Ahead of Turkey’s 31 March local elections, the political atmosphere is charged with anti-Kurdish rhetoric, including from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Burcu Köksal, the CHP’s mayoral candidate for Afyonkarahisar, pledged to exclude pro-Kurdish People’s Party for Equality and Democracy (DEM) from the municipality, sparking controversy. CHP leader Özgür Özel’s later claimed that Köksal’s statement was a “slip of the tongue”.
“Once I am elected mayor, the doors of the Afyonkarahisar municipality will be open to all political parties except the DEM party,” Köksal said, at an Afyonkarahisar rally attended by CHP leader Özel.
Özel, at a subsequent rally in Uşak, addressed the controversy and downplayed Köksal’s remarks. The CHP mayoral candidate had made an unintentional slip, leader Özel said, making assurances that the municipal services will remain inclusive after the elections.
“The doors of Afyonkarahisar Municipality and Uşak Municipality are open to all political parties, all Uşak and Afyon residents,” Özel said.
However, journalist Barış Yarkadaş of tv100.com reported a conversation with Köksal in which she firmly reiterated her stance and denied any misunderstanding.
“If I become mayor, I will not run Afyonkarahisar Municipality for the members of the DEM party. My statement was not a slip of the tongue but based on a promise I made from day one. I stand by my word,” Köksal told Yarkadaş.
Meanwhile, the CHP’s Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, joined the debate in response to Köksal’s remarks. He echoed the party leader’s stance that the CHP serves everyone indiscriminately.
“Let me tell you that anyone who says that if they become mayor they won’t let some parties into the municipality or they won’t meet with some parties should either find another job or find another party,” İmamoğlu said.
The internal conflicts and challenges facing the CHP in dealing with Kurdish-related issues and maintaining a unified stance as the local elections approach reflect the complexity of political alliances in Turkey’s highly charged electoral environment.
