GÜRSEL TEKİN
We came together with Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Gürsel Tekin at the CHP headquarters in Ankara. After evaluating the political atmosphere after the 30 March local elections, the parliament deputy elected from Istanbul province had this to say about the upcoming presidential election; “A presidential candidate must above all be sensitive on issues like democracy and freedom and must have a profile whom everyone can trust.”
M. Ferhat YÜKSEL
Gürsel Tekin started his political life at a very young age, has held responsibility at various levels in politics and is today an influential figure in left-wing politics in Turkey. After running the CHP Istanbul Provincial Directorate, Tekin entered parliament after being elected from Istanbul province in 2011. He presently holds the responsibility of being a deputy chairman of the CHP. We met at Tekin’s office in the CHP’s Ankara headquarters and talked about the state of the CHP after the local elections on 30 March, the presidential elections and the Kurdish problem. “The Kurdish issue is not only the Kurds’ issue, it is Turkey’s issue,” he said.
You have been in politics for more than 30 years. How do you evaluate the current position of Turkish politics, from those years up to now?
Change is the law of nature, and not only in politics but also in people and their perspectives change. The world itself changes. Thirty years ago politics and economics were more inward-looking and closed. Today, however, we are face-to-face with a Turkey that is now integrated with the global world. Turkey is a country in the Islamic geography that embraces democracy and freedom, albeit partially. Some partly good and some partly negative changes are being experienced. Turkey’s integration into the world and it is being a part of the global world is a vital process with respect to its development. Besides this rapid economic development and integration into the world, unfortunately there is also a decline in democracy.
WE IGNORED THE DIFFERENCES
How does the CHP evaluate the results of the March 30 local elections?
We can categorize the electorate in Turkey, in terms of being politicized, into three groups. The first group is mainly urbanized people with high literacy rates who can detect everything better and monitor more. The second group is our citizens of Alevi origin and the third group is our citizens of Kurdish origin. The current and oppressive system, over 30 years, 4,500 evacuated villages, unsolved murders, and many other factors and negative events have led to the politicization of our Kurdish citizens especially. I can easily see this when I go to those regions and talk to the people. As the CHP, unfortunately, in the past years we ignored the differences in this geography, or even beyond that, we used words that hurt them from time to time and put a serious distance between us and those voters. Now we are trying to eliminate that.
What do you do to eliminate that?
After 2011, when the peace process was not yet present, the CHP prepared a declaration of freedom and democracy with a booklet entitled ‘Securing Social Peace with Democracy’. We gave legislative proposals for the first time in the parliament that could serve as a serious road map regarding the Kurdish issue. We did very serious work related to the 10 percent threshold, the Kurdish issue and the removal of legal barriers for issues regarding freedom. While we were doing all this, we did not expect that we would get the votes of everyone immediately. However, I can see that the disappointment between us has decreased. While we were preparing this, we stated that the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) could come up with different ideas and contribute to the issue, based on negotiation. This issue needs to be formulated on legal grounds, however, there is nothing that has been presented to the Parliament so far and unfortunately, none of our proposals have been accepted by the AKP so far.
What are the reasons for the CHP’s not being able to increase its votes above the 25 percent level in the local elections, considering it was after December 17 (allegations of corruption)? If you take part in self-criticism, what can you say?
The negative events experienced in the past, the things that created deep sorrow and frustration in the particularly politicized people of that region (the southeast), are really difficult to forget in a short period. However, in the first place, the gap between us could have been started to be eliminated by convincing our citizens of Kurdish origin who have integrated into urban life in the west and Marmara regions. We have a project related to this in the coming period. This issue is not only an Alevis or Kurdish issue; all of Turkey’s minorities, the oppressed, and the victims are included in this issue. The CHP with its social democratic identity should be the first to embrace these differences and grievances. It should not be forgotten that ideologically the CHP has this responsibility.
THE PRIME MINISTER DISCRIMINATES
What is your point of view about the Kurdish problem? How do you evaluate the solution process that the government has initiated?
Not only the Kurds, but the 76 million people of Turkey need a judicial system in which they can freely express themselves, their ideas, beliefs, and religion and can feel free. This is not something that could be compensated with words and with unfounded empty sentences. You cannot provide peace with the discriminating language that the prime minister uses. The prime minister in every solution uses a sentence that creates “the other”. The most important way to achieve real integration is through freedom and eliminating the barriers in front of rights. If this is realized, an important part of the Kurdish problem will be solved. In the final analysis, just as citizens in Çankaya, Kadıköy and Sarıyer want to live freely, so do the citizens in Şırnak and Cizre. The Kurdish issue is not only the Kurds’ issue, it is Turkey’s issue. If you can solve the Kurdish issue, you can solve everything about democracy and freedom.
What is the solution plan of the CHP regarding the Kurdish problem?
The CHP prepared a declaration and program that I just mentioned at a time when the prime minister had said; “If I were them, I would hang Öcalan”. Our party leader said to the prime minister; “Let us also contribute to this issue.” The AKP even made fun of the proposal of CHP regarding the establishment of the ‘Wise Men Committee’. Interestingly, later the AKP established the ‘Wise Men Committee’. Our ‘Wise Men Committee’s projects were slightly different from the AKP’s ‘Wise Men Committee’. We, unlike the AKP, planned to establish a ‘Wise Men Committee’ comprising people respected by everyone, loved, normal people, rather than football players and artists. I do not say that our plan and project are the best or the most convenient. It might have some deficiencies, but they could be discussed and the CHP does not offer this with the idea that they are a “must”. We are open to all kinds of discussions and ideas. The more we discuss all this, the better results will be obtained.
