CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroglu is organizing rally after rally. Somewhere, on some pretext, he is holding a rally almost every day.

It used to be that Erdogan, back in his “good” days, would gather neighborhood officials in Bestepe and give speeches. Now, it is Kılıçdaroglu who gathers neighborhood officials in the meeting halls of various cities. He is holding gatherings in Manisa, Rize, Edirne, Samsun, Hatay… attending meetings with ESİAD (Aegean Industrialists and Businessmen Association) and the TTB (Turkish Medical Association).

In almost all of them, Kılıçdaroglu begins with “When we come to power in the next election…” and goes on to describe what the CHP will do once it forms a government: “in six months, everyone will be able to breathe easy,” “in one year, I will solve the student housing shortage,” “in two years, I will solve the refugee crisis,” “in four years, if I am unable to resolve the terrorism issue, I will resign from politics.” At last, he said “the HDP will be involved.” But who can say that problems shouldn’t be solved?

Saying he will solve issues one by one, the CHP leader wants to resolve all the issues faced by the public: “More than your votes, it is your concerns that I aspire to… I am determined to solve all the issues faced by this country.”

It appears that Kılıçdaroglu has a presidential nomination in mind. This is what his language attests to. Like a new “strong man,” he consistently speaks in the first person singular. “I aspire,” “I will solve.” As if he will solve these issues on his own!

Later, checking himself, he adds: “We will solve them with our friends.” And Aksener is no less shrewd as she eyes the prime ministry!

The broadening of the CHP leader’s meetings and the change of attitude reflected in his speeches indicate other things as well, but two things are shown clearly.

Polls indicating that the AKP’s public approval is deteriorating as rapidly as its strength have convinced Kılıçdaroglu of its imminent departure and the CHP’s near prospect of forming a government. The ground beneath its feet is shifting, but while the AKP is losing strength and support both domestically and abroad, interpretations amounting to “The AKP is outgoing” are both exceedingly early and dangerous. Unfortunately, they have the weapons and we are all enduring the assaults.  

Secondly, besides his conviction that “We are coming [to power]”, he declines to make appeals such as “Let’s not take to the streets,” “Please, let’s not be provoked” because he knows it will garner criticism and an unfavorable response; but he only declines to speak, otherwise he continues to hold the attitude that the people should be uninvolved! I will do, I will solve, “wait” he says; at most, he adds “with our friends” in order to conciliate the İYİ Party and etc.. As for resolving these issues with the participation of the people, or clearing the way for popular struggle, there isn’t so much as a trace of these notions in any of his speeches.

The bourgeois opposition is desirous of solving the problems of the people, but these solutions will be without the involvement of the people. The people will watch on as the CHP, alongside its “friends,” the İYİ Party and DEVA, solve these issues, some in six months, some in one or two years.

However, we haven’t forgotten how these “friends” solved problems in the past. Aksener was Minister of the Interior during the “White Toros” period [counter-guerillas would abduct people prior to executing them in white Toros model cars that were distributed by state security apparatus]. Davutoglu was the prime minister of Erdogan, responsible for involving this country in the Syrian crisis and making “White Toros” threats against the public. Karamollaoglu was the Mayor of Sivas during the Sivas massacre, while Babacan is Kemal Dervis’s lackey and architect of the current economic quagmire. They’re hardly paragons of virtue now that they oppose the strong man regime and parrot the words “strengthened parliamentary system.” 

Of course, it is important to be rid of the strong man system. This necessity cannot be ignored, but neither should we drink poison clouded over by sugar. Moreover, it is not as though we haven’t lived under this abominable thing called the parliamentary system. We know what sort of thing it is. How many coups did it eagerly welcome; the people did not prosper when those like Deniz Gezmis were hung during the parliamentary period. Rising prices, long lines and low-rent wage slavery were likewise permanent. In short, workers were still being exploited down to the bone and the people were not sovereign.

What workers and laborers have witnessed even today show that a similar order will continue under this period without the AKP, whose good tidings are that “these issues will be resolved in a few years.” It is enough to consider what these opposition-controlled municipalities and the pro-boss yellow Genel-Is union administration have done to workers in Istanbul’s Maltepe, Kartal, Kadikoy, and Bakirkoy municipalities, İzmir’s Çigli municipality, and Ankara’s Çanpas municipality. And then there was the latest strike of İzmir Metro and Streetcar workers. CHP-controlled municipalities view these workers as undeserving of a modest raise, to say nothing of their rights, while the “sympathetic” union administration by signing agreements without the ratification of union branches, with extraordinary congresses, and disciplinary measures… constantly betrays their interests. These workers and laborers who are drowning in the midst of their issues will not have their concerns resolved by such measures!