Necip F. Bahadir
I love reading between the lines of politicians’ statements. Many don’t speak openly, and they sprinkle their messages between the lines, or a very striking message gets lost in a long text. It takes experience to catch the essence of the news. I can say I’m not bad at it. There’s one more thing; even if a politician’s words shed light on history, they can get lost in the intensity of current events.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s recent messages fall into the latter category. The agenda is so intense that no one has the time to pay attention to Kılıçdaroğlu. In two days, it’s the anniversary of the founding of the AKP… Erdoğan has set up a ‘market’ for parliament members. Transfers are on the agenda. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will speak at an extraordinary meeting of Parliament on Wednesday. There’s also some movement regarding Can Atalay after the Constitutional Court’s reasoned decision.
In this chaos, who would listen to Kılıçdaroğlu… Well, your writer, of course!
I couldn’t let what he said just disappear. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow, because ‘political bombs’ are going to explode. I know I’m testing your patience, but I have to write back-to-back. Otherwise, I would miss the duty of recording history and neglect you as well. A writing topic is like a bird in hand; once it flies away, it doesn’t come back.
Kılıçdaroğlu is being treated unfairly Even if his party and the left want to forget, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a very important figure who has shaped today’s politics. I think Özgür Özel and his colleagues are being both ungrateful and unfair to him. Kılıçdaroğlu’s role in making the CHP the first party in the March 31 elections cannot be denied or ignored.
In politics, there is no difference between ‘retired’ and ‘deceased.’ In Turkish politics, you can’t talk about loyalty, respect, and appreciation. Remember Erdoğan’s recent insults towards his mentor Necmettin Erbakan’s son, Fatih, a few days ago. It’s hard to find another politician who ‘sells out’ people as easily as Erdoğan.
Is Kılıçdaroğlu politically retired? According to the CHP, yes. But Mr. Kemal doesn’t see himself outside of politics; he’s saying, ‘I’m not dead yet… I’m here, I’m alive.’
I remember a comment by İhsan Eliaçık; “Mr. Kemal is like a mother who dies during childbirth…” True. He played the game very well. He won elections in Istanbul and Ankara. He opened the CHP to the center. He made even conservative circles vote for the CHP. He spoke of ‘reconciliation,’ faced and sometimes reckoned with the single-party past.
His disappointment is reflected in his speeches He even found space for veiled women in the party. Despite objections, he moved the CHP away from the classic rigid, Kemalist, and secularist line. Today, the two biggest assets of the CHP, Mansur Yavaş and Ekrem İmamoğlu, were made candidates by Kılıçdaroğlu. No other person could have made this expansion. He fell into a trap in the May elections; he couldn’t control his ego. If he had made the right move, he would have checkmated Erdoğan. He paid the price with his ‘seat.’ History’s revenge is always heavy. Is it just him? Meral Akşener, too…
Politics is unfortunately ‘ungrateful,’ and politicians, unfortunately, are ‘unfaithful’… Still, it’s impossible to ignore or overlook Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in left-wing politics. Today, if he wanted, he could shake the party. He could lead at least half of the deputies behind him. And with the group he forms, he could become a ‘game maker’ or a ‘game breaker.’ Even though he says ‘if the delegates want…,’ I don’t think he has such an intention. Of course, he is disturbed by being sidelined. The wound in his heart and the break in his spirit are reflected in his speeches.
In his last speech, Kılıçdaroğlu confirmed a striking rumor. There was a claim that Erdoğan had requested a meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu. There wasn’t a direct request. But through an intermediary, a feeler was sent out. These are Kılıçdaroğlu’s words; “I said I would not accept the meeting if a request came. This offer came through an intermediary. I didn’t find it appropriate and said I wouldn’t meet.”
AKP cadres are deeply involved in crime According to AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, such a contact never took place… Expecting them to confirm it would be naive. You didn’t expect them to say, “Yes. After the defeat we experienced, we contacted Kılıçdaroğlu,” did you? Çelik made a statement that was exactly what was expected from them…
Aren’t you aware this is ‘bombshell news’? Erdoğan wanted to meet with Kılıçdaroğlu. It’s not hard to guess the timing. It must have been after March 31. After the election defeat, Erdoğan wasn’t aware of what he was doing… nor is he aware of what to do next. He’s busy constantly wavering back and forth. It’s not hard to guess the background of why he wanted to meet with Kılıçdaroğlu. He is looking for an ‘out’ on his own terms.
He’s aware that the ‘AKP Titanic,’ which hit the iceberg, is sinking and that his era of power is entering an irreversible decline… The AKP’s departure from power will not be like other parties, in quiet monk-like silence. It will fall from a great height with a loud crash… AKP cadres, from top to bottom, are deeply involved in crime. Starting with Erdoğan, who didn’t ‘care’ about the Constitution; there’s no need to mention other crimes! I don’t even need to remind you of the corruption. Look at the actions of the last 10 years, and you won’t find a ‘legal and orderly’ policy.
What else can be expected from someone sitting on top of a crime empire? Either seeking ways to continue his rule or securing himself and his circle for what comes after. It’s clear who’s leaving, and it’s clear who’s coming… The AKP and Erdoğan are on their way out… The CHP is the actor of the new era. This is why Erdoğan wanted to meet with Özgür Özel… And this is why he wanted to knock on Kılıçdaroğlu’s door. It wouldn’t be surprising if he meets with Mansur Yavaş and Ekrem İmamoğlu tomorrow.
No matter how you look at it, Kılıçdaroğlu’s confirmation that Erdoğan wanted to meet with him ‘means a lot.’ Most of all, it shows that Erdoğan has begun to live in a nightmare about the future and that he’s in a state of distress… What other explanation can there be for someone who is now looking for solace even from someone who is outside of politics…
