'We voluntarily went off the path'

Tayyip Erdoğan caused an uproar at the Parliament's opening reception when he lined up all the opposition parties, except for the CHP, before him like a row of Nazilli glasses.

It has been debated for days.

Islamists, Kurdish nationalists, nationalists—whoever had the privilege of being accepted into his presence stood there, hands clasped in front, gazing at him with admiration. Ahmet Davutoğlu and Ali Babacan on his left, DEM Party's Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları on his right!

As for the others, consider them mere window dressing. All of them were fluttering around him!

If the great master Nazım had seen the photos served by the Palace, would he have asked, “Abidin, can you draw me the picture of lack of principle, dishonor, and spinelessness?”

Probably...

As such, the opposition in my country was furious and launched a barrage of criticism; social media was in turmoil. The whole world saw how to oppose the opposition.

The reactions spread rapidly.

Of course, the issue is not just the two photos carefully served; it is the subtle calculation, plan, and project behind them; the government's intention to manipulate the nation.

We have learned well over the last quarter-century how political Islamists use symbolism to “construct consent.” So much so that we have ended up anchored in Islamofascism, having started from the grievance of a headscarf.

The rest is just empty talk!

The excuses found by those who spread out like a five-piece simit in the photo and posed with grins, after being criticized on social media the next day, were nothing more than comical.

Everyone knows very well that Tayyip Erdoğan desperately needs to prove that his power is not shaking and that his political expiration date has not passed.

The rabbits he pulls out of his hat to consolidate his voters or corner the opposition are almost gone, and the public opinion polls before him are not a good sign.

Moreover, the economic and political crisis he has plunged the country into is deepening every day. He has lost the ability to set the agenda. Özgür Özel is gathering millions in squares every week. Even though he is ideologically swaying back and forth, he holds the moral and psychological superiority.

Tayyip Erdoğan is aware that things are not going as he wishes, and that if there is an early election, he will not be able to sit in that seat again...

He could run again through a constitutional amendment.

In that case, he will either settle this in Parliament or go to a referendum.

Both are on a knife's edge.

We can say that the probability of him solving the issue without putting the ballot box in front of the people of my country is slightly higher, with the support of his former comrades who entered Parliament with the votes of the DEM and CHP voters.

As if he were not the one who destroyed the rational political ground, he is trying to reorganize his alliance relations in some way to keep his power alive.

He does not have much time left.

In short, one must understand the spirit of these photos well. A “historic snapshot” on the road to an Islamist-Kurdish federation.

Let's get to the crux of the matter.

He weighed it with the precision of a jeweler's scale, went all the way to Washington, put the legitimacy he wanted in his bag, and returned, but all of this needed to take shape so that an opportunity could arise to convince the people of my country.

That is exactly what he did in Parliament.

He seized this opportunity and shoved it into the eyes of the people of my country with two photos.

Let no one try to say, we were accepted into his presence, we posed with grins, but tomorrow we will continue to oppose from where we left off. Those photos have shown very well how those who pretend to be on the side of justice to vent the nation's anger, and who act as if they are criticizing the government, can turn the helm toward the Palace when they find the opportunity.

They accepted the invitation knowing what every photo to be taken would mean, and how Tayyip Erdoğan would market and exploit it. Because it suited their interests.

The happiness of being graced by the “Imperial Greeting” was readable on all their faces.

In other words, they all “voluntarily went off the path.”

They know very well that if Özgür Özel does not make the mistake of Kılıçdaroğlu and include them on the CHP lists, their political lives will end, unless Tayyip Erdoğan takes them under his wing on the eve of the election.

We can think that they have already given a message of “goodwill” by gifting him the picture of the “great alliance” that the Palace wants.

Let's see what the morning brings...

But whether it works, or how much it works, is debatable.

Because this big picture ensures that all the opposition in my country, who have become fed up with political Islamists, gather under the roof of the CHP, strengthening their hand politically. It consolidates the front against the government.

It is hard to say whether the CHP will seize this opportunity because when it comes to Tayyip Erdoğan, it is not very possible to predict what kind of attitude Özgür Özel will take. We have all seen the results of his attempt to curry favor with the Palace after the local elections, saying let's warm up, normalize, and kiss and make up for no reason.

Not just because of this, we hope he has learned the necessary lessons from the 'Yenikapı Spirit' that turned Bahçeli into Tayyip Erdoğan's partner in power in 2016 and made Kılıçdaroğlu a prop for the AKP for years, and with that, we end our article.