There is a widely accepted idea that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will easily win the presidential elections with the votes of BDP. What kind of strategy should the CHP follow to get your candidate into the Çankaya Palace?
I do not agree with the idea that the votes of the BDP are in the pocket of any group or party. In politics, two times two never equals four. There is no such rule in politics. Each period and each election should be evaluated within itself. We know that the level reached in Turkey today regarding democracy and freedom issues discomforts not only BDP voters but also an important portion of the 43 percent of AKP voters. With the effect of this discomfort, in the presidential elections, I think that we will see a very different result. To prevent this, the AKP is to consciously create a block that opposes another block in front of it. I know that in the presidential elections, this plan will not work like this.
DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM
What characteristics do you think your candidate for the presidential elections should possess to get the votes of not only the CHP party base but also of the larger part of society?
As our party leader stated, the presidential candidate must above all be sensitive on issues like democracy and freedom and must have a profile that everyone can trust. We mean the sort of person who would make us say, “Yes, this country has a president” if or when Turkey is stuck or experiences a problem. I want a president, regardless of his or her faith or (political) flank, who would take initiative when a law is bypassed, take action when social media is banned, and say, “No, you cannot do this”, regarding issues of democracy and freedom. Twitter will be banned and the president will use Twitter illegally as if he uses illegal electricity. Such a thing is unacceptable.
How do you evaluate the Hizmet (Service) Movement?
In Turkey, as it is in every other part of the world, there are many social groups similar to the Hizmet Movement. From time to time, these groups are a social need. When these social groups govern politics, they harm both themselves and politics. I do not find it right to have social groups in politics but they can be effective outside politics.
UNIVERSAL LAW IS NECESSARY
What is your opinion about the ideas put forward that the parallel state is the Hizmet Movement?
In Turkey for the last 60 years, we have been discussing issues like parallel structure, deep state, etc. The reason for the occurrence of all this is that Turkey is not governed under universal law. Unless Turkey adopts universal law, the parallel structure may go away and tomorrow something different will come. Indeed, this is a subcontracting system. The state always uses a subcontracting system. In the last period, counterinsurgency was used. For a while, unsolved murders were used. To get rid of this, you have to believe in universal law. In brief, the problem is not this social group or that structure. The problem is the rotten system that needs to be changed urgently. As one philosopher stated, justice is like the pole star, the world turns, but it always stays in its place. This is not just something that the CHP, other parties and other people want, we all need justice. Tomorrow, this government will also need this same justice.
It is said that the idea that the CHP was on the same side as the Hizmet Movement during the local elections on March 30 has created discomfort within the party…
What you are saying was claimed by Tayyip Erdoğan. There is no truth in any of it. The CHP has no de facto relationship with any group or congregation. If there is any tendency of any group or congregation to vote for CHP, we can only thank them. You do not ask why you voted for me. Political parties are areas open to the public and each group can meet with each community. We are open and ready to talk to anyone who would like to talk to us. When I was responsible for the CHP Istanbul Provincial Directorate, I met with all these groups. That was my responsibility and it was very normal. I have to meet and convince them. It is the same in trade; you want to win every customer without discrimination.
In the short and medium term, is there any possibility of a change of leadership in the CHP?
I sincerely do not believe that there is any problem regarding the chairmanship of the CHP. CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a respectable person who is at peace with his inner world, society and the people. I believe that we seriously need a person like Kılıçdaroğlu for issues like democracy, equality, freedom and differences. He is a sensitive person who embraces everyone. However, if there were such a movement in the party, that would also be normal.
There are comments regarding Mustafa Sarıgül’s possible new responsibilities within the party…
Mustafa Sarıgül got the responsibility he wanted. He became a candidate for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoralty. What else could we do? Everyone can take part in active politics in our party. This is very natural and the doors of the CHP are not closed to anybody. This is valid for everyone, including Mustafa Sarıgül.
OUR NATURAL ALLIES
How are your relations with foreign and diplomatic mission representatives?
After I became the party provincial chairman in Istanbul in 2007 I invited foreign press members to a breakfast at the beginning of 2008 and they were all surprised. I published a bulletin in English for the three-and-a-half years of my provincial chairmanship to inform foreign mission, embassy, and journalist representatives about issues like what the CHP does in Istanbul, how it works, and what it thinks. I managed to create a close relationship with them during that period. Today, I also attend events organized by foreign mission representatives and embassies. However, I cannot claim that our relations are as close as they were in Istanbul. The CHP needs to change very quickly in this respect. They are our natural allies and partners, it is impossible to ignore them.
Let us talk a bit about issues other than politics. Have you got any activity that you enjoy doing or a hobby?
Since I started in politics in 1984 I have taken an active role at all levels that a politician could work in. I did not have any period in which I could take a break from politics like some people do. Whenever I have time I read books, listen to music and until recently I used to do sports. As a hobby, I have a very primitive collecting understanding. I collect prayer beads. In my collection, I have nearly 5,000 prayer beads. My deceased father was very fond of prayer beads and I have some prayer beads from my father in my collection. Because of the prayer beads, I am also interested in stones and their energies. I especially believe in the issue of energy.
