It would be incomplete to read today's debates in the CHP only in terms of names. Because there is a bigger issue than a simple leadership struggle. What is being debated is the question on which ground social democratic politics will rise in Turkey.
For this reason, the Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu era must be evaluated not only on the basis of election results but also on the language of politics.
Kılıçdaroğlu was criticized most harshly in the elections. Especially at a time when the economic crisis was worsening and the government was carrying the fatigue of many years, the CHP's inability to take central power caused great disappointment among opposition voters. Over time, the discourse of “losing 13 elections” went beyond an ordinary political criticism and turned into a broad social reaction.
But it would be an incomplete reading to reduce politics only to the ballot box.
Under Kılıçdaroğlu, the CHP's social language has changed significantly. Whereas for years the party seemed to be stuck in a more limited sociological line, during this period it has tried to establish contact with conservative voters, sought more open relations with Kurdish voters, and adopted a softer and more inclusive approach on issues such as the headscarf issue, which has generated tensions in Turkey for many years.
“This is why the ”halalization" was important. Because this was not only a move to win elections, but also CHP's attempt to re-establish a relationship with society.
Kılıçdaroğlu's Alevi identity was also a striking topic for Turkish politics. In Turkey, the issue of sectarianism is often not openly discussed, but its impact is felt in the depths of politics. Despite this, Kılıçdaroğlu has established a political language that does not hide his identity but carries it naturally. While this was seen as a democratic threshold for some segments of society, it was also revealed that invisible social resistances persist in others.
Despite all this, another expectation has grown in a significant part of society.
Winning.
Especially for young voters, it has become more important not only to be “right” but also to get results. The opposition's constant defensive posture has created a large segment of the electorate who believe that moral superiority alone is not enough.
The rise of Ekrem İmamoğlu and Özgür Özel line was partly the result of this psychology. A more visible, high-energy, faster-reacting style of politics found a response in the society. The results of the local elections also created an important psychological threshold for the CHP. For the first time in many years, the CHP began to produce the feeling of a party that could win, not just oppose.
But at this point, another debate emerged.
The allegations about the congress process, the ethical debates around the municipalities, and accusations of rent and interest relations have created a serious area of attrition for the CHP. For many years, the CHP has defined itself not only as an opposition party, but also with the claim of clean politics.
One has to keep a cool head here.
It is clear that the relationship between politics and the judiciary in Turkey has long been controversial. The timing of the investigations, their relation with the political atmosphere and the perception of the operation create suspicion in a significant part of the society. Especially among opposition voters, the feeling that “intervention is coming just at the moment of victory” is a strong one.
But by the same token, it is impossible to ignore the fact that ethical debates within the party create discomfort in society.
Therefore, compressing the issue along the lines of “purely operational” or “purely criminal” does not produce a sound political analysis.
The main tension that the CHP is experiencing today is actually this;
On the one hand, to raise public expectations for change,
on the other hand, to preserve institutional trust and political morality.
Because social democracy is not just about winning elections.
It is also a matter of generating a sense of trust in society.
This is partly the reason why Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu still finds strong support among a certain segment of the population. His supporters believe that they are defending not just a political figure, but a calmer, more controlled, more institutionalized approach to politics.
In contrast, the new generation of politics is more combative, more visible, faster and more result-oriented.
The main issue before the CHP is whether it can carry these two veins together within the same party, not by liquidating each other.
Because voters in Turkey no longer only look at what the opposition says.
He is also watching how he will behave when he comes to power.
And perhaps the most critical question of today is right here
Will social democracy in Turkey be able to win and inspire confidence at the same time?