Presidental Election: Winners- Losers
With the election victory of Erdoğan, Turkey starts a new period. Erdoğan will try to open a new way for himself and his political line by implementing de facto presidential regime. The election has another winner, who is Selahattin Demirtaş. Demirtaş, with his left position in the election period, has been both unifier and appealed to laborers. That’s why he is supported by not only Kurdish cities but also many leftists in the west part of Turkey. The best examples of these are the rise of vote to %9 in Istanbul, to %8 in Izmir. Demirtaş doubled his votes in the three big cities. In this case his vote rate reached to %10. Compared to local elections in March 30, the rise of vote as 1 million 200 thousand is a very big jump. On the other hand, joint candidate Ekmelledin İhsanoğlu was definitely a loser with %38.5.
•Demirtaş, with a unifying leftist discourse, manage to appeal laborers and leftist masses beyond the natural supporters of Kurdish national movement. During the election campaign, Demirtaş was the main opposition of Erdoğan. He didn’t make the same mistake as Sırrı Süreyya Önder in local elections and tear into Erdoğan who desires to be a dictator. That causes some supporters of CHP who don’t happy about Ekmelleddin turn their face to Demirtaş.
•The success of Demirtaş can’t be assessing only based on votes. There is a large mass that didn’t vote for Demirtaş but feel sympathetic to him. The key of this is leftist discourse.
•Demirtaş upset the balances of last twelve years. The inclusive leftist discourse shakes the polarized patterns of support. That’s why, Erdoğan takes whatever he wants but he will be disturbed soon. Although he used all the state opportunities, Erdoğan couldn’t raise his votes.
•On the other hand, the most important point is the continuation of this leftist line after the elections by HDP. But, unfortunately, there are big doubts about keeping this line in the framework of deals between Öcalan and Erdoğan. Labor classes should be aware of this.
•The big raise of votes in Kurdish cities in this election compared to local elections reflects the displeasure of the people from HDP’s municipalities.
•While Demirtaş turns his face to left and gains victory, CHP keeps going down to defeat because of turning his face to right. While CHP tries to push the Gezi dynamics to right by being sitting on USA- TUSIAD (Turkish industry& business association)- Sect’s tail, CHP also serves to MHP(Nationalist Movement Party).
•The voters of MHP in Middle and East Anatolia where MHP was strong, supported AKP. This fact is very clear according to election results. Therefore, in this area Erdoğan’s votes raise to %60-70-80. So, the joint candidate tactic of CHP, saves only MHP.
•Turnout at elections was %74 which is the lower rate of the last 12 years. The reason why Erdoğan won in the first round was this low participation rates. Vacation is very effective on the low participation rates of the regions which CHP is very powerful. Underlying factor of this are beside the petit bourgeoisie conformism, the non-acceptance of Ekmeleddin by the voters.
•During the new process in which Erdoğan tries to implement de facto presidential system, it is important to build an independent socialist alternative against the increasing dictatorship tendency. That is an emergency situation not only about revolution and socialism but also for the dangers which laborers will face in near future.
•Political struggle is absolutely nothing to degrade to election. So, it is time to do politics and product politics. General election is coming. We should start to calculate how to break the blockade that presses on us, through a political maneuver, not by apolitical ways or being quiet.
Translation: Tilbe Akan
