There are certain moments in Turkish politics that reveal the direction, identity and future position of a party. Arif Kocabıyık's ceremonial joining the ranks of the Republican People's Party is precisely such a breaking moment.
Because the issue is not just the inclusion of a name in the party. The issue is that the inhuman expressions used about Berkin Elvan in the past are ignored today as if nothing has happened. This shows that political pragmatism has completely crossed the moral boundaries. The fact that a language that insults the death of a child and a political line that defines itself as social democratic or leftist meet on the same ground is not just a contradiction; it is a clear erosion of identity.
This choice of the CHP, led by Özgür Özel, cannot be explained with the rhetoric of “embracing everyone”. Because this is not bringing different views together; it is suspending values. Politics can of course transform, cadres can change, new alliances can be formed. However, if the ethical and historical stance that forms the backbone of a party is so easily abandoned in order to save the day, only its signboard will remain.
This is the picture that emerges today: A figure who has distinguished himself with nationalist rhetoric and has openly distanced himself from leftist values is legitimized with a “badge ceremony” without any self-criticism or reckoning. This situation shows that the CHP is not only blurring its ideological line but also contradicting its promises to its voters.
More importantly, such moves do not reduce the already deep polarization in society; on the contrary, they increase distrust. Because people ask: Why are the values you defended yesterday absent today? Why are the discourses you opposed yesterday okay today?
As a result, the saying “the same meet in the same place” turns into an ironic reality here. Not the richness of differences, but the commonality of unprincipledness comes to the fore. If a political movement alienates itself from its own past, its own values and the conscience of its own base, the biggest loss is not to its rivals, but to itself.
So it is not a question of one person joining a party; it is a question of what a party becomes. And this transformation is not so small that it can be ignored.