TİP Chairman Erkan Baş speaks to 12punto: "There is a sense in the opposition that they will vote for us regardless!"

Tuluhan TEKELİOĞLU - 12punto.com.tr

TİP Chairman Erkan Baş visited CHP leader Özgür Özel last week.

No joint press statement was made by the two parties following the closed-door meeting. Yet, there were many questions surrounding this critical meeting. The only information provided was that a consensus had been reached on taking a stance in the upcoming local elections that would not cause the left-wing opposition to lose.

Despite the joint decision by TİP and CHP not to cause the Left to lose, the backlash CHP faced regarding its mayoral candidates in some major cities turned eyes toward TİP.

Following this critical meeting, the debate over the re-nomination of CHP's Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş came to the agenda.

When CHP's insistence on Muhittin Böcek in Antalya caused a bombshell effect on social media, it became a matter of curiosity whether TİP would field a candidate for the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.

TİP announced its mayoral candidates in Antalya the other evening with a large turnout.

In fact, what people were curious about was the identity of the candidate TİP would field against Muhittin Böcek and Hakan Tütüncü.

The surprise candidate was not announced yesterday, but I had the opportunity to talk about everything with Erkan Baş in Antalya, while the topic was still fresh.

- One day in Hatay, the next in Ankara, today in Antalya, you are in a different city every day... You started our conversation by saying, "I am very full." Why are you full?

-We could not achieve the success we dreamed of, desired, and worked for in the last election. I think this defeat occurred mainly because the opposition failed to fully perform its duty, failing to put an end to the AKP government. It is a pity for another 5 years of Turkey. With the victory it achieved, the AKP is, so to speak, trampling over the country, condemning the citizen to worse than the worst, crushing them, and increasing its pressure and tyranny even more. Against this, an image of an invincible AKP is being formed. I do not accept the formation of an invincible AKP image. I know that good people, people who stand for justice, are actually much stronger in Turkey, and I think this government must be defeated.

- You are always speaking against the government. For example, today, the competition within the left is driving people into even greater despair in this difficult situation in Turkey.

The root cause of the problems in Turkey is the government, but the responsibility for such a bad government still sitting in the seat of power for twenty years naturally lies with the opposition as well. Here, everyone, starting from the main opposition, must perform the self-criticism that falls to them. They must strive to compensate for these shortcomings.

We do not have a concern about competition within the opposition, a race within the opposition. When the Workers' Party of Turkey determines the places where it will enter the election, it first chooses the places where it can take the most effective position against the government. In places where the opposition competes within itself, we look at this: If the government can benefit from this race, we think twice about it, but yes, there are places where we do this, and I think there must be. Because in the opposition, especially in the main opposition, there is a laziness regarding the votes flowing to them naturally due to the anger accumulated in the citizen against the government. There is a sense in the opposition that "they will vote for us regardless." One should not condemn society to this..

CHP announced its Antalya metropolitan mayoral candidate yesterday. It had a bombshell effect on social media. There is opposition from CHP voters in Antalya to Muhittin Böcek. The strong reaction on social media shows this. Did you have a conversation about this? With CHP leader Özgür Özel?

We can roughly examine the districts and provinces in all of Turkey in three categories. Some are places where the government thinks, "I will win no matter what." The Workers' Party of Turkey will not see these places as the government's farm; it will fight there. The second category is places where the opposition thinks, "I will win no matter what." Here, if the opposition enters an approach of, "Oh, I'm already winning here. What does it matter what the people say?", we will put forward a claim in these places so as not to leave the people without options.

Will you announce your Antalya Metropolitan candidate today?

I came to Antalya today, and this is our main agenda with my friends this evening. After all, we are a party with limited means and resources. We do not receive treasury aid. Therefore, we have to calculate every penny correctly. The moment we think we can win, we will field a Metropolitan Mayoral candidate in Antalya. But we also care about citizens coming together in the face of this imposition. Let me say that too. For example, it is not just about TİP fielding a candidate alone. We will first explore a ground where all progressive, left-wing, socialist citizens in Antalya who do not accept this can come together.

Is there time for this?

There is time. February 20 is the deadline. We forget that the election is on March 31. When we say March, there are thirty days between March 1 and March 31, which is a long time in terms of the election calendar. We have never looked at it this way, meaning it is not just about the interests of the Workers' Party of Turkey or just what the Workers' Party of Turkey needs to do. If it is left to us alone to do what needs to be done, we will do it, but if possible, we prefer to do it by standing together with the broadest possible forces. The same applies to Hatay, for example. I mainly talked to Özgür Özel about Hatay. That is, when we look at the picture that emerged in Hatay, after that destruction, there is no question of us supporting or approving Lütfü Savaş's candidacy in any way. But in this picture, the AKP is relieved. Why should we allow this? In a huge Hatay, in a huge geography, a will can be shaped that will not surrender that place to the AKP; if the CHP wants to be a part of this, we will be together, if not, we can take such a step even despite the CHP.

What was the answer from the CHP?

They said they would re-evaluate Lütfü Savaş's candidacy.

If the CHP insists on its own candidate in Hatay Metropolitan, will you field your own candidate?

We will field a candidate together with all the democratic forces there. This candidate could be an independent candidate, or an independent candidate supported by TİP. If unity is achieved on that axis, it could also be a direct candidate of the Workers' Party of Turkey. Let me give an example, just to provide an approach; TİP says something, it says; "Let's field a joint candidate as much as possible, let the opposition unite." Isn't it already unsurprising for you to say this in a place where you have, for example, one, two, three, five, ten percent of the votes? Look, where are we saying this? We are saying this in places like Defne, where we have twenty-eight percent of the votes. We are saying it in places like Samandağ, where we have twenty-seven percent. So, for example, in Defne, Samandağ, Arsuz, when the Workers' Party of Turkey Headquarters says our candidate is this friend, this is our municipal council member friend, it would be a very normal behavior in terms of Turkish politics. No one would condemn this. But even in places where we are this strong, we show all political parties, democratic mass organizations, unions, and environmental organizations outside of ourselves.

