Criticism of 'bureaucracy' and 'City Restaurants' at AKP Advisory Board: 'It was a method we used'

The results of the March 31 local elections continue to be analyzed within the AKP.

According to a report by Yücel Kayaoğlu from Türkiye newspaper, the election results were analyzed at a recent advisory board meeting chaired by Erdoğan. 

Some board members pointed out that the AKP reached its current position by fighting against bureaucratic oligarchy, but that in recent times, the bureaucracy has begun to take over politics.

POLITICS SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED, NOT BUREAUCRACY

During the meeting, it was assessed that “The party is also acting according to the bureaucracy. For example, even legal regulations are being made according to the demands of the bureaucracy, not from the perspective of politics. Issues such as ‘What is the response to this in society?’ and ‘What will be the impact on the citizens?’ are not being taken into account. Politics should be brought to the forefront.”

"FACTIONALISM HAS BEGUN"

In the meeting, where the factionalism that has been occurring within the AKP for some time was also emphasized, the view was expressed that “A different structure has begun to form within the party. There was no such thing as ‘this person’s man, that person’s man.’ Now, factionalism has begun within the party, including in the local organizations.” Discussions regarding the AK Party returning to its factory settings were evaluated with the comment that “The conditions at the time of the AK Party’s establishment and today’s conditions are different.”

THE 'CITY RESTAURANT' DETAIL

The expectation of change within the party following the election was also discussed. Some board members stated, “If there is to be a change, it should not be delayed; the timing is important. If it is waited too long, it will cause problems. Results cannot be achieved.”

The following views were expressed at the meeting:

The 1989 elections and today’s elections cannot be evaluated on the same plane. The CHP of that day is not the same as today’s CHP. While evaluating the election results, we must also take voter sociology into account. We may have made mistakes, we may have shortcomings, but for what reasons did these people vote for the CHP? This is what really needs to be looked at. Unlike the conditions of 1989, the CHP has positioned itself more in the center. There was much debate during the election process regarding the City Restaurants, but this method was actually a method we used. These need to be analyzed well.