SOL Party criticizes 'designing the opposition'

The forum titled "We Will Win by Uniting, But How?", organized by the 100th Year Neighborhood Assembly and the METU Alumni Association, was held at METU Vişnelik in Ankara. Moderated by BirGün Newspaper Ankara Representative Nurcan Bilge Gökdemir, the forum featured speeches by SOL Party Spokesperson Önder İşleyen and CHP Bursa Deputy Kayıhan Pala.

Speaking at the forum, İşleyen argued that the government has lost its social legitimacy and is seeking to reorganize the political landscape. İşleyen stated that while the AKP was able to generate social support through different political discourses in the past, this possibility has now disappeared.

Stating that the government has created a deep decay in economic, social, and political spheres, İşleyen expressed that the current administration cannot offer a promise of a future for broad segments of society. According to İşleyen, the government is turning its focus toward the opposition space because it has lost its capacity to manufacture consent in society.

PALA EMPHASIZES ECONOMY AND SYSTEM

In his speech, Kayıhan Pala stated that economic problems directly affect broad segments of society. Citing field research, Pala reported that the proportion of the population in Turkey that can cover their expenses with their income and defines themselves as having a good level of welfare is approximately 11 percent.

Pala noted that broad-based unemployment is over 10 million and that the loss of income for retirees has become pronounced, stating that "the lowest pension has fallen from 1.5 times the minimum wage to around 0.7 today." In the face of this picture, he stated that the opposition must expand the ground for a common struggle.

Criticizing the trial conditions in the Ekrem İmamoğlu case he followed in Silivri, Pala argued that political actors with a high probability of winning elections are being sidelined. Pala said that the country is going through a period where pressure on opposing segments is increasing.

Pala expressed that an approach based on managing poverty rather than eliminating it has come to the fore in Turkey. Calling for a consensus on the concepts of "equal citizenship" and "pluralistic democracy" for a solution, Pala emphasized that not only the government but the current system itself must be changed.

Pointing to the need for participatory and parliamentary democracy, Pala stated that it is imperative to establish mechanisms through which society can more easily participate in decision-making processes.

News Source: 12punto