Kurdish political commentator Zeki Akil analyses recent political developments in Turkey, arguing that President Erdoğan is doing everything possible to retain power, including eliminating opposition by arresting his main rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Akil emphasises that these actions are obstructing progress towards a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey.
Zeki Akil
Erdoğan does not refrain from dragging Turkey into chaos in order to seize the municipality of Istanbul. It is obvious that Imamoğlu, as the presidential candidate, will win the election. Instead of competing within legal limits, he is trying to cut İmamoğlu using the power of the state, by making conspiracies. This is against the law and ethical rules.
Erdoğan stayed in power longer than Atatürk. He holds the record for staying in power in the history of the Republic. But he cannot get enough of power. He wants to stay in power until he dies. He is not doing it legally and within the rules. He has gained everything through power and he is afraid of losing everything. He doesn’t think about death. He doesn’t know how to step aside in a civilised way.
Recently Erdoğan has started talking about joining the EU again. But politicians in the EU come and go with elections. No one is dragging their country into chaos for the sake of power. They are not plotting against their opponents. He says, let’s join the EU, benefit from its economic opportunities, but let’s not follow its rules. If democratic rules were followed, Turkey would have entered the EU by now. The reason why the EU has been kept waiting at the door until today is that Erdoğan has pushed democracy aside.
What happened to CHP and İmamoğlu is clearly a coup. Naturally, this coup is not limited to CHP. It is a coup against Turkey, against democracy. Democracy was already being constantly undermined. This has escalated to the next level with what was done to İmamoğlu. Politics is clearly being designed with the power of the state and the opposition is limited to being a mere spectator. This is a typical feature of dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. The struggle and quest for democracy in Turkey is facing a counter-coup, a counter-move.
The trusteeship and undemocratic methods, the suppression of the opposition, the silencing of the press, the judicial system and the introduction of prisons, are all an effort to build a fascist system. The trustee system has nothing to do with democracy. The government is dismissing those elected by the people and appointing their officials. Neither democracy nor the will of the people works here. Such a system only exists in military coups and dictatorships.
Trusteeships and conspiracies, the use of the state’s cudgel against the opposition, have become a normal form of governance in Turkey. They want the public to take it for granted. So far they have achieved this to a significant extent. However, the attempts to collapse Istanbul and liquidate Imamoğlu marked a turning point. Either Turkey will completely surrender to Erdoğan and his plots, or it will shake itself up and put an end to this monstrosity. If the CHP and other opposition forces had opposed what was being done to the Kurds at the time, they would not face this treatment now. Turkey’s democracy would not have lost so much blood and fallen behind.
These dangerous attempts are being made at a time when it is said, “Let’s forge Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood and fortify the domestic front. The trusteeship, the attacks on the opposition are clearly against the spirit of the process. Provocations and coups sabotage and jeopardise the process. This is an assassination against both internal peace and democracy.
Bahçeli says, “Let the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] convene its congress in Malazgirt on 4 May and put an end to this. If you mess up Turkey like this, how will you have the peace you want? New problems are being added to the problems, the country is being dragged into chaos. Also, the PKK cadres who will attend the congress are outside Turkey’s borders. With which passports and ID cards will they come? When they arrive, will they go to the congress grounds or the prisons? What legal regulation have you made for them to come to the Congress? The isolation of Leader Apo [Kurdish leader Öcalan] has not been lifted, let alone the arrival of PKK members. Who will convene this congress without Leader Apo being free and working freely? For what is said to be taken seriously, what is needed must be done. [Bahçeli [leader of Nationalist Movement Party, MHP] is an alliance partner in government. Since he has taken the initiative on this issue, then he needs to create the political and legal infrastructure.
How will Turkey make peace with the Kurdish people while suppressing the opposition and silencing the press? How will they make legal and constitutional changes without the support of the opposition? How can internal peace and unity be provide in a poisoned political environment, and when exclusionary, hostile language is used? The questions are many. No matter how one looks at it we are faced with a dead end and contradictions.
Discourse and actions contradict each other. The government’s stance and actions do not inspire confidence. In this respect, the peoples of Turkey and the forces of democracy must leave their passive and spectator position. This year’s glorious Newroz reveals the attitude of the Kurdish people. In the spirit of Newroz, Turkey must be turned into a feast. Feasts come only as a continuation of great achievements. Turkey must achieve peace and democracy and demonstrate its will.
This article was first published by Özgür Politika in Turkish.
