From Revolutionism to Steigbügelhalter: The Leadership of CHP

As the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emphasized in his statement, “We founded the Republic, and it is you who will preserve it,” remaining faithful to this mission should be the most important responsibility of CHP leaders. However, the recent attitude of the current CHP leader Özgür Özel is a clear indication of a departure from the party’s founding principles.

Erosion of Revolutionary Stance: Distancing from Atatürk

While Atatürk, stating “Independence is my character,” built a revolutionary politics with the ideal of a Turkey free from all external influence and tutelage, Özgür Özel has deviated from this course, falling into the position of a Steigbügelhalter for the government. His stance of standing to greet President Erdoğan at the opening of the Parliament shows that he has submitted to the symbolic authority of the ruling power and has set aside Atatürk’s fight for independence. This constitutes a legitimacy crisis in terms of political ethics and revolutionary principles. This behavior erodes Atatürk’s principle of “Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation” and represents an example of disregard for the founding will of the party. Attempting to protect the people by appeasing the very one who has harmed them and trying to win over Erdoğan’s supporters is nothing but a mental lapse.

Populist Rhetoric and Political Entertainment

Looking at Özgür Özel’s rhetoric, instead of constructive discussions on the country’s deep economic crisis and the regression of democracy and the rule of law, we see a political agenda filled with shallow, entertaining political gossip. At a time when Turkey is being dragged into a socio-economic chaos and social distress is deepening, the CHP leader’s focus on populist statements to manipulate the agenda signals a severe political vacuum.

Özel constantly highlights internal party debates and so-called election strategies, effectively avoiding addressing Turkey’s fundamental problems such as inequality in education, the collapse of the legal system, income inequality, worker deaths, corruption carried out by the state and government, and labor exploitation. This attitude reflects a leadership style that fails to engage with the real issues facing the people. It is shameful for a party that has embraced Atatürk’s principle, “Science is the truest guide,” to fill its agenda with political gossip instead of producing scientific, intellectual, and constructive solutions to the country’s main issues.

Softening Policy: Indirect Supporter of AKP

The most alarming point is Özgür Özel’s drift toward becoming an indirect supporter of the AKP under the guise of a “softening policy.” Today, even within the ruling AKP party, there are significant cracks, with many former AKP members dissatisfied with the party’s authoritarianism and the pressures on the people. These individuals, directly affected by the oppression of the AKP, are leaving the party. However, under Özel’s leadership, CHP has ignored these defections and the demands of the people, becoming part of the political atmosphere imposed by the AKP.

Presenting CHP’s softening policy as a success serves only to legitimize the AKP’s authoritarian regime. A CHP that forgets Atatürk’s words, “Freedom and independence are my character,” is doomed to exist as an opposition that moves in the shadow of the AKP.

Psychological and Sociological Analysis

The orientation of the CHP under Özgür Özel’s leadership also needs to be evaluated from a psychological and sociological perspective. Political leadership, through both conscious and unconscious influences, shapes the emotional worlds of the masses. Özel’s passive and compromising rhetoric weakens the spirit of resistance and struggle among the people. This, in turn, has a pacifying effect on the reactions shown against the government, weakening societal opposition. The famous “frog experiment” offers an objective explanation for this phenomenon.

Sociologically, the CHP’s attitude shows a sign of elitist politics that has become indifferent to the demands of the people. The party is increasingly disconnecting from its grassroots and becoming deaf to the demands of large segments of the public. This disconnect further deepens societal polarization and undermines the CHP’s claim to be the party of the people. As Atatürk stated, “The independence of the nation will be saved by the determination and courage of the nation itself,” and it is clear that a CHP that does not base itself on the people’s will has no chance of success.

Unfortunately!

Özgür Özel’s leadership of the CHP represents a serious blow to Atatürk’s revolutionary legacy and the principles of independence and freedom. Özel’s approach of aligning with the government and using populist rhetoric reflects a profound indifference to the country’s fundamental issues. The fact that CHP is walking on the same ground as the AKP, wasting time on political entertainment while forgetting the real problems of the people, raises questions about the party’s mission and raison d’être. Leadership that does not adhere to Atatürk’s revolutionary stance cannot illuminate Turkey’s future. Instead of reviving the revolutionary spirit of the people and the party, Özgür Özel is dragging the party into a dark political abyss.