2024-05-06 19:43:57
Are Erdogan’s words regarding a “political breakthrough” a new maneuver to stay in power?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments regarding a “political breakthrough” that Turkey needs following his meeting with opposition leader and head of the Republican People’s Party Ozgur Ozil have sparked widespread controversy.
Erdogan confirmed, in statements last Friday, the day following his meeting with Özil at the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara, that he would soon visit the Republican People’s Party in response to the visit of Özil, to an extent that no one might have predicted. We imagined it following many years of strong polarization and continuous clashes between the two countries and the opposition.
Erdogan believes that there is now a “political breakthrough” that the country needs, adding that “Özil’s visit is a positive development.”
In turn, Özil, whose meeting with Erdogan was the first between the president and the opposition leader in 8 years when Erdogan met the former leader of the Republican People’s Republic, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a few days following the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, said the meeting It took place according to a specific agenda and no one should be upset.
Erdogan greets his supporters following voting in Istanbul’s municipal elections (Archives – Reuters)
In his statements on Monday, Özil rejected allegations of a plan by Erdogan to sow confusion among the “republican people”, saying: “We do not think regarding the conspiracy theory, which wants to confuse the first party in Turkey, which received 38 percent of the vote in local elections. » “The party of cadres who worked hard and sincerely to become the ruling party in Turkey in the upcoming elections. »
Is Erdogan maneuvering?
Erdogan’s declaration of a “political breakthrough” sparked many reactions accompanied by doubts regarding President Erdogan’s goals and intentions, as he agreed to meet the opposition leader who inflicted a crushing defeat on him in the local elections of March 31 and who violently attacked him. and accusing him of working with terrorists.
In this context, the head of the “Future” Party, former Turkish Prime Minister and Erdogan’s political travel companion, Ahmet Davutoglu, said: “We consider Erdogan’s statement historic and the beginning of a era of political development, and support us if it is not just a tactic.
Davutoglu added, in a speech he delivered on Monday at the end of his party’s “extended consultation camp”: “We know Erdogan well, he is a tactical genius, and we know that the psychology of politics in Turkey is changing very quickly. “
Opposition supporters celebrate victory in Ankara municipality (archives – AFP)
He added that concern over the country’s tendency towards tyranny following May’s elections has now transformed into concern regarding the start of a new democratic period. He called on the Justice and Development Party, if it seriously wanted to talk regarding political détente, to enhance this debate with strategic measures that would be reflected in the discussions on the new constitution and in the improvement of economic conditions and the removal income differences between classes.
Davutoğlu said: “If this is a tactical move following the fall of the ruling party and its decline to second place by highlighting one of the opposition leaders and ignoring the others to create an internal debate in the country, nothing will change on the matter. »
Concerns regarding precedents
In turn, prominent writer Roshan Shaker found that many previous experiments raise concerns, and some believe Erdogan is taking these steps to buy time.
He stressed that Erdogan, who believes he runs the country as “one man”, maintains his power through a “complex alliance” and faces attempts by his government’s hardliners, particularly from its partner in the “People’s Alliance”. the Nationalist Movement Party led by Devlet Bahceli, to limit the opposition, notably the Republican People’s Party.
Shaker believes that the most logical formula is for Erdogan to undertake a certain “political breakthrough” without abandoning his partners, but this is an unrealistic formula because, quite simply, it cannot be considered as a process that does not include the Kurdish question, abandoning the policy of guardianship and release of members of the People’s Democratic Party, in particular, Selahattin Demirtas, represents a “breakthrough”. Likewise, the release of civil activist and businessman Osman Kavala might lead to the collapse of this alliance.
Opposition and early elections
Separately, Asal’s latest opinion poll on Turkey’s political agenda in April revealed the reason why opposition leader Ozgur Ozil rejected calls for early elections following the huge victory in local elections .
The results of the poll, conducted April 20 and 21 among thousands of people aged 18 and over and released Monday, showed that 55.3 percent of participants answered “no” to the question: “Would you like to see the ruling People’s Republican Party and Ozgur Ozil as president? For the country? ”, compared to 31.5% who answered “yes”.
Opposition candidate for Ankara municipality, Mansur Yavas, celebrates victory with his supporters (Archives – AFP)
After the local elections, Özil rejected calls for early elections and said in a television interview: “I went to the public squares and told the nation and the voters of the Justice and Development Party and of the National Movement that these were not general elections. but rather local elections. Show them the yellow card because they can’t hear your voices. » They got your votes in the general election 9 months ago, and indeed, a large portion of them voted for us.
He added: “If I talked regarding early elections the next day, wouldn’t they say to me: ‘Wasn’t that local elections?’ »And you asked us to show the yellow card?
Local election results
Additionally, Chairman of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council Ahmet Yanar announced the official results of the local elections, and the Republican People’s Party, the largest opposition party, received 37.7 percent of the voters’ votes. , while the ruling Justice and Development Party came in second with 35.5 percent, followed by the “Once Again to Welfare” party with 6.2 percent, followed by the pro- Kurdish “Popular Equality and Democracy” with 5.7 percent, while the “National Movement” party, the Justice and Development party The party’s partner in the “People’s Alliance” continued its decline, not obtaining than 5 percent.
Yanar said the number of registered voters reached 57 million 708 thousand 541 voters and the turnout rate reached 78.11 percent.
He added that the second round of elections will be held in 5 cities in 4 states. These are Sivas, Kayseri, Aksaray and Şanlıurfa on June 2.
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Erdogan met Özil on Thursday in Ankara, first meeting with the opposition leader in 8 years (Turkish Presidency)
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Özil confirmed in his statements on Monday that his meeting with Erdogan was friendly and took place according to a clear agenda (according to his account on X)
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Erdogan visited the head of the National Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, his partner in the “Umma Alliance”, on Wednesday on the eve of his meeting with Özil (Turkish presidency).
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