister.”

 “I do not know Gülek”

 Kılıçdaroğlu retorted to claims that he met Akşener at the home of former DSP parliamentarian Tayyibe Gülek, daughter of former CHP minister Kasım Gülek, over the decision for fifteen MPs to transfer from the CHP to the Good Parry for it to form a group, “I only know Tayyibe Gülek from a distance in parliament when she was a DSP MP. I have had no meeting with her until now. I have never been in her company or approached her and spoken to her in my life. It is a lie that we met Ms Akşener at Tayyibe Gülek’s home.”

 “Those who voted ‘yes’ are now sorry”

 -If the “no” components vote the prospects change: What CHP people know is that the colleague who spoke about the internet media at the Anatolian Journalists gathering said that the CHP needs to be in power in the time to come for things to be healthy for the media. But, talk of the candidate absolutely having CHP roots is an incorrect inclination. It is talk that stems from their concerns that a choice not to their liking will lead to concerns over citizens not going to the polls. They want a candidate to be picked such that everyone will be willing to go the polls without creating excuses. I believe that the prospects will change if the “no” components go out to vote. The “no” components are today positioned just as they were in the referendum. At that time they were just going to go the polls and vote “no,” at this election they will elect both MPs and the president. There is nobody who expresses regret at having voted “no,” but there are many who are sorry for having voted “yes.” They will also go to the polls and vote.

 - The broader the configuration: Each party will field different lists of parliamentary candidates. The broader the configuration the election is contested with, the better. If, at the end of the day, political parties are an indispensable component of democracy, if these are legitimate parties, there is no objection to them coming together for democracy. Each party’s presidential candidate, parliamentary list and rallies they will hold will be separate. The citizen will stamp their vote for whichever party they wish to vote for. Why are you defending the 12 September’s ten per cent threshold? You must make democracy work without bounds.

 No criticism but support

 -Baykal visit: He is in good health. Naturally enough, we spoke about Turkey’s politics. He is following all issues closely. He says what he has to say with a certain sense of responsibility. His reflections on the business of the fifteen were not negative. He made no criticism over party policies. On the contrary, he noted that they were to be supported. It was not appropriate for me to discuss the issue of candidacy. “If my General Chair so wishes, it is on.” He closely follows Turkish politics. He has a clear memory. He passes sound analysis and comment on events. He criticises.

HDP’ye bir adım Akşener’e mesaj