“Cleanliness” in politics is not measured by mere rhetoric or claims. Real cleanliness requires taking difficult decisions, paying a price and upholding institutional principles. If the debate on clean politics is on the rise again in Turkey today, it is because society's expectations from the political institution are very clear: A politics that is transparent, accountable and prioritizes the public interest.
This expectation is the benchmark not only for governments but also for political parties. The CHP has long established these criteria as a tradition.
Inonu Courage of the Honorable
To understand the CHP's tradition of clean politics, we need to look to the past. In 1931, İsmet İnönü said in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey:
“Friends, if a country is not as patient as a man of honor, or at least as patient as a man of honor, then that country will sink.”
This phrase, which is commonly summarized as “the honorable must be as brave as the dishonest”, reveals the foundations of the concept of clean politics very early on. İnönü emphasized that people with good intentions and honor should also show determination and resilience against the bad ones; otherwise the state and society would be swept away.
Institutional Cleaning and Audit Mechanisms
The Republican People's Party has a line that prioritizes the institutional structure of the state, the rule of law and public ethics (institutions such as the Court of Accounts, Council of State, Supreme Audit Board, Central Bank and universities). Since the single party era, these institutions have created the infrastructure to ensure that the state functions independently of individuals and based on rules.
Since the 1960s, the CHP has continued its efforts to strengthen the concept of clean politics within the social democratic framework. Bülent Ecevit, in particular, embodied the party's commitment to ethical politics with his emphasis on ’clean government“ and set an example with his decisive stance against corruption. The practices and debates in the 1970s brought the party's proposals on transparent tender processes and ethical laws to the forefront, and the CHP's historical accumulation was recorded as a fundamental value for both the party's base and society's expectations from the party.
Baykal and the Turkbank Crisis: Paying the Price
The Türkbank scandal in 1998 revealed the dark side of politics. Deniz Baykal, then CHP chairman, withdrew his support for the government after the relations that cast a shadow over the tender were exposed.
The result: The government fell because of a corruption allegation. Baykal's decision is one of the most powerful examples of how standing up for what is right in politics sometimes requires paying a price.
Sözen Mayor Who Doesn't Protect His Own Staff
In the 1990s, Nurettin Sözen, the mayor of Istanbul, personally reported a corrupt bureaucrat to the prosecutor's office instead of protecting him. This attitude shows that clean politics is a value that must be practiced in action, not just in words.
Kılıçdaroğlu: If there is suspicion, there is resignation
Under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's presidency, clean politics became one of the main criteria of the party's internal governance culture. In the case of the mayor of Bilecik, the CHP demanded the resignation of mayors facing allegations of shady or unethical behavior, suggesting that they exercise their right to be vindicated. This approach is an indication that the CHP has strengthened its internal audit and accountability mechanisms and turned them into an institutional tradition.
Special and Manavgat Decision
Özgür Özel's decision to completely expel the mayor and executive staff allegedly involved in the bribery network from the party, as in the case of Manavgat, is in line with the CHP's historical line. The real expectation is that this approach will not be limited to Manavgat. This step is important as it shows once again that cleansing in politics can be achieved through action, not just words.
Historical Accumulation and Public Expectation
The Türkbank crisis, Sözen's denunciation, Kılıçdaroğlu's stance against shady behavior and Özel's Manavgat decision are all indications that the CHP has embraced clean politics not only in word but also in deed. Today, both the party base and the wider society expect the CHP to firmly uphold this tradition. Clean politics should be a sustainable governance culture, not just a slogan remembered in times of crisis. In fact, the CHP is the traditional representative of this culture.
Epilogue: Emphasis on Purification through the Assembly
To rebuild trust in politics in Turkey, decisions and costs, not words, are decisive. The CHP's historical experience and its determination today can pave the way for a period of renewed trust in politics. Clean politics exists through determination and responsibility when power is held.
“When you held power, what price did you pay to stay clean?” is the right scale for both CHP and Turkish politics. This will remain the true yardstick that renews Turkey's hopes for democracy.
In particular, the CHP 39th Congress, which will be held this weekend, should once again emphasize the concept of clean politics as an institution, leaving aside the debate on whether the investigations and lawsuits opened or to be opened are political or legal. The congress should put this as a principle in front of the society, starting with its own organization. This is our expectation.
..and the flagship
Let us not forget that the CHP is the flagship of Turkish politics. Even if it is damaged, it has the staff and technical staff to repair this damage. For the future of Turkish democracy, the flagship must remain standing.