CHP needs to stop bickering

However, enough is enough.

As CHP supporters, especially recently, we have turned into a group of people constantly arguing with each other.

It is natural for a party to be self-critical and wage debates about its leadership. It may even be categorized as one of the main principles of democracy.

However, enough is enough.

The CHP has turned into a party that does nothing but criticize its leader Deniz Baykal. We may not like Baykal’s policies or attitude; we may criticize him very harshly.

However, enough is enough.

If one of the main principles of democracy is free debate and to air ones views without limitation, then the other is to accept the will of the majority. U.S. President George W. Bush won the presidency by getting a few thousand more votes than his rival, albeit after several recounts. No one said anything. If this happened in Turkey, we would have razed Parliament.

Turkey would have entered an era of chaos, government would have become uncontrollable and we would have drowned in our instability.

The current state of Deniz Baykal looks very similar to this scenario.

He loses the election. He resigns. CHP delegates elect another leader. Another election is lost. The opposition campaigns for a party congress. Baykal wins, and they call for another congress to find out why he won.

However, enough is enough.

Stability of the country linked to CHP
I too am critical of Baykal, but once he gets elected, the arguments over his leadership should disappear. New candidates may come forward in the future. Even new parties may be founded.

However, this must be enough.

The reason why is simple. The CHP is the only possible alternative to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). If we want continued stability in Turkey and have no desire for the internal balance to topple, then the CHP needs to stay strong.

The AK Party is gradually increasing its power. After its gets a European Union negotiation date, the AK Party will get even stronger and will win the next election.

As it gains power, there will be trouble. Its self-confidence will be boosted and the government will be corrupted.

Therefore, the CHP is a very important party for all of us.

Now is the time to resolve our differences and to start working.

DSP should not end with Ecevit
Then there are the efforts to find a new leader for the Democratic Left Party (DSP).

The DSP usually behaved like an appendage of its former leader Bulent Ecevit. The norm was to obey the leader. Whatever he said became law.

A new era is beginning in the DSP.

It will either be disbanded after Ecevit’s retirement, or a new era with a new leadership will begin. Then it will take its place among the political parties of the left.

The DSP’s chances of survival are directly linked to the likelihood of it cooperating with the CHP. If not, it will become a marginal party of the left. It will survive only if it cooperates with the CHP in the election.

The DSP will also contribute to the era ahead. The DSP getting stronger is also to the good of the country.

Greek Cypriots made a mistake on KKTC
There was an agreement to carry the Olympic torch through both the south and the north of Cyprus. However, at the final minute, the Greek Cypriots said, "Don’t have a ceremony as the torch enters the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC)." The KKTC objected to this last-minute change. Now, the torch will only pass through the south of Cyprus before heading off to Greece.

I believe both the Greek Cypriots and the KKTC have made a mistake. The KKTC have lost their chance because of the small ceremony’s rejection. On the other hand, Greek Cypriots showed that they have intensified their efforts to isolate the Turkish side.

The Greek Cypriots are burning their bridges.

Once they were engaged in a constant offensive to pressurize the Turkish side in the past, now, they are on the defensive, just like the KKTC was before them.

However, they should know that defense does not result in victory.