We asked to EMEP vice chair Selma Gürkan: Which phase is the work of 7 parties and associations at?

Birkan BULUT
Ankara

Seven parties and associations, joined together in the context of common struggle, are in preparation of a joint statement. Carrying out a wide range of discussions from economy to the state of affairs of the political regime, including internal and foreign politics, the table of 7 has concentrated its work under numerous titles such as economy, democracy, laicism based on freedom of belief, resolution of Kurdish question by equal and democratic rights, equal rights for women. The title of this joint effort is also discussed per the agenda of the table of 7.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Labour Party (EMEP), Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), Social Freedom Party (TOP), Labor Movement Party (EHP), Community Centers, and Federation of Socialist Counsils (SMF) continue their work. With Selma Gurkan, vice chairwoman of EMEP taking part in this joint effort and participates the meetings in person, we discussed which phase the work of 7 parties and associations is at, what they want to do, and their goals. Defining the platform as a union of joint struggle, Gurkan said “If the unity for struggle can be achieved, the election tactics becomes a part of it. Despite that the main axis of the discussions is not carried out emphasizing the elections, we cannot disregard the election process.” She said “We think that the process of struggle can be improved by not only those of 7 parties and associations, but also by the common demands of trade-unions, professional associations, retirees, producer peasants, small business owners.”

Due to the deepening of economic and political issues, we often hear from Nation Alliance the criticism that those in power have not been governing the country well. How do the Labour Party and the table of 7 that it continues to form partnership with for struggle, assess the process?

Following the financial operation on December 20, the fluctuations in foreign currency values have further reduced the buying power of people. In that situation, the price increases applied to the consumer goods have impacted the lives of people directly because there is no new adjustments to the laborers’ wages and minimum wage. In addition, we observe that the government has no attempts to introduce any new measures either. Right from the start, we can say that the government has brought the country into this situation by enforcing wrong politics. Besides the world economy has also contracted, we have been living through the structural problems of capitalist order. As a result of the insistence on the politics serving for the interests of a handful monopolies and capital groups, the outcome of such economic conditions is leaving deeper adverse effects for the workers and laborers. Especially, the withdrawal of price hikes in the state based resources such as transportation and energy, an improvement in the wages is amongst the most urgent demands of the people.

When looked at the judiciary convictions directed towards the opposition, the elections law on the agenda of the Supreme Council , and the re-structuring introduced by the latest social media bill, and bans on many other areas, we see that we approach elections through increased bans and limitations. What sort of platform does the government want to form in the upcoming period?

When considered the way of Gezi, Kavala, Kaftancioglu verdicts and the case of closing down HDP, there is a need to draw close attention to a few inclinations of the political power. One of these is that they want to consolidate the one-man regime to be more authoritarian and more oppressing regime. Another side of this is that the elections process has started despite that the date of the elections has not yet been posted.  The government has been demonstrating every day through new enforcements that it would not go into the elections process under normal conditions. Going towards elections, the judiciary verdicts, political oppression, bans on meetings, concerts and even theatres are the indicators of how badly the election process would proceed. We can look at that as “clearing the way” from the point of view of the government. Because it would generate a politics of polarization, the government wants to utilize this process in order to improve its position weakened in the eyes of the people  especially in economy and foreign policy. We observe a similar situation in foreign politics too. Trying to get plugged into the war in Ukraine in the name of effective diplomacy, the government has been insisting on a foreign policy that is expansionist-aggressive. We observe this insistence also in the aggressive foreign politics including military interference executed under the pretexts of operations in Iraq and Syrian soil.

STRUGGLE WOULD IMPROVE IF THE TABLE ‘OF 7’ GETS MORE INCLUSIVE

In this case, how are these issues assessed at the table of 7? What will be the politics of the partnership in struggle, that you call it, towards this process?

We have been carrying out discussions on regime far too long. There are political regime approaches tabled by Nation Alliance and People Alliance. We have been carrying out a regime discussion based on people’s sovereignty, securing democratic rights and freedoms without getting stuck between those two approaches. Our discussions on joined struggle and alliance are formed by these topics. Of course, this is not a union that could be formed at the table. Since right from the start, we have been stating that we would not engage in discussions limited by elections process, that it would be a partnership for struggle against basic issues currently experienced. Today, additional increase in wages and withdrawing the price hikes applied on consumer  goods in the face of economic problems are the most urgent demands of the people. We think that this joint struggle process can be further improved in the up-coming period by the common demands of not only the 7 parties and organizations, but by the common demands of trade-unions, professional associations, retirees, producing peasants, and small business owners.

We are up against the problems that government has created in many fields. There are offenses such as plundering nature, violations of human rights, workplace homocides, women homocides, looting in economy and regime of plunder, benefitting a handful cooperating capital owners on public resources through tender law. We will organize a symposium on “Recollection, reality, reckoning” in order to demonstrate these offenses.

DECLARATION STATEMENT HAS NOT YET BEEN FINALIZED

In what phase is the declaration statement you have been working on?

In both 7 institutions and our bilateral and trilateral discussions with other parties, we had reviewed the necessity of forming the political platform of the interests of workers and laborers in the context of the foundational problems of the country. Currently we continue on these discussions as the 7 institutions. There has not yet been a finalized situation, but we hope that the statement of declaration will mature in the up-coming weeks.

Under what headings will the joined statement be written?

There are headings ranging from the title of the alliance to the topics of struggle. A discussion is being carried out based on economy, political regime, internal and foreign politics. We continue the discussions under headings such as economy for people, laicism mainly based on freedon of belief in the context of democracy problems, the resolution of the Kurdish question based on equal rights, women’s right for equality, nature and environmental politics, democratic rights, political freedom, immigration.

It had been stated numerous times that the elections alliance had not been a priority for the 7 organizations to join together. However, the elections is always in the agenda. Do you have any preparations or decisions made in this context?

As 7 institutions, we have unanimously agreed on the following: If the unity for struggle can be achieved, the election tactics will be a part of that unity. Despite that the main axis of the discussions is not carried out focusing on elections, we cannot ignore the elections process. However, we do not have any decided election tactics, but we can say that what we focus on is in the frame of partnership for struggle.

Without a doubt, the security of elections is to be considered in more comprehensive manner. The Elections Security Platform that EMEP is part of has some work done in that context. This platform has been carrying out discussions in many phases such as what sort of political situation is necessary for more just elections, what should be done when the date of elections is proclaimed, how to plan the day of elections. Different political parties, trade-unions, professional associations and non-governmental organizations are also part of this process. We can say that there is an effort for planning and work taking into account all possible moves of the government.