May 29, 2023

The title of my last post on Türkiye was “An Election to Determine Türkiye’s Identity and Future”. And these were my concluding remarks:

“Pablo Neruda once said, “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”

“Let’s hope so…” [I]

I expressed hope because there are times when spring lasts for a very brief period only to be followed by drought and dusty winds that lead one to question whether or not spring has indeed come that year. Our region has unfortunately seen such “springs”, the most notable one being the Arab Spring, which brought more disappointment and misery than hope and joy.

It is not easy to describe the outcome of yesterday’s runoff presidential election. Although people voted for the two contenders, the election was actually a vote for the country’s future regime. Thus, for the supporters of President Erdoğan this was a huge win, a victory for political Islam, and the rejection of regime change, a vote of confidence for one-man rule.

For the rest, it was a huge disappointment since it represented the end of Turkish democracy with scant regard for the rule of law, separation of powers, accountability, and transparency, not to mention dubious economic policies. In the final analysis, there was no way the opposition, could reverse the impact of the years of intravenous Islamic injection into the bloodstream of the conservative masses.

In terms of its international standing, Türkiye is now a Middle East country and is polarized more than ever. This election was the darkest day in the history of the Republic.

Contributing to President Erdoğan’s victory was the failure of the opposition to come up with a promising, energetic, visionary leader. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has led the People’s Republican Party (CHP) since May 2010. His party’s past performance with the exception of the June 2019 municipal elections was dismal. Yet he and his team always presented their failures as “another step forward”. He must have believed that his winning the presidency would turn a new page and erase the failures of the past. Thus, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu formed the “Table of Six”, a coalition of six opposition parties with conflicting political ideologies, and different game plans for the future, united only in their desire to see Mr. Erdoğan go. He made incredible concessions in conflict with the Kemalist legacy. This was a doomed project from the start. And after the first round on May 14, started the CHP’s search for additional support but what actually turned into begging yielded very little, if anything.

Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, always sure of the dedication of his party’s base to Atatürk’s vision once unabashedly had said, “Willy-nilly you will go and vote for the CHP.” In yesterday’s election, most of them did exactly that for the last time. “For the last time” because the party is no longer the same party.

President Erdoğan has widely been criticized for his one-man rule but the way Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu directed his party was no different. The CHP enjoyed no democracy within the party. Neither he nor his team ever inspired people. So now it is high time for Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu to “willy-nilly” say goodbye to politics.

Had the opposition won the election, they would have inherited a wreck. President Erdoğan’s victory now leaves him face-to-face with his own wreck.

In brief, tough times are ahead for Türkiye.

Bonjour tristesse…

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[i] https://diplomaticopinion.com/2023/05/04/an-election-to-determine-turkiyes-identity-and-future/#more-2285