One of the architects of the bills legislated during AKP rule, Lawyer, Prof. İzzet Özgenç said the State of emergency (SE) could be decelerate due to ‘rising USD and economic hardship currently experienced.’
In his message he shared in his social media account, İzzet Özgenç argued that the government could take SE decision per article 119 of the constitution after worsening situation in markets occurred fueled by the rise in foreign exchange rates since the month of August. Having started the argument, Özgenç said “the public should be prepared for the declaration of SE due to severe economic crisis.”
Özgenç explained “the persisting losses in TL against foreign exchanges have started the process fueling “SEVERE ECONOMIC CRISIS.” As a result of this, due to apparently inevitable economic crisis in the making, we should be ready for the declaration of SE (per the constitution, article 119).”
JAPAN BANK ALSO CLAIMED IT
Nomura, a Japanese bank, in a report it prepared, arguing that Erdogan government has been exercising a five step plan of which first three steps had already been carried out, and the last two remaining steps are ‘a foreign policy issue’ and ‘SE.’
MUFTUOGLU: NOT AN ISSUE TO BE OVERLOOKED, WORKERS SHOULD USE THEIR POWER OF PRODUCTION
Talking to Evrensel, regarding the arguments related to the state of emergency, academician Özgür Müftüoğlu said “Workers should altogether take a position against the SE. This is not something to be overlooked.” Indicating that during the periods it could not govern the process, or could not resolve the issues, and was put in a corner, AKP has resorted to the means like the SE, to intensify the social polarization, Müftüoğlu said “At times of desperation, we knew that it could do such a thing. This shows that one resorts to extraordinary measures if one cannot govern a country in the ‘usual’ way. Here the reason for the SE is not extraordinary developments in economy; it is that AKP cannot govern this process in the usual way. It should not be missed that this is a class attitude.”
Pointing to the first thing, that new Economy and Treasury Minister, Nureddin Nebati did, was to meet with the businessmen, Müftüoğlu said “Nebati said he’s got positive reactions from bosses. Here is a possible scenario, which is not specific only to AKP, seen in other capitalist countries as well. When they cannot govern the system, they resort to a way to be able to continue with the salvation of their rule by oppressing the public by means of extraordinary measures. We have observed this before in various countries of the world. That is what we are going through today.”
Explaining “It will be a process which the society and the economy, going into hyperinflation, will not be convinced of,” Müftüoğlu further emphasized “therefore, one will try to maintain that process through oppressive measures in those cases where one cannot convince the public of it. It is more or less what is being tried to work out. As a result, the consequence of that from the workers’ stand point is more oppression. Besides, an autocratic regime is already in action. SE means it would get more severe and penetrate deeper.”
Müftüoğlu responded to the question “What could the workers do against those arguments about and under the conditions of SE?” as follows: “Against that, the workers should altogether assume a unified position. This is not something to be overlooked. Therefore, taking into account the history of the working class, how this kind of attempts in such periods have been handled and repelled, our conclusion is that it is the use of the power of production. The resolution of democratic and economic crises Turkey has gone into is mostly possible today by that position.”
DR. YASLI: CONSEQUENCE OF OPPOSITION REDUCED ENTIRELY TO BALLOT BOX WOULD BE VERY DIASTEROUS
Political scientist, Dr. Fatih Yaşlı assessed for Evrensel the state of emergency claim discussed: “In the last meeting of National Security Council, in compliance with the ‘economic liberation war’ preached about, the economy had been considered as a ‘national security issue,’ and the threads and attempts against the ‘new economic model’ had been taken up. But, yesterday (the day before), Economy and Treasury Minister, Nureddin Nebati confirmed that there had been no attacks on the economy from outside. Well, if there is no attack from outside, what could be the source of such threads and attempts? What was meant there is the risk for people’s direct revolt and social explosion. AKP government is aware of the anger that its impoverishing policies created on the public, and could see the serious consequences it would create on the streets and on the ballot box. To me, those explanations, made by the names close to the government regarding the ‘declaration of SE,’ should be understood in that context. By those explanations, the signals are given that, on one hand, the government will execute more security centered policies against the risk of having a rising opposition; and on the other, the steps will be taken not to hold an election, under equal and just conditions, which it is not guaranteed to win any more. It is exactly for that reason that we have to accept that we are in an ‘extraordinary’ political conjuncture and that it is essential to have an opposition strategy in accordance with it, regardless whether there is a possibility of either a practical or official SE. As the government clearly presents that it will bring about much more hardship, it is imperative to explain to the public, to the people that the consequence of an opposition reduced entirely to the ballot box, not supported by demonstrations, strikes, and boycotts will be very costly.
DISK CHAIRPERSON ARZU CERKEZOGLU: BY THOSE ARGUMENTS OF SE, RISING OPPOSITION IS INTENDED TO BE AVERTED
Assessing Özgenç’s arguments to Evrensel, DISK Leader, Arzu Çerkezoğlu stated that the argument on the State of Emergency (SE) is a sign of policies aiming to make Turkey a paradise for cheap labor.
Remarking that the workers and people have a rising opposition to government’s policies, Çerkezoğlu said “As the opposition escalates against those policies wanting to treat the working class of Turkey as an army of the cheapest and the most vulnerable workforce in the world, it is intended to avert that opposition by such arguments as the declaration of SE.”
Indicating that they had accounted for the consequences of SE to the working class, Çerkezoğlu asserted “Lastly, we have witnessed the severe consequences of SE declared on 20 July 2016 and extended 7 times. SE has, on one hand, made the law-binding, democratic state disappear, and on the other, by the direct impact on working life of its reorganization and practices, it has caused huge damage to workers, working people and trade union organizations. In the two year SE period, without abiding by court decisions, even treating those decisions as non-existing, the most spread and extensively violated right is the right to work. Under the pretext of SE, many union activities and worker functions have either been banned or been stopped.”
Reminding that the union and workers’ activities had been restricted during SE period through general activity bans by the provincial governors, Çerkezoğlu said “The court verdicts, to return to work of those laid off by SE decrees, were treated as non-existing. From top to bottom, as a regime of arbitrariness, as a non-law-binding regime, the use of SE, in the upcoming period, against the working class is not acceptable even for a discussion. That is why our struggle for bread today is as a struggle for democracy, a struggle for justice as it has ever been.” (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Hediye Levent
Yusuf Karadaş
Yücel Özdemir