In Turkey, there are certain sayings that are believed to be true not because they are actually true, but simply because they are repeated so often.
“The statement ”Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has lost every election he’s entered” is exactly that kind of cliché.
This is not an analysis.
This is a deliberate oversimplification and political laziness.
Because politics cannot be reduced to a simple “win-lose” dichotomy like a child’s game. Especially in a country like Turkey, where state power, the media, economic tools, and identity politics are all at play at the same time…
Let’s ask the question directly:
If a politician takes a party stuck at and moves it to .59,
Is this what it means to “lose”?
If that's the case, what is success?
Anyone who can’t answer this question is actually using a catchphrase to shut down the discussion.
More importantly:
“A significant portion of those who say, ”Kılıçdaroğlu lost,” are people who did not bear the burden of that process.
The group that isn’t on the field, doesn’t take risks, but makes the most noise after the fact…
In politics, this type has a specific name:
Result analyst, process leaks.
Historical Fact: The CHP’s Glass Ceiling
With the exception of Bülent Ecevit, the picture is clear:
The CHP is a party that has been stuck in the 10–15% range for decades.
There were no state resources,
what broad support from right-wing voters,
nor a sustainable relationship with Kurdish voters.
Kılıçdaroğlu inherited this situation.
And what did he do?
- He sat down at the table with right-wing parties
- He adopted a language that does not exclude Kurdish voters
- He brought together different ideologies under a common goal
Result? .59
This figure is not merely the result of an election.
This marks the first time the opposition in Turkey has come this close to taking power.
What Is the Real Problem?
The issue here isn't failure.
The point is this:
The equation established by Kılıçdaroğlu,
It rendered many people's approach to politics ineffective.
Because:
- Those who base their politics on identity cannot achieve this breadth
- Those confined to narrow ideological frameworks cannot sustain this coalition
- Those who rely solely on slogans in politics cannot achieve these results
So the easiest option was chosen:
Downplay the success; label the outcome as a “loss.”.
But the truth does not change:
For the first time in this country, the opposition has formed such a broad social coalition.
And Kılıçdaroğlu was the architect of this.
Where Accountability Is Needed
The issue today isn’t what Kılıçdaroğlu is doing.
The point is this:
Who was able to cross the threshold he set?
Let me put it more clearly:
- Has anyone gone above .59?
- Is there anyone who can form an alliance of the same size?
- Is there anyone who can bring nationalists, conservatives, and Kurdish voters together on the same page?
No.
But there's a lot of criticism.
This is where psychology, not politics, comes into play.
“The Legend of ”Beyond Sivas” and the Silent Reality of the East
“A party that can’t break out of Sivas…”
One of the laziest, easiest, and most overused clichés in Turkish politics.
But here's the problem: This statement now contradicts the data.
If you want to understand Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s era, you need to look at the map, not the slogans.
What Happened in the East and Southeast?
Let’s break down the results of the 2023 presidential election:
- Kılıçdaroğlu in Eastern Anatolia It held at the level
- In many provinces of the Southeast It found support between and 80
- Across Turkey It reached .59
Saying that this table “did not pass” raises two possibilities:
- Or you don't know the number
- Or you're deliberately turning a blind eye
Both are problematic in terms of political seriousness.
But There's a Catch
Let’s make a critical distinction now.
Are these votes coming directly from the CHP’s traditional base?
No, no, no.
What are these votes the result of?
The result of the political equation that has been established.
I mean:
- The strategic choice of Kurdish voters
- The space created by coalition politics
- The balance achieved despite polarization
Without these three coming together, that map won’t materialize.
But this is exactly where the distortion begins:
Some people underestimate this game,
Some even portray it as purely a “CHP vote.”.
Both are wrong.
The truth is this: Kılıçdaroğlu has brought a demographic segment into politics that the CHP could not have reached on its own.
This is technically a It's not a vote transfer,
one It is a success in political consolidation.
The Real Question: Who Can Achieve This Balance?
Today, we need to turn to our critics and ask them this question:
- Without alarming the nationalist at the same time,
- Without excluding Kurdish voters,
- by keeping the right-wing parties at the table
Do you have any other models that can reach ?
If you have any, please present them.
Otherwise, what is being done is not analysis, It is destructive.
2024 Local Elections: A Mirage?
Today, some quarters are portraying the local election result as a ’victory.“.
