Tweet
MESSAGE FROM THE UNITED STATES TO THE CHP [REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY]
Cumhuriyet, Turkey
Nov 13 2013
by by Utku Cakirozer
'Gezi Is Turning Point for Erdogan'
CHP [Republican People's Party] leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu will go
to Washington at the end of the month. Before the visit, CHP Deputy
Chairman Erdogan Toprak went to the US capital and took the pulse of
the decision makers in the United States. Upon his return we received
information from him regarding his talks with 25 people consisting
of representatives of the US Administration, Congress officials,
and representatives of think tanks.
These were apparently the basic messages conveyed by the US decision
makers.
- The antidemocratic stance displayed by the AKP [Justice and
Development Party] during the Gezi Park incidents constitutes a
critical turning point in terms of the government and Turkey.
- The AKP government is unable to get good marks on the subject of
human rights and freedoms.
Perception of 'Unreliable Ally'
- We are disturbed by the government's efforts to pull the
United States into Syria. We are concerned that radical terrorist
organizations like Al-Qa'idah are acting with ease in Syria.
- With its preference for Chinese missiles, Turkey has turned into an
"unreliable ally."
- We wish to see a Turkey that is stable with its neighbours.
- We find Erdogan's declarations regarding Egypt excessive.
Two Negative Development Signals
- Two negative developments may be experienced in Turkish-US relations
in 2014 because of the reaction against the Erdogan government.
- The first is the possibility that the Congress will pass another
Armenian resolution.
- The second is that Turkey may be excluded from the free trade
agreement talks to be held between the United States and the EU.
What the United States Would Like To Know: How Would the CHP Have
Governed?
As much as their own views, influential actors in the decision-making
mechanism of the US Administration would like to know what the CHP
leader will say. All the people who conveyed their views to the CHP
officials expressed the expectation -as though in agreement with
one another -"to hear what steps Kilicdaroglu will take in domestic
and foreign policy if the CHP comes to power." Toprak, for his part,
apparently responded with the following messages:
- In domestic policy, we are in favour of full democracy and freedom
for everyone. Democratization cannot be achieved through packages,
in instalments.
- Our fundamental difference from the AKP government in foreign policy
is that we are in favour of a Turkey whose face is turned towards
the West, and not the East. Such a Turkey can contribute more to its
region as well as to world peace and stability.
- We want a Turkey that establishes good relations with its neighbours
and with the regional countries, without interfering in their internal
affairs.
- It was the CHP that first proposed to resolve the Syrian crisis
through diplomacy and not with the use of weapons (Deputy Chairman
Faruk Logoglu's proposal in 2012 to hold an international meeting).
The Geneva meeting, which the whole world is now embracing, overlaps
with the CHP's proposal.
- The doors that closed on Turkey are opening because of the
CHP. The latest concrete example is the amelioration experienced
in Turkish-Iraqi relations in the aftermath of Kilicdaroglu's visit
to Baghdad.
Celik's Objection to 'Vote' Assessment
In this column last week I used AKP Deputy Chairman Huseyin Celik's
statement that "the public will give me votes accordingly," which he
made in connection with the debate on girls and boys sharing homes
on a television programme we attended together, as the basis for my
thesis that the ruling party will use this debate in order to get
votes. The AKP spokesman objected to this assessment and drew our
attention to the context in which the statement was made. Celik's
remarks in the relevant section are as follows: "(a~@¦) Is democracy
not a system that allows different preferences and enables and prepares
the ground for these preferences, a system in which we can defend
our different preferences and values and in which we face the public
with these preferences? I can come and say at any time: Dear friend,
this is what my morality consists of, this is what it should or should
not be. The public, in turn, will grade me accordingly and vote for
me accordingly. This is not a matter of votes. I repeat: The prime
minister said, and a while ago I said the same thing; I said that
I would not want my daughter who is studying at the university to
live in the same apartment as another man, I would not allow this,
and I would certainly not approve of it. If, however, some others
find it right and say this is what they choose, if the parents say
they approve of this, the state cannot tell them what to do because
this is a state of law, a democratic state, and a secular statea~@¦"
[Translated from Turkish]
Cumhuriyet, Turkey
Nov 13 2013
by by Utku Cakirozer
'Gezi Is Turning Point for Erdogan'
CHP [Republican People's Party] leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu will go
to Washington at the end of the month. Before the visit, CHP Deputy
Chairman Erdogan Toprak went to the US capital and took the pulse of
the decision makers in the United States. Upon his return we received
information from him regarding his talks with 25 people consisting
of representatives of the US Administration, Congress officials,
and representatives of think tanks.
