Critical commentary on the re-establishment of the SHP, with the 12Punto difference

The Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) was officially established on June 28, 2024. The SHP has been included in the list of "active political parties" by the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation. The SHP's headquarters is located on Karanfil Street in Kızılay, Ankara... The SHP had closed in 1995 in line with a decision to merge with the CHP. 

With the entry of the SHP onto the political scene, a new debate has begun. Veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu and political scientists evaluated the establishment of the SHP. The critical question is: who will benefit from this newly formed party?

Veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu, in an exclusive assessment for 12Punto readers, stated: "The news that the SHP has been re-established with a founding staff that looks like a collection of friends and relatives with similar surnames, and among whom we cannot find a single familiar name, has taken its place at the top of the agenda. A strange, mysterious state... It is unclear whether a party is being established or if a surprise party organization is being set up. It is far from serious from the very first step." 

"WHO BENEFITS FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW PARTY ON THE LEFT?"

Stating that "there is not much to say at this stage, but there are two fundamental questions to ask...", Mollaveisoğlu said: 

"While the CHP has emerged as the leading party in an election for the first time in 46 years, defeated the AKP across Turkey, and is currently maintaining its lead in general election polls, who benefits from the establishment of a new party on the left?

For the sake of political ethics, shouldn't names from the past cadre who come from the SHP tradition be among the founders in order to be able to say 'the SHP is being re-established'? 

The names on the founding list seem to have been used as a cover. In other words, the real names behind the scenes and for the future are not visible for now... 

There is a truth that some want to be forgotten. 

In the local elections, the AKP became the second party for the first time... it was defeated for the first time...

Despite the great success of the CHP, the intra-party opposition, if not entirely, is trying to cast a shadow over this victory and diminish it... If the SHP is the result of such an effort, it means it was stillborn... 

On the other hand, an attempt to open a new political space would remain in the shadow of the CHP's march toward power... the possibility of it turning into a center for factionalism is also thought-provoking..."

"IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST FAVOR THEY COULD DO FOR THE AK PARTY"

BUPAR Research President Erdal Akaltun evaluated the situation by saying, "We can divide the impact that the establishment of the SHP will have on Turkish politics in the future into two, depending on the purpose and attitude of the SHP founders": 

"First, if those who established this party intend to target the CHP voter base and gain political advantage by harvesting some votes from there, it will cause a major disadvantage for Turkish left-wing politics. The output of this process would mean giving a lifeline to the AK Party, which has entered a process of political impasse. Second, if those who established this party aim to get the votes of the left-wing, social democratic, socialist, and similar masses that the CHP could not reach, and if they act as a bloc by forming an alliance with the CHP during the election process, this could result in the AK Party facing very large losses in the next election.

As in the case of the UK, if left-wing parties aim to consolidate their own voter base to get the maximum number of votes and enter the election as a joint bloc, all left-wing and social democratic votes carry great significance against the AK Party government within the political system.

For this reason, the establishment of the SHP is theoretically a correct decision. However, if those who established it did so to obtain the positions, financial opportunities, prestige, or feudal relationships and feudal interests they lost within the CHP, this would be the greatest favor they could do for the AK Party."

Veteran journalist İdris Akyüz also commented: "It is unknown whose weeds the people who reopened the SHP after 14 years are. It looks entirely like a plot or an operation to undermine the CHP. But it won't stick."