CHP claims the Kurdish issue

It was an extremely brave step. Then something happened, and the CHP withdrew itself from the Kurdish issue. Within time it took on a nationalistic and conflicting attitude. It could not separate the PKK terror from the Kurdish issue.

It was the star of the Southeast. It encountered great vote losses. Especially some spokespeople used such harsh language that they entirely lost the region.

The AKP took steps that allowed it to collect the prestige that the CHP lost.

The latest developments scared me.

Turkey obtained an important opportunity and general cycles may not solve the whole problem or eliminate the PKK terror all together, but it would bring an important insight. The CHP’s attitude was subject to curiosity.

Was the CHP to oppose each insight just for the sake of opposing or would it stay within the boundaries of criticism and provide a positive contribution?

The general impression is that the CHP would negate everything just like the MHP did. But the latest announcements signal that Deniz Baykal will prefer a midway by warning and supporting the government. And that’s the right thing to do.

The Kurdish issue cannot be solved without the CHP. Turkey’s future depends on making this issue one that can at least be "tolerated." Deniz Baykal’s decision to go to the region next week is very important from a symbolic point of view and important for taking the people’s pulse.

The party’s proposal to give priority to regional youth and hire Kurdish translators in governmental departments is also drawing attention. If the CHP continues with this attitude, the country’s way will be paved sooner.

Signals show that something might happen. We might become disappointed. In the end there might not be a single result. But all parties need to expend some effort.

If the MHP wants the Kurdish issue to be solved then at least it needs to allow using the opportunity before us. It is our right to expect Devlet Bahçeli to repeat his behavior exhibited during the period in which Öcalan’s execution was postponed.

Arınç is AKP’s conscience

I think we made our minds up too soon about Bülent Arınç. He, after coming to power, showed such "unfamiliar" reactions and said out loud things we did not want to hear that we made an enemy out of him. Maybe he did not want this to happen and we wanted to see in him an enemy. His expression of thought was very different.

Within time we either got used to Arınç or Arınç changed his style. Anyhow, when I look at Arınç’s speeches today I evaluate him differently.

Arınç comes first; he reads the public better than Erdoğan.

The AKP leaders might also take the public’s pulse but they are not brave enough to warn the prime minister or make open statements and they keep evaluation to themselves.

Bülent Arınç, on the contrary, speaks openly however he sees fit. If necessary, he warns the prime minister without any fear. In summary, Arınç respects the prime minister but does not hesitate.

This puts Arınç in a position of voicing the AKP’s conscience. If you sum up his statements, you might not agree with an important part of it but you’d characterize most of it as "common sense."

For example, he was the one to evaluate election results accurately. Arınç was the one to see that Zahid Akman, no offense and no matter how innocent he was, needed to resign. The same goes for Dişli’s resignation, which Arınç made a current issue.

And Arınç was also the only one to think of it and say that it would be good if Nimet Çubukçu went to Türkan Saylan’s funeral.

The most important difference between the prime minister and Arınç is that Erdoğan does not care about factors like the public and political pulse, and Arınç measures the public conscious and political pulse very well.

The place of the "new Arınç" gradually changes within the AKP. It seems it’ll change even further in the future. And if Erdoğan, as he puts it, leaves active politics in six or seven years, then Arınç already is a candidate for this party’s leadership.