Kemal Okuyan, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and soL columnist, wrote an article on the upcoming two important days in Turkey and what kind of a link should be established between these dates for the benefit of the working class.
On April 18 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called snap elections for June 24, bringing the polls forward by a year-and-a-half. Erdoğan made the announcement after meeting his ally fascist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli.
As the following article reads, Okuyan argues that the working class should enter the elections day with the importance of May Day in mind so that it can be possible to see beyond the bourgeois politics.
What kind of a link can there be between May 1 and June 24? One is the day of labour, the day of unity, solidarity and struggle of the working class; the other one is just a random day, not anything special. We may talk about the rally of revolutionary youth against the US 6th fleet in 1967. It was a good start but it felt back in a humbler position in history when the US soldiers were thrown into the sea one year later.
Now, the date of June 24 is trying to get ahead. Actually, it is stealing the role of 2019. Turkish opposition got used to name the year 2019 "the year of big rupture". There would be three elections; the destiny of the country would be set; either the sun would shine or the darkness would never leave, they said. Within one night, the Erdoğan-Bahçeli couple destroyed the plans of those who set their alarms for 2019.
It is clear again that the destiny of this country is not actually determined by elections. Elections is one of the platforms of social-political struggles, but it is more of a symptom. There are several examples where the elections turned the social-political balance upside down but when looked closely, it can be seen that even these examples reflect the controversy between the existing political status quo and social/class dynamics, hence they are outcomes.
In this context, we can say that the opposition saying “see you in 2019” by throwing gloves has neglected a basic rule of politics. The bourgeois politics is like that after all, but Erdoğan is more realistic than they are in this sense. We can say that Erdoğan and his AKP [ruling party] has won all the elections so far beforehand. He managed to “win” those which he actually did not with ready precautions.
The June 24 move has to be seen as an example of Erdoğan’s practice of not handing the work over elections, regardless of the results coming out in presidential and parliamentary elections.
And the opposition keeps asserting the opposite. Their answer to Erdoğan was “bring it on!”. And the day of liberation was moved from 2019 to June 24, 2018. But if only CHP could find its presidential candidate…
Of course, Erdoğan may lose on June 24. Because Erdoğan is not powerful as he is thought to be and he is not winning although he wins the elections. “He has been in power for the last 16 years” is just a part of the reality. In almost every big city of Turkey, it is clear that the country he dreams of is not there. Yes, the atmosphere is not like the one in June resistance, but there is no sign that the country in Erdoğan’s dreams has been accepted. Erdoğan may be winning in the elections but he is not successful in realizing his dreams even if he has not lost yet.
In such a county, nobody should be surprised if Erdoğan loses an election.
Erdoğan may lose on June 24. Because the forces behind Erdoğan, which are international monopolies, some imperialist centres, some groups in these centres, global reactionary mass, stay indecisive about their support. Moreover, they are in a severe fight with each other. The magic hand of this indecisiveness and fights may always touch the ballot boxes.
However, the opposition is so short-sighted that it cannot benefit from Erdoğan’s weakness. This is especially true for CHP [parliamentary main opposition party]. It may have set the thames on fire about the elections system. It may have done that even though it is a bourgeois party, or even because it is a bourgeois party. But it did not do it, it could not. The government would nearly announce the election results, but CHP says nothing. It is Turkey’s main opposition party that could not place observers for some of the ballot boxes even in İzmir.
As we already mentioned, CHP does not even have a candidate. As we are told, CHP has 3 or 4 candidates, but Abdullah Gül [a founding member of Erdoğan's AKP party] is not one of them. They may be storing him for 2019!
We can ask this: Is it possible to defeat an Erdoğan who is ready for June 23 and June 25 on June 24?
We need to go beyond bourgeois politics in order to be able to answer this question. We need to replace the election calculations with the rules of class struggle.
The link between May 1 and June 24 is, specifically, the class struggle.
Is it good in all cases if Erdoğan loses on June 24? No, it is not good in every case. For instance, if Erdoğan loses as a result of a process in which the limited energy of the working class, which suffers under unemployment, poverty and violence, evaporates, that is if the winners will be exploitative classes, can this be good?
It is not possible for the working class to win today. But in order to enter the way going to victory, it has to take up a position on June 24. What can this position be? It is standing against Erdoğan, [fascist İyi part leader] Akşener, [former presidential candidate] Ekmeleddin, [CHP leader] Kılıçdaroğlu, Gül and similar others by saying that “I am here and I will not leave the country for your tussle”. It is announcing this to everyone. In order to realize this, we have to close our doors for the bourgeois politics, we have to stand against, we have to be the deal-breaker sometimes. Only if this happens, Erdoğan’s lost as a result of a surprise coming from the bourgeois politics may evolve into something beneficial for the people.
To say that “we should unite against Erdoğan and make him go first” will make these benefits disappear, and it will only create darkness. The so-called leftist getting ready to vote for Akşener in the second run is pumping this darkness.
The people cannot win this way.
The people cannot win by being constrained by June 24. The people will win by linking May 1 with June 24 and then with June 25.
After a weak May Day, the working class will lose on June 24, even if Erdoğan loses also. If those whose fingers are pointed beyond the system cannot show their strength, Erdoğan’s mentality will win if not Erdoğan himself.
And to be realistic, if the working class is not organized, Erdoğan will win if not in the elections in the current state of affairs.
That is why we should go to May Day, with the party of the working class.