Why are you taking this risk?

Because it must be done all together.

You lost with this rhetoric again, in the general elections?

We didn't specifically lose in the general elections. TİP acted in accordance with its claim in the General Elections. We didn't dream in the last election. We got the votes we said we would.

Still, the voter acted strategically.

Yes, the voter engaged in strategic behavior against us. I was saddened by this.

How can this blockage be removed? The voter's strategic behavior?

One must be stubborn, one must think long-term. And one must create examples. For example, now a strategic voting fairy tale was invented in the general elections, and some voters believed it and, let's say, voted for the IYI Party. The vote they gave to that IYI Party is represented in the AKP ranks today. The voter said strategic vote, and while voting for secularism, they created deputies who are against secularism. It was seen that TİP did not lie to the people. Because we showed this, we are more comfortable in these elections.

"WE ARE WORKING ON WINNING ENOUGH MUNICIPALITIES TO ESTABLISH A UNION OF SOCIALIST MUNICIPALITIES"

- Could the CHP not nominating Nasuh Mahruki in Beşiktaş, and insisting on Lütfü Savaş despite the reaction shown as the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate, cause a portion of CHP voters who acted strategically in the last elections to shift to TİP? What will your strategy be?

Can we say that these voter groups are CHP voters? I am not sure. Because there was an election threshold in Turkey for years, because strategic voting was done, because it was the strongest focus against the government, many people among socialist people also voted for the CHP. Therefore, there is no such thing as this voter is the titled property of the CHP and will never vote for any other party until they die.

In this election, we will show this; in places where the AKP looks at and says "it is my titled property," TİP, as a left-socialist party, will go, and we will explain the realities of Turkey to the laborer who votes for the AKP and the laborer who votes for the MHP in our own language. I think this will yield results. We aim to reduce AKP-MHP votes in places where the AKP sees as its own stronghold. We are thinking of developing TİP as an alternative there. In places where the CHP thinks, "I would win even if I hung my jacket," we aim to strengthen a real left-wing option against these mistakes of the CHP. My claim is this; I don't know how many municipalities we will win. We are working on winning enough municipalities in Turkey from this election to establish a "Union of Socialist Municipalities." We have a second goal as well. In places where both the AKP and the CHP are in first place, TİP will be the second party. This also means the birth of a new option in Turkey for the coming years. I think this is a claim at least as important as winning municipalities.

OUR MAIN CALL IS TO THE UNION OF TURKISH BAR ASSOCIATIONS

- The claim that Hatay TİP Deputy Can Atalay's parliamentary membership will be revoked next week is being discussed.

The government is looking for the time and opportunity for this. Let me be very clear, having the Court of Cassation's decision read in Parliament means this: The Court of Cassation not recognizing the Constitutional Court's decisions, that is, not recognizing the Constitution. It has also been expressed from the parliamentary podium, and the Parliamentary Presidency has also become a partner in this mistake, that is, I don't think the Parliamentary Presidency can do this much anymore. Sooner or later, Can Atalay will definitely be released and will do his duty in Parliament. These mistakes were made before. It was last done to Ömer Gergerlioğlu, but after a while, he was released and came back. Here, the AKP is exposing itself. It is showing examples of how much lawlessness it can commit. "We got 52 percent, we can do whatever we want. Let's go to the local election by doing whatever we want, by committing all kinds of lawlessness and injustice at the highest level, so that the society's morale is broken." That is, they want the opposition to completely lose their belief that they can achieve something. And we say, "My brother, you may be able to carry your lawlessness to the top because you have seized state resources for today, but we will not get used to these, we will not see these as normal, we will fight against this."

EVERYONE SHOULD ACT RESPONSIBLY

- Will there be a "Protect the Constitution" rally? Did you talk to Özgür Özel about it?

It was not on the agenda at our meeting that day. The CHP showed important solidarity. We had martyrs, it was postponed. It was a ground that could be seriously provoked by the government. What is described as the concept of counter-terrorism is actually a product of an attempt to provoke and bring the opposition into line. When such a development arises next week, we think and expect that not only the CHP but also the Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi), the DEM Party, and all opposition forces will stand by us against this lawlessness. Let me say that we have an initiative to hold the "Protect the Constitution" rally in a short time. We do not want to hold a TİP rally. It is not a matter of TİP holding a rally and our other friends joining. Our main call is really to all democratic organizations, unions, and most importantly, to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. We want the Union of Bar Associations to take a lead on this issue and display a stance that unites all social segments.

The Union of Bar Associations is the voice of citizens in the field of law. It is not just a professional organization.

- If you wanted to give a headline, if you were to determine the headline of your meeting with CHP leader Özgür Özel, what would it be?

We shared our evaluations and criticisms regarding the places we see as critical, but the responsibility lies with the main opposition party. They should do what falls to them, in our opinion. When it is already thought that "we are the strong ones and we do what we want, and the whole opposition complies with this," we see the negative results. Everyone should act responsibly. Yet they expect responsibility from us. I say, "everyone should act responsibly." The headline could be this, Everyone should act responsibly!

- Do you have candidates who will be very surprising?

Yes, we do. For example, today we announced our Antalya Konyaaltı Mayoral candidate. Our comrade Yunus Başaran, with whom we have been walking the path for a long time. We are ambitious in Konyaaltı. We will field a female candidate for Istanbul Beşiktaş. We attach great importance to equal female candidate representation in every city. We have surprise names!