SHP founder Zülfü Hamit Altın speaks to 12Punto: The party's leader should be Kılıçdaroğlu

Caner TAŞPINAR

The Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) has made a swift entry into politics.

The establishment procedures for the SHP were completed on June 28, 2024, and it was included in the Court of Cassation's list of "active political parties." 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.

The re-establishment of the SHP was brought to the agenda of the CHP Central Executive Board. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel requested that his staff conduct research into the legal status of the SHP.

The name put forward in the debate over who is behind the SHP was former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu denied this claim, stating, "Am I going to be the chairman of the SHP? Things like this have been written and drawn. All of these are products of imagination. We are CHP members; I served as the Chairman of the CHP. We cannot be in search of another party anyway."

Another name being discussed was former Bakırköy Mayor and CHP member Bülent Kerimoğlu.

Bülent Kerimoğlu, who denied the claim that he was behind the establishment of the SHP, said in a statement to 12Punto yesterday, "I am a CHP member and I am working for the success of my party. Of course, I am pleased with the rise of the left against reactionism and racism in the world and in Turkey today. These are efforts to push us out of the party. We will continue to engage in politics within the CHP."

THE FOUNDERS OF THE SHP

When denials came from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Bülent Kerimoğlu, who were alleged to be behind the scenes of the SHP's establishment, eyes turned to the SHP's founding board.

The founders of the SHP consist of the following names:

"Abdullah Çapar, Ahmet Arslan, Akın Gülay, Aziz Kızılarslan, Berat Umut Hoşgör, Burak Çelik, Diler Korkmaz, Doğukan Akdeniz, Emirkan Akdeniz, Emre Can Dursun, Enes Çelik, Engin Akyıldırım, Erdal Kayhan, Erdem Kaya, Erhan Kardeş, Gürkan Çelik, Hasan Korkmaz, İsmail Berk Güldoğan, Jale Ak, Kadriye Çelik, Mervenur Çelik, Mithat Çelik, Mücahit Çetinkaya, Okan Kanpara, Onur Karataş, Osman Ali Cavcı, Sabriye İçkilli, Selahattin Kardeş, Şaban Ergül, Tamer Demircan, Yunus Diler, Zülfü Hamit Altın."

(A photo taken by SHP founder Zülfü Hamit Altın in Ankara during the party formation efforts, which he published on his social media account with the message "Some business and affairs.")

SHP FOUNDER ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN SPEAKS TO 12PUNTO

12Punto reached out to one of the SHP founders, Zülfü Hamit Altın.

Zülfü Hamit Altın, a cinema and theater actor, writer, and director, said that he joined the party's establishment process upon the suggestion of a friend from the founding board.

Explaining that he was an SHP delegate congress member for the Eyüpsultan district during the period of the first SHP, Zülfü Hamit Altın describes his decision to set out to re-establish the SHP today by saying, "I could not stomach the betrayal committed against Kılıçdaroğlu."

"I COULD NOT STOMACH THE BETRAYAL COMMITTED AGAINST KILIÇDAROĞLU"

Here are the answers given by SHP founder Zülfü Hamit Altın to 12Punto's questions...

- Why did you want to establish the SHP after all these years?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: I am not stating the opinion of the Founding Board, I am only stating my personal opinion; I could not stomach the betrayal committed against Kılıçdaroğlu, who is the most civilized, most self-sacrificing, and most respectful person to have ever graced the precious Turkish political history, and who tried to reconcile everyone, both right and left. Because of the respect I have for Kılıçdaroğlu, I was a CHP voter, not a party member. There was an offer made to me in the face of the injustice done to Kılıçdaroğlu. I am an actor, writer, and director who is involved in art, has written and had 7 plays accepted into Turkish theater history, and is also known in cinema. Such an offer came to me.

"I SAID, DEFINITELY BRING KILIÇDAROĞLU TO THE HEAD OF THE PARTY"

- Who did the offer come from?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: A friend of ours from the founding board made the offer. When such an offer came to me, I said, 'Reach out to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and definitely bring him to the head of the party, friends.' I had such a personal suggestion. This stems from the respect and love I have for Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Since they pushed our party chairman aside, he is not someone to be pushed aside; if there is such an initiative, this excites me, but I want to see Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at the head of it.

- Have you met with Kılıçdaroğlu?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: I have not had a meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu.

- Bülent Kerimoğlu also made statements; have you had a meeting with Mr. Kerimoğlu?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: No, I have not met with him, but I watched his statements. Bülent Kerimoğlu has nothing to do with us. Bülent Kerimoğlu only expressed his respect, and we respect his expression of respect. Other than that, he said he had no knowledge of it and that he would continue in the CHP. An perception is being tried to be created about him, but it is not like that, it has nothing to do with it. It is necessary to wait for the statement to be made by the founding board.

- Were you involved in the first SHP?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: I was an SHP delegate congress member for the Eyüpsultan district during the period of the first SHP. I was on the Human Rights and Law commission in the SHP at that time. When the CHP could not bear certain injustices done to the Kurdish deputies who were trying to make their own voices heard in a joint manner, I resigned from the party, and after that, I did not become a member of any party; I only dealt with art.

- Will you have a role in the newly established SHP?

ZÜLFÜ HAMİT ALTIN: I don't know this; this offer may come to me, but before that, I will see the committee that will be established in the party, and if it sits well with me, I will continue; if it does not sit well with me, I will say 'May your path be clear' and continue to deal with my art.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHP

The Social Democratic Populist Party was established on November 2, 1985, with a protocol between the Populist Party and the Social Democracy Party in order to gather the votes of the Republican People's Party, which was closed after the September 12 Coup, under its own roof.

The party took its final form with the Social Democracy Party dissolving itself and joining the SHP on November 3, 1985.