We are currently going through a time of many debates regarding the candidates. This is the case for all parties. The debates surrounding personal chauffeurs, sons and grooms is preventing us from seeing the truths. Because what is important is the general profile of candidates. The main clusterings, representations, equipment, generations… The distribution of candidates is significantly mostly in terms of the AK Party. Because AK Party is the ruling party and has been so for 14 years. It has made important progress to renew, transform and develop Turkey. Hence it has become the centre of hopes for both Turkey and the Muslim world. Let us remember how Erdoğan was greeted in Arabian streets. Erdoğan represented leadership, democracy, development, freedom and Islam. AK Party changed its founding chairman. It is entering the new general elections with a new chairman. Accordingly, new crews and generations are on the way. Surely their is a circulation of the political elites due to the three-term rule. All these are closely related to the new candidates.
Above all, the candidates of a political party are required to represent a sociological connection with the organization, society, regions, sections, et cetera. They must integrate with certain sociologies in the cities, regions for which they run as candidates. They also need to express the party organization to a certain extent. The candidates are required to have political qualities. Hence, political sensitivity, political awareness, experience in political struggle and political belonging are of grave significance. These provide great motivation during election works and contribute to courage, action and productivity during the term of rule. This is why political and sociological factors need to be taken into consideration in terms of candidate distributions.
Beyond being a political party alone, the AK Party is expressing itself as a cause movement. In this case, the candidate profiles we mentioned carry greater importance. The Islamic circle, the AK Party organization, individuals who are mentally and spiritually suitable to work with and perceive the projects represented by the party… In this movement where cultural and political belonging in particular are intertwined, identity is also an important factor. Because the AK Party is a movement that keeps the cause and mass party approaches together. Hence, it is required to well maintain the balance between the cause/identity and the people. It should not get caught up in the cause and turn into a community. It should also avoid restricting itself to the masses and falling into the situations the right-wing parties of the past had fallen into.
We need to read into the general distribution of AK Party candidates in terms of the AK Party's politics, its objective and projects. We should assess the Ak Party through what it wants to do in the new term. It is not very sensible to read into this by taking individuals as the basis. Surely the representation of certain people gives us the opportunity to make interpretations, yet we should maintain an integral view.
Is the AK Party going to continue on its path to democratizing Turkey, is it going to continue the reconciliation process, is it going to continue economic development through the free market, is it going to undertake regional roles? In a more specific context, in the event that it comes to power once again following this election, what does it basically want to do? If we continue our readings with these questions, we can make a more sound evaluation of the candidates. The conclusion from all the debates is that we have two main issues: One is the new constitution, the other is the change of system. Turkey has been trying to escape the revolution constitution for decades. The government is taking various initiatives to achieve this. This is also one of the most important motivators to win these elections. In this framework, we have the candidacies of legal experts such as Mustafa Şentop and Osman Can. Şentop was deputy chairman and was representing the Ak Party in the constitution reconciliation commission. Both Şentop and Can are law professors. They are the party's Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) members. Thus, they are candidates who form the Ak Party's backbone. Of course it is not only for lawyers to make the new constitution. Kamubilimcileri , sociologists and political scientists are also important as professions. There are various candidates who are also experts in this field.
Whether it is called presidential or semi-presidential, from now on, it seems that Turkey is going to go through a serious system review. Erdoğan being the first directly-elected president makes this even more compulsory. Accordingly, the susceptibility of candidates in this sense, is important in terms of the election atmosphere and legislative works following the election. For this, we first need to see whether the AK Party is going to garner adequate votes on its own. In any case, Turkey must rise above the existing standards of democracy when changing the system. If it can manage this, the system change will gain legitimacy and will make it easier for the public to accept. The reconciliation of the Kurdish issue multi-dimensional. The elimination of terrorism, fulfilment of cultural rights and restructuring of local managements are among these. Surely there is a Kurdish Nationalist Movement that deepens its regional significance and hegemony. The ruling party needs to be able to both stand up against these and apply policies that will produce solutions. In the new term, the AK Party government which has already achieved this to an extent, needs to complete the task. In this aspect, what are the profiles like of candidates in especially the southeast and cities like Istanbul where Kurdish residency is predominant? Today, Kurds have greater Kurdish awareness. Conservative Kurds feel more Kurdish now compared to the past. It is important whether the candidates who are nominated based on this represent these sensitivities. The candidacy of the party's Deputy Chairman Yasin Aktay and MKYK members like Mazhar Bağlı in the southeast are quite positive steps in terms of social action. Also, someone like Fazıl Hüsnü Erdem, who has positive and a respectable influence over everyone in the region, running as candidate is a great advantage. However, can we say the same for Istanbul? Who are the candidates toward whom the conservative Kurds will feel close in terms of dialect, manner and ideals? The HDP might catch an opportunity here.
A major cluster of AK Party candidates appears as a new factor: Vedat Bilgin, Markar Esayan, Hüseyin Yayman, Orhan Miroğlu, Mahmut Övür, Mehmet Uçum and Muhsin Kızılkaya. These intellectuals, most of whom come from a leftists background, with some from a nationalist background, have been in certain interactions with the AK Party for the last two years. Let us see how much of a common spirit this group of candidates can achieve with the party they joined, its circle and politics. Are they going to be able to carry votes from their traditional background to the AK Party? Or, through their background, what are they going to be able to add to the AK Party?
The candidates are not going to be bureaucrats in Ankara. So, their political belonging is important. If the AK Party particularly considers itself a movement and a party for a cause, then this becomes even more significant. In this aspect, the presence of candidates who are active in political practices, organizations, social responsibility projects and real-life relationships, is important in terms of shaping future politics.
