There are red lines in politics. An MP of a party cannot go out and say “God damn you” to its chairman. He cannot tweet “traitor”. The line between internal opposition and betrayal targeting the party should be visible.
But it seems that these lines are blurred in some parties and ironclad in others.
Let's compare: If an AK Party deputy were to say “God damn you” to Tayyip Erdoğan, they would not keep that deputy in the party for a second. Likewise, if he said “Tayyip the traitor”, they would not keep him again. A mayor or provincial chairman who targets his family is immediately disciplined and expelled. Those who swear at party founders and voters are not harbored. A deputy who publishes fake polls about the party's split will be forced to leave his office.
And what is the situation in CHP?
A CHP deputy can call the chairman “God damn you”. Another deputy can tweet “traitor”. Provincial chairs and mayors can use the same language. The Disciplinary Board, on the other hand, has been almost pacified out of concern that “they will not sulk and break away from the party”.
Is this acceptable?
If you change what you find on the road to what you set out for, you will stay on the road.
Even more serious: Trade unionists who until yesterday said, “We must go to Özgür Özel's rally, we must keep a report for the laborers who do not go,” and who see themselves as the Minister of Labor if Ekrem İmamoğlu becomes the president, have now turned into Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's jingoists. They are both winking at Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu's inner circle and handing out blue beads to the other side so that they can become deputies if a new party is formed.
Those who give blue beads to both sides are cherished. But those of us who struggle as a handful of people are marginalized.
There must now be a rapid reaction for purification. Since there is an absolute need for purification, since the word “morality” is being pronounced so much, then one must be sincere.
Today's cheerleaders may be tomorrow's treacherous dagger throwers. If you are going to repeat the same mistakes, the same leniency, the same indiscipline, then you have to question why we are so invested in the “struggle”.
Purification is not only about getting rid of names; the red lines of lines, stance, principles must be reinforced.
If a party remains peaceful when its leader is told “God damn you”, it means that party has no red lines. Politics without red lines sooner or later turns into a pitched battle where daggers are spoken.
Either draw your lines or move on with those who do not cool their daggers. But remember: Those who cool their daggers may one day stab you with that dagger again and again.
Things need to speed up and instead of the old type of organization, we need more urgent and collective action. If we are talking about purification, we need to protect discipline first, lines first, principles first. Otherwise, the labor we have fought for will be in vain.