The Supreme Committee of Elections (YSK) of Turkey ruled that the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) will not be allowed to participate in the June 24 elections, a lawless decision as TKP meets all the criteria for participating in the elections. As a response, TKP announced that they will run independent candidates. Kemal Okuyan, the General Secretary of the TKP was interviewed by soL, and clarified the position of TKP regarding the elections.
TKP announced their decision on the elections, and explained that they would participate with "independent" candidates in several locations. What was this decision based on?
TKP is waging struggle to change this [capitalist] order. While this is not something we can achieve in a short period, it is a goal that must make itself felt, that must exist in politics and that must be organized as an alternative. TKP’s right to participate in the elections was violated unlawfully. But we must still seek for the means to bring into existence the option of socialism. We cannot leave the electoral ground to the actors of the order without having exhausted all the options we have. Looking at the conditions of politics in Turkey towards June 24, it is clear that there is a great need for a different voice. The term in the legal language is “independent” candidate. This is true from one aspect: We are going to run candidates independent of the capital, independent of dirty and unscrupulous politics, bizarre alliances, submission, despair and all the dirty bargains. Our candidates will be “dependent” only on the interests of the working people.
Why don’t you run candidates everywhere? How will TKP act where you do not run any candidates?
TKP has picked up the pace in strengthening its organizational reach in the past 6 months, organising in new cities and districts. All of Turkey is an area of struggle for us. But serious difficulties have been raised for running "independent candidates". It is required to pay more than 1 million lira [$250.000] in order to run candidates in all electoral districts. But this is not all. Effective distribution of the ballots of the independent candidates, taking precautions against ballot thievery… When we add the load of propaganda work, we need to concentrate on certain locations in order to make up for the disadvantages of running independent candidates. TKP has a strong organisation in these cities, and everyone will witness that the voice of socialism cannot be muted that easily. In the end, these locations will correspond to at least half of Turkey’s population.
And, of course, we will not say, "Do as you wish," to the people living where we do not run any candidates. People already do and will do as they wish. We are a political party, and we will say: Where there are no independent candidates, go to the polls, and declare, "I do not like or prefer any of you."
You suggest a similar style for the presidential election, as well?
We do. We call for people to adopt an attitude against the politics of the order with their free will. It is also a choice to "cast an invalid ballot". We have multiple reasons to do this in the presidential election. Half of the country is against the new presidential system and we need to make sure this opposition continues to be reflected in the election results.
Why are you against the presidential system?
Our opposition to the presidential system stems from the fact that it limits the participation of the working people in politics. In a political system that operates on persons, people become neutralized, electoral campaigns end up dominating politics. The politics of the order has already been like this, but with the presidential system, the people will be knocked out totally. It is never in the interest of the people when executive becomes that powerful. We oppose the presidential system; there will be no presidential system in socialism. We must show this on June 24. Then, they took precautions against running candidates who may oppose and protests against the presidential system. The candidates of the opposition parties have not been announced yet but it is already clear what sort of candidates they will be running. We reject all candidates for the sultan’s throne. Finally, on June 24, the claim that it is the destiny of Turkey to be ruled by right-wing will also be tested. This claim must also be rejected. We will go to the polls, and reject it. We will not accept what we rejected in the referendum last year.
Why not boycott?
A large portion of the society is interested in the elections, looking for a hope for liberation. In such circumstance, boycotting the elections would mean saying "I don’t care". We have to present the working people with a conscious option that will also gather popular energy and sustain it following the elections. We are trying to achieve this.
Do you think the independent candidate action will be effective?
We will answer this question on streets, in neighbourhoods, in factories, and in schools. There will be no electoral threshold, because the 10% nonsense does not apply to independent candidates. However, our priority is to show people that a real option exists, and convince more people that this order must and can be changed. This is our criterion for success.
There is no threshold, but there are other rationales. For example, getting rid of Erdoğan. Isn’t there a pressure on everyone to "unite"?
