The Republican People's Party, born from Kuvayı Milliye, Müdafaa-i Hukuk, our National War of Independence, and the People's Party, is the history and memory of the 103-year-old Republic of Turkey, which pioneered the liberation and establishment of our country, and is the party founded by Atatürk.
At this stage, the 103-year-old CHP is sought to be destroyed. Despite all these developments, discussions are ongoing about 'who is right', 'who is an Atatürkist', 'who is more nationalist', 'who is more democratic'. What truly needs to be discussed today is this: Will the CHP continue its existence, or will it be purged along with its more than a century of historical accumulation?
The problem is not Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Ekrem İmamoğlu, or Özgür Özel; it is not a leadership race, a party congress debate, or a personal reckoning. All of these are perception operations prepared for the great transformation taking place. The real reason for this operation is to shape the future of the Republic of Turkey through the future of the CHP.
Today, we are faced with the purging of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who for the first time achieved victory against imperialism that had exploited the world for 300 years, and the purging of our country through the CHP. For 103 years, and especially after Atatürk's death, the CHP has made significant mistakes; there have been major errors in the choices made and in historical responsibilities. Defending the CHP does not mean defending all its mistakes and its leaders.
Today, with the support of imperialism, the CHP is sought to be purged. There are those who support this, from within and without, knowingly or unknowingly; willingly or unwillingly. Society, rightly seeking to escape the 23-year rule of the AKP, is following certain individuals who appear strong but about whom there is insufficient information. The purging of the CHP is not merely the destruction of a political party. It is the purging of Atatürk's principles and revolutions, the purging of the secular and democratic republic, the purging of our country's indivisible integrity, the purging of modern, scientific, secular education, the purging of the social state, and the purging of the democratic alternative for power.
Despite all its known mistakes, the CHP is a common meeting point for millions of people. Defending and protecting the CHP does not mean abandoning criticism. We must strongly criticize the CHP until it is restored to its founding principles. However, we must also resist with all our might against attempts to purge the CHP.
Today, embracing the CHP does not mean, nor should it mean, endorsing a decision of absolute nullity (mutlak butlan) or endorsing Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. When Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu became chairman, he initiated the 'New CHP' discourse. Now, as a continuation of the same process, the CHP is gone, only its "new" version remains, and a New Party has been established. The salvation of the CHP cannot come from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu or Özgür Özel, because salvation cannot be expected from these establishment politicians who are no different from each other. One should not expect hope from Özgür Özel and his team, who never spoke out against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's mistakes, because ideologically they are travelers on the same path. Indeed, the inclusion of articles such as 'democratic solution to the Kurdish issue', 'right to education in the mother tongue', and 'full implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government' in the New Party's program gives people an idea about this matter, but only to those who read and understand.
Ostensibly, to avoid alienating the voting electorate, an emphasis on loyalty to Atatürk is occasionally made. For those who declare they will ensure the security of the US, NATO, and the EU, who advocate for a free market economy, and who unite with separatists, speaking of Atatürk is nothing more than hypocrisy. The new party, said to be inclusive, has an ideological ambiguity. Therefore, just as the current mistakes of the CHP cannot be defended, the dispersal of the 103-year historical accumulation of the CHP must not be allowed.
The problem is not who the leaders of the CHP are. The problem is whether the future of the CHP, and with it Turkey, will exist. Therefore, the purging of the CHP means the purging of the Republic of Turkey. We must remain within the CHP and consciously and resolutely fight against absolute nullity (mutlak butlan), the leaders, and the new party.
Suay Karaman
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