The CHP's liquidation strategy through local government corruption

A weaponized judiciary and a law turned into a weapon are, everywhere in the world, an advantage for the government and a disadvantage for the opposition. If a system/regime has eliminated the rule of law and the equation of an impartial/fair judiciary, and has brought every institution and every dynamic under the scope of political authority, then one cannot speak of law and democracy there.

It should not be forgotten that in the recent past, the liquidation of the institutions that were the load-bearing and protective columns and beams of the Republic of Turkey's political/legal architecture was carried out through law/judiciary. Let us also not forget the hysterical screams made while the Republic's civil and military dynamics, the traditional institutions of the state/regime equation based on the separation of powers, were being dismantled with the demagoguery of "we are being saved from a monolithic regime and military tutelage!"

Future political historians, when speaking of this period, will undoubtedly write that the transition from military tutelage (!) to the tutelage of the wooden-soled slipper was carried out with a syringe of civilianization that paralyzed social consciousness. It should not be forgotten how FETÖ's uniformed disciples in law enforcement and its disciples in judges' and prosecutors' robes were thrown away like a snotty tissue once their tasks in this liquidation were completed. Contrary to what is said, FETÖ was not the decision-making authority of this liquidation, but the implementation apparatus in the field. In other words, it was nothing more than the soot-covered tongs of the joint action strategy of external and internal dynamics that are the relentless enemies of the founding architecture of October 29, 1923!

It is extremely misleading to think that this process ended with the replacement of the traditional state/regime equation, based on the separation of powers with legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the founding architecture, with an authoritarian system based on a leader-centric, monolithic centralization of power. The turn has now come for the liquidation of the political opposition, primarily the CHP, if it does not unconditionally pledge allegiance to the government.

The first phase of the liquidation strategy is the corruption investigations and trials in CHP-run municipalities. What should the CHP's stance be in the judicial process that began with accusations of a criminal organization for profit, involving some mayors/administrators, municipal bureaucracy, and individuals from the business world? Should it proceed through total denial by saying, "There are spots on the moon, but not on our mayors and administrators," or should the stance be: "Our political tradition and party culture are based on the fight against corruption. Instead of a transparent and fair administration focused on serving the public, we will purge those who engage in conflict-of-interest relationships and get involved in corruption before the judiciary does"?

The CHP's policy regarding local governments, its carelessness in candidate selection, or the devastating results caused by choices based on interest calculations are exemplary proofs that it is impossible to correct a strategic error with tactics. When local governments, which are the institutional tools for bringing services to the people and providing direct communication with the public, are turned into centers for rent-seeking by certain interest networks, the multi-faceted destruction that will occur is the bitter reality of today.

We do not believe that those in decision-making positions in the party's management, including the CHP's chairman who sits in Atatürk's seat, are able to read the process correctly. When the process is not read correctly, a counter-strategy that aligns with the party's historical identity, traditional sensitivity, and political culture that prioritizes public interest over personal interest cannot be developed.

It has become an inevitable necessity for the CHP management to be in a state of uncompromising sensitivity that will remove those involved in corruption from the party and administration, instead of the automatic, routine statements made after every operation and daily reactions that are far from creating public awareness, and to develop a long-term, healthy strategy.