After the 31 March elections what comes next?

The AKP+MHP coalition was given a good lesson in the local elections. We can put this down far more to the effect of the economic crisis than the CHP’s success. With, over the past year, working people’s income falling by at least thirty per cent, unemployment increasing to the same extent, concerns for the future spreading among young people, the vast majority of educated young people unable to find work and inflation skyrocketing, the impudence and conceit of the ruling party’s supporters, the corruption, the propaganda made in a language disparaging of the people, the pro-regime press well and truly ramping up the dose of mendacity and becoming unreadable and unwatchable, Erdoğan speaking all day on TV stations, the solution-defying problems of the metropolitan municipalities, the traffic problem, car park problem and high public transport fares, price increases of electricity, natural gas and fuel, price increases of basic consumption goods, regulated-price sales tents etc. drove even a section of those who have supported the AKP for years to despair. Not even the exploitation of religion and the flag the ruling party engaged in to cling on to this circle was to any avail. As to the “matter of survival” propaganda, this was not even taken seriously by a large section of the ruling party’s supporters

Day by day, the people’s support for the ruling party will decline because the economic crisis is gradually deepening. The factors I have listed above that disincline the people to support the ruling party will not lessen but will increase.

The municipalities that the opposition has taken will not have an easy time of it. The ruling party will not fund opposition municipalities and will do their utmost to hinder their operations. Let nobody be taken in by the moderation of Erdoğan’s balcony speech. It is ingenuous to expect democratization and an orientation towards the people from the ruling alliance parties. They are masters of duplicity. Their past actions show what they will do in the future.

Opposition municipalities must not operate as before. There is nothing praiseworthy about the way opposition municipalities used to operate. The people voted for the opposition in reaction to the ruling party and not because they were greatly fond of the former’s way of doing things municipal. Opposition municipalities must make it their business to work along with the people to solve the people’s pressing problems.

The ruling party’s talk of no election for four and a half years and of being in power for four and a half years is the attempt to summon up false courage. It gives vent to fear. The day after 31 March, nobody in Turkey believes the current ruling party will remain in power for a further four and half years. Not even the ruling party.

The bosses had long since decided that the programme of burdening the working people with the IMF programme and the crisis would take effect after the 31 March elections. The people will be further impoverished under the IMF programme and the effort will be made to subject them to even greater duress so they do not rise up against the IMF programme.

The forces of democracy must without losing time move into action around a platform of anti-IMF, pro-people democratic struggle. Wallowing in electoral victory will have consequences detrimental to the people. As the forces of democracy stand up for the people’s demands and strengthen their degree of organization, as they step up their organized struggle against the high cost of living, against unemployment and against oppression, everything will be different.

(Translated by Tim Drayton)