These were apparently the basic messages conveyed by the US decision
makers.
- The antidemocratic stance displayed by the AKP [Justice and
Development Party] during the Gezi Park incidents constitutes a
critical turning point in terms of the government and Turkey.
- The AKP government is unable to get good marks on the subject of
human rights and freedoms.
Perception of 'Unreliable Ally'
- We are disturbed by the government's efforts to pull the
United States into Syria. We are concerned that radical terrorist
organizations like Al-Qa'idah are acting with ease in Syria.
- With its preference for Chinese missiles, Turkey has turned into an
"unreliable ally."
- We wish to see a Turkey that is stable with its neighbours.
- We find Erdogan's declarations regarding Egypt excessive.
Two Negative Development Signals
- Two negative developments may be experienced in Turkish-US relations
in 2014 because of the reaction against the Erdogan government.
- The first is the possibility that the Congress will pass another
Armenian resolution.
- The second is that Turkey may be excluded from the free trade
agreement talks to be held between the United States and the EU.
What the United States Would Like To Know: How Would the CHP Have
Governed?
As much as their own views, influential actors in the decision-making
mechanism of the US Administration would like to know what the CHP
leader will say. All the people who conveyed their views to the CHP
officials expressed the expectation -as though in agreement with
one another -"to hear what steps Kilicdaroglu will take in domestic
and foreign policy if the CHP comes to power." Toprak, for his part,
apparently responded with the following messages:
- In domestic policy, we are in favour of full democracy and freedom
for everyone. Democratization cannot be achieved through packages,
in instalments.
- Our fundamental difference from the AKP government in foreign policy
is that we are in favour of a Turkey whose face is turned towards
the West, and not the East. Such a Turkey can contribute more to its
region as well as to world peace and stability.
- We want a Turkey that establishes good relations with its neighbours
and with the regional countries, without interfering in their internal
affairs.
- It was the CHP that first proposed to resolve the Syrian crisis
through diplomacy and not with the use of weapons (Deputy Chairman
Faruk Logoglu's proposal in 2012 to hold an international meeting).
The Geneva meeting, which the whole world is now embracing, overlaps
with the CHP's proposal.
- The doors that closed on Turkey are opening because of the
CHP. The latest concrete example is the amelioration experienced
in Turkish-Iraqi relations in the aftermath of Kilicdaroglu's visit
to Baghdad.
Celik's Objection to 'Vote' Assessment
In this column last week I used AKP Deputy Chairman Huseyin Celik's
statement that "the public will give me votes accordingly," which he
made in connection with the debate on girls and boys sharing homes
on a television programme we attended together, as the basis for my
thesis that the ruling party will use this debate in order to get
votes. The AKP spokesman objected to this assessment and drew our
attention to the context in which the statement was made. Celik's
remarks in the relevant section are as follows: "(a~@¦) Is democracy
not a system that allows different preferences and enables and prepares
the ground for these preferences, a system in which we can defend
our different preferences and values and in which we face the public
with these preferences? I can come and say at any time: Dear friend,
this is what my morality consists of, this is what it should or should
not be. The public, in turn, will grade me accordingly and vote for
me accordingly. This is not a matter of votes. I repeat: The prime
minister said, and a while ago I said the same thing; I said that
I would not want my daughter who is studying at the university to
live in the same apartment as another man, I would not allow this,
and I would certainly not approve of it. If, however, some others
find it right and say this is what they choose, if the parents say
they approve of this, the state cannot tell them what to do because
this is a state of law, a democratic state, and a secular statea~@¦"
[Translated from Turkish]