After the Prime Minister Erdogan"s Presidency Election Vision statement announcement, it became foreordained that the main discussions, which will designate the Presidency election, would be based on "new" and "old" Turkey. While the President will be elected by the public, this – all by itself –is the most obvious sign that we are heading towards a New Turkey and forms the best structural parameter.
The mentality, which completely represents the past, had already taken its place in this competition with an actor, who is already prepared for the new Turkey and carried the weight of the conditions for it until now. Also, the vision statement"s context and presentation style clearly puts forth the difference between the old and new Turkey. The President being chosen by the public also means that the Presidential office will be opened to politics inevitably. Politics is a situation that shows up at a moment, where people possess different options and these options can be discussed and compete with one another. People don"t have to come to terms with each other in politics, agreeing on the rules of the game is sufficient.
In order to prevent disputes from creating "indecision impasse" conditions, which will make the administration impossible, a referee organization will be developed between the competing opinions. In democracies, the most effective referee organization is also a ballot box. Even when the President is designated by parliament members, the road to politics is not completely shut; but in regards to the interventions of both indirect and guardianship establishments, it"s more open. While the Presidency is being opened to the public, in other words to politics, or, to discussion, this situation was unsettling to some people since the beginning.
This unsettling is something related with old Turkey"s mentality and reflexes. The biggest paradox in Turkish politics is that today this mentality is being undertaken by opposition parties. Being unable to carry any hope towards a ballot box, is the opposition"s problem, but still trying to have the public pay the price shows that they had a problem in not knowing what to do.. After all, the opposition, which desires the public to move towards them as they stand still, had tried all the formulas of a democracy without a public with its most creative styles. The guardianship, which is formed and sustained by the military and guardianship establishments, had gradually become inoperative under the conditions of the New Turkey.
AK Party"s sociologic conditions and Recep Tayyip Erdogan"s organic leadership had invalidated all the recent guardianship attempts. The roof candidate attempt is the flutter of the guardianship mentality, which is special to old Turkey. In this way, they would have sought a way to save the face of democracy. However, they are facing a real leader, who speaks New Turkey"s language the best and meets its conditions in a most proper way. The style, in which they tolerated this performance with all their power, in order to save their roof candidate"s position against this leader, is lachrymatory, but even this is not enough to hide what is obvious.
They probably realize that it"s not enough, and at this time started to complain about the "asymmetric competition conditions". It"s clear that there is an asymmetric-unequal situation between Tayyip Erdogan and Mr. Ekmel. In order to resolve this inequality situation, Erdogan should become a candidate, AK Party should bring forth a name in the standards of Mr. Ekmel or since all these are impossible now, Erdogan is expected to give up on some of his advantages.
Then, which advantages would be enough to throw aside to provide equal competition conditions between the candidates?
Should Erdogan brush aside his 40 years worth of political experience for this? Should he break and shut the doors to all the special love bonds he formed with his public during this political experience? Or should he be abstracted from his leadership attribute, which he acquired by climbing through all levels of politics? Is such a thing even possible?
What should Erdogan do to compete on equal conditions with Mr. Ekmel?
Should he not organize rallies or not appear on TV?
When he doesn"t do any of this, will equal conditions really be provided?
Don"t you think that all these reprimands are a disbelief in the talents of the candidate, who was brought forward by the ones, who don"t have the guts to face Erdogan themselves?
Actually, there isn"t any better situation than this for CHP to acknowledge that their political style, which is special to old Turkey, is not functioning.
Who knows, maybe this incident could be the beginning of CHP"s participation in the New Turkey. Always have hope in God.
