CHP's Gökhan Günaydın: AKP may propose a return to the parliamentary system

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın made statements regarding the current agenda.

Responding to questions from Nergis Demirkaya of Gazete Duvar, Günaydın evaluated the normalization/softening period that began in politics following the mutual visits between AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel.

"I AM NOT A POLITICIAN WHO WILL FORGET THE 21 YEARS WE HAVE LIVED THROUGH"

Responding to the question, "How will the Erdoğan-Özel meetings continue, what are you expecting?", Günaydın said, "I am not a politician who can answer by forgetting the 21 years we have lived through. I know the AKP and its codes. We know that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan takes Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, not Mehmet Akif Ersoy, as his role model. Necip Fazıl Kısakürek is a person who said, 'Our religion is our grudge.' We are not politicians who are unaware that Erdoğan has accused the Republican People's Party's chairmen and their entire team of terrorism, published fake videos, and is in a state of pragmatism that would make Montesquieu look merciful. Despite this, let me say this: these meetings produced a result for February 28."

Stating that the aforementioned meetings could not prevent the Kobani Case or the appointment of trustees to the Hakkari Municipality, Günaydın said, "Therefore, I think that expecting too much from this process, when considered together with the 21-year practice, is being overly hopeful or optimistic."

"THEY ARE READY TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN THE REGIME"

Emphasizing that the AKP's goal in the new constitution is not democratization, Günaydın said, "A hybrid regime has been born in Turkey that is a one-man system with a very high Islamist sauce, mired in nepotism and kleptocracy, and which could be shown as an example to the world. Religion and faith at the bottom, luxury and excess at the top. They are ready to do whatever it takes to maintain this regime. This constitutional issue is also an extension of this."

"THE GOAL IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM"

Günaydın gave the following response to the question, "We do not know the AK Party's constitutional proposal, but the MHP has had some revision proposals such as the Vice President being elected, legal status for the Council of Ministers, and the government program being read in Parliament. If they brought a proposal containing something like a semi-presidential system, what would you say to such a revision?":

"They are telling us to notify them in writing of our views on the method of constitutional amendment by the end of June. Both the Speaker of Parliament and Erdoğan said this. The leaked information about what they want to do does not satisfy us. If you were to list the most obvious features of the Presidential Government System that act as obstacles to Turkey's democratic politics, justice, and economy, would the topics you mentioned be among the first ten?

A partisan president, the structure of the HSK (Council of Judges and Prosecutors), the transfer of the TBMM's (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) legislative power to the palace... Would these friends bring about the removal of these? Do they have any intention of changing a system that is absurd in every way and is suffocating Turkey? They are saying let's reform the malfunctioning aspects of the Presidential Government System. What is their first proposal? 50+1 is troublesome, let's go back to 40+1. They will say 40+1 is not enough, let's go back to 30+1. They might even propose a return to a democratic parliamentary system for this. Because the goal is not a democratic parliamentary system. The goal is the calculation of how I can lower the vote threshold to a level I can get elected."

"CHP WILL NOT TAKE ANY STEP THAT WOULD GIVE THE AKP A KISS OF LIFE"

Günaydın continued his words as follows:

"The CHP will not take any step that would give the AKP a kiss of life. The Republican People's Party is trying to pave the way for a democratic politics where Turkey will be rebuilt with its principles and revolutions, and it is constructing this through the Turkey Alliance. We will build the Turkey Alliance with the citizens. We will hold meetings, but the Republican People's Party is a political party that will march to power on its own. We will lay the paving stones for this. We are laying the paving stones for the beginning of a reform process that will not return here again after this dark tunnel."