Ertugrul Ozkok: The city squares are spoken for, but what about the ballot boxes?
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 03, 2007 16:17
Yesterday morning, an important figure from the ranks of the AKP called me to comment on a column I had written, talking about the sense that Cankaya Presidential Palace might be an office the AKP saw as one to "conquer." The AKP member told me "Yes, that is a really grave idea, the idea of conquering Cankaya. But is it fair to ascribe these feelings to the AKP? If there are some marginal voices who speak like this, what can we do? What I want to say is this: We absolutely do not stand by such marginal opinions."
This is actually what I have been trying to say for days now. Marginal illnesses of some sort have been infacting the reasonable areas of society in a very fast manner. The reasonable voices from society are quiet, while these marginal expressions of anger have started to pull us all along by our noses. This is not only true for the AKP, but for all the other opposition parties, and journalists as well. We are all becoming enslaved to the anger and hatred of our own sides. This is very dangerous.
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But you have to be brave. Everyone needs to do a cleansing of their own homes, throwing out all the marginal angers and hatreds they have scrounging around in the corners of their dwellings. Everyone needs to learn a lesson from this crisis. First, let's start with the AKP.....As I see it, here is the tableau where they are concerned:
In terms of the economy, Turkey has been well directed for the past 4.5 years. I can say the following in great comfort and ease: The economic leadership of this past period has been the best of its type since the Ozal period of leadership. Turkey has signed off on very important, in fact historical, reforms under this leadership. Turkey has raised its export level to 100 billion dollars in this period. In this period, Turkey has entered the ranks of the world's top 20 (in terms of size) economies. Turkey began talks for full membership with the EU during this period. Turkey became an important international actor during this period. Yes, you may not want to admit it, this may anger you, but the fact is that history will record Turkey's leadership during this period.
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And so you may ask, since it was led so well, why did Turkey emerge with one of the heaviest political crises this past week? Yes, this is a question everyone should be asking. What this crisis proves to politicians is this: Leading Turkey is not only dependent on the economy. There has to be leadership also which takes into account the "psychology," "worries," and "sensitivities" of the people of the nation. Part of the AKP's duty was to get rid of certain worries about them. Just as other parties may have to work on dispeling worries about things like "their ability to guide the economy."
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As for lessons for opposition parties from this crisis:
The meetings, or protest rallies, or demonstrations (whatever you will call them) which took place in Ankara and Istanbul underscored a tremendous unification of spirit. And they reflected real worries about the protection of the constitutional principle of secularity, and a modern way of life. But there is another real worry now, which some who attended these demonstrations have, in the wake of the protests: What will happen in the early elections. Or, as a friend of mine said: "The city squares seem to be ours, but what about the ballot boxes?" I can't answer this.....the biggest protest rally/meeting/demonstration you can have is, after all, at the ballot box. And so I say, it is the duty of every political party in Turkey to dispel worries among voters, whether the worries are about "the regime and secularity," or about "will they be able to govern the economy?" In the end, the most successful party will be the one which is able to convince the people of the nation that their worries are groundless. And if the AKP succeeds at this, it will see that the real matter at stake is not the headscarf after all.
*
But you have to be brave. Everyone needs to do a cleansing of their own homes, throwing out all the marginal angers and hatreds they have scrounging around in the corners of their dwellings. Everyone needs to learn a lesson from this crisis. First, let's start with the AKP.....As I see it, here is the tableau where they are concerned:
In terms of the economy, Turkey has been well directed for the past 4.5 years. I can say the following in great comfort and ease: The economic leadership of this past period has been the best of its type since the Ozal period of leadership. Turkey has signed off on very important, in fact historical, reforms under this leadership. Turkey has raised its export level to 100 billion dollars in this period. In this period, Turkey has entered the ranks of the world's top 20 (in terms of size) economies. Turkey began talks for full membership with the EU during this period. Turkey became an important international actor during this period. Yes, you may not want to admit it, this may anger you, but the fact is that history will record Turkey's leadership during this period.
*
And so you may ask, since it was led so well, why did Turkey emerge with one of the heaviest political crises this past week? Yes, this is a question everyone should be asking. What this crisis proves to politicians is this: Leading Turkey is not only dependent on the economy. There has to be leadership also which takes into account the "psychology," "worries," and "sensitivities" of the people of the nation. Part of the AKP's duty was to get rid of certain worries about them. Just as other parties may have to work on dispeling worries about things like "their ability to guide the economy."
*
As for lessons for opposition parties from this crisis:
The meetings, or protest rallies, or demonstrations (whatever you will call them) which took place in Ankara and Istanbul underscored a tremendous unification of spirit. And they reflected real worries about the protection of the constitutional principle of secularity, and a modern way of life. But there is another real worry now, which some who attended these demonstrations have, in the wake of the protests: What will happen in the early elections. Or, as a friend of mine said: "The city squares seem to be ours, but what about the ballot boxes?" I can't answer this.....the biggest protest rally/meeting/demonstration you can have is, after all, at the ballot box. And so I say, it is the duty of every political party in Turkey to dispel worries among voters, whether the worries are about "the regime and secularity," or about "will they be able to govern the economy?" In the end, the most successful party will be the one which is able to convince the people of the nation that their worries are groundless. And if the AKP succeeds at this, it will see that the real matter at stake is not the headscarf after all.