There has never been a day when this pressure was not on TKP. They have always come to us not only for elections, but for every political incident, and tried to make us part of the quagmire, saying, "Oh, we must unite at once!" We have always been tolerant to those who did this with good intentions and a little bit out of desperation, except for the seasoned opportunists. But I do not think we can show the same tolerance in these elections. What is happening leading to these elections is despicable. No rational person can accuse us of dividing the votes. They have weakened in the name of "unity" the enlightened, public-minded people in this country who question the order, they have turned these people into guests in their own lands. We will not allow this. To those who said, "Stop the claptrap, and cast the vote" [in the elections back in 2014], we will say, "Cast them all out now." We will bring those who have cornered Turkey into a dilemma between Erdoğan and Gül [a founding member of Erdoğan's ruling AKP party, former president] to account.
It is clear that the Abdullah Gül formula will not work…
So be it. The rationale for seeking candidates is the same. They want an AKP [ruling party] without Erdoğan. They have brought the left-wing people to the point to think that Meral Akşener [fascist İyi Party leader] is better than these. I do not know if they have the stomach for this. They call it "the grand politics". To hell with their grand politics.
It is claimed that parliamentary main opposition CHP part is going to have left-wing candidates in order to balance their alliance with the right-wing parties. It is even mentioned that they will offer candidacy to several left-wing parties. How would the TKP react to such an offer?
Since the CHP is not a left-wing party, there is no surprise in their alliance with the right-wing parties. That the CHP has leftist people does not change this fact. Actually, one needs to ask those leftist people what they are doing in CHP. We cannot know to which left-wing parties the CHP will make the offer, or to which leftist people they will offer candidacy. These people will perform as the "extras" in the show. There have been deputies in CHP who were pro-people and enlightenment. What happened to them will definitely happen to the new ones, now that the Parliament has a much smaller role now. It is required to be free in order to go to the Parliament and do politics in the name of the working people against all the odds. There is no such freedom within CHP. Regarding the TKP… We have not received such an offer, nor do we think we will. What can I say about something that is not real? But I can say this: TKP rejects to enter the Parliament under someone else’s wings. We are not interested in this.
Following the CHP’s transfer of 15 deputies to fascist İyi Party, CHP MP İlhan Cihaner said on social media: "Then give 20 deputies to the TKP and ÖDP each"…
Cihaner is our friend. As I said, his presence in the CHP is his own preference and problem. He said that as a reaction to the actions of his party. Otherwise, he is one of those, who knows best that TKP does not do politics on that sort of a ground.
In general elections, opposition parties have been trying to make an alliance. It has been discussed whether the HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party] will be a part of this alliance. It is mentioned that, in the case where the HDP is left out of the alliance, they will boycott the ballot of the presidential election.
Which principles is this alliance based upon? What is their purpose? What kind of Turkey? These questions are unanswered. They make arithmetic calculations. It is really disgusting. If we weren’t revolutionaries, if were n’t communists, if we didn’t say that another kind of politics is possible, we could not bear to be inside this quagmire after seeing this much of filth. Regarding the HDP… We are talking about a party which aided Erdoğan at all critical turns. No one can know if this is going to happen again. They have their own priorities. They can make alliances with anyone depending on those priorities.
One last question: Is June 24 an election of life and death for Turkey?
No. Not at all. No election is "decisive". What is decisive is the social struggles, and these are reflected in the elections. The AKP and Erdoğan might win on June 24, but their problems in governing will increasingly continue. If they lose, the struggle sharpens. There will be no surprises on June 24. Therefore, we must continue to organize leading to that date. Look where this "We must all unite" fairy tale has brought us: Those who call themselves leftists now prepare themselves for Akşener, Abdüllatif Şener [former AKP deputy], Gül, and Kesici [a right-wing CHP deputy]. We say no. People say, "I won’t vote for them," on streets. We will be the representatives of this voice. Turkey is not so desperate as to beg Gül to be the president. We call for our people: Join those who say that this order must change, and let us resist together those who want to condemn us to darkness, let us organize hope, let us stand with the representatives of the working people in the general elections, let us say, "We reject you all," in the presidential elections. And before that, let us rally for the May Day. Let us support the call of the working class, the struggle of TKP.