But there is a serious blind spot here.
Because that is the result:
- Support from DEM voters
- The partial shift in the İYİ Party’s base
- fatigue of power
was formed by.
Let’s ask the question clearly:
Are all three of these factors permanent?
If not,
Then the picture that is praised today will collapse tomorrow.
And then one is forced to face the reality that:
The balance Kılıçdaroğlu had established was more fragile than people realized, but it was also indispensable.
To those who speak today of “beyond Sivas,” I have just one question:
Who expanded that map?
And more importantly:
Who can protect that map today?
Because politics isn't just about getting votes,
it is the ability to retain that vote.
Ballot Box, Data, Zoom: A Lost Election or a Disorganized Campaign?
The biggest misconception in politics is this:
People tend to think that elections are won only in the streets.
The reality, however, is harsher.
Election;
is kept in a box,
is managed in the data,
It is earned within the organization.
To understand the 2023 election under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, we must now set aside the debate over the candidate and focus on these three key issues:
Voting security, Data management, Intra-party coordination
1. Ballot Security: The Missing Link
Let’s be honest first.
Has the CHP improved its polling station organization compared to previous elections?
Yes.
But was that enough?
No, no, no.
In a country like Turkey, where there are hundreds of thousands of polling stations,
- an official at each polling station
- verified in each record
- Speed on every appeal
When this cannot be achieved, the result is not merely a vote share; trust is also undermined.
The issue here isn’t whether it was stolen or not.
The point is this: Has an organization capable of flawlessly managing an election of this magnitude been established?
The answer is clear: No.
But one thing is clear:
This shortcoming alone does not explain the election.
But it highlights the critical differences.
2. Data Crisis: The Election Night Breakdown
What was perhaps the most critical moment of the election?
Election night.
- Anadolu Agency released the data
- The opposition delayed the process
- There was a communication breakdown
And that turned out to be the most dangerous:
The voter didn't know who to believe.
In politics, perception is just as important as reality.
The situation that night was as follows:
- The moral high ground has been lost
- Psychological resilience has weakened
- “A sense of ”Is this happening again?” spread
This is not a technical error; is a strategic weakness.
3. Zoom Meetings: Unity or Division?
Now let’s get to the most troubling headline.
Issues that arose during the election process Zoom meetings…
This is not just a simple “meeting.”.
This is a sign that reveals the true state of affairs within the party.
This indicates:
Was everyone on the same page regarding the strategy?
Or were parallel minds at work?
As we head into the election:
- If different teams are using different calculations
- unless there is complete unity around the leader
There's a problem there.
This isn’t unique to the CHP.
But in 2023, the price was high.
4. Unspoken Support: Quiet but Effective
One of the most controversial yet most genuine questions: Was full support given to Kılıçdaroğlu?
Answer:
- Is there any evidence of sabotage? It's hard to prove.
- But is there a lack of enthusiasm, reluctance, or inconsistent support? Yes
And that’s no small thing.
Because of the elections:
- Not by a margin of
- %1–2 is won or lost by a margin of one point
Someone who only works part-time on-site,
keeping their distance,
any structure that moves reluctantly…
directly affects the overall result.
The Bitter Truth: There Is No Single Cause
Now let’s put all the pieces together:
2023 election:
- It's not just about the candidate
- It's not just about the ballot box
- It's not just a matter of alliances
The combination of all of them.
But what is the result, despite all this? .59
This ratio conveys two things at the same time:
- Great potential
- A major missed opportunity
The Final Showdown
Everyone is talking about it today.
But no one is giving a clear answer to this question:
Under the same conditions,
with the same internal conflicts,
with the same coordination issues
Could you have achieved better results?
If so:
Why weren't you on the field that day?
If not:
Then how sincere is your criticism?
A Leader’s Legacy or a Team’s Test?
Two years have passed since the 2023 election. The debate is still going around in circles:
“Did he lose, or did he cause the loss?”
This question is incomplete.
The right question is this:
Whose reflection was this result?
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu received 48.59%. This percentage is one of the highest thresholds the opposition has ever reached in Turkey. But if you don’t interpret the significance of this threshold correctly, you’ll repeat the same mistake.
1. Legacy: From a Narrow Party to a Broad Coalition
What Kılıçdaroğlu did was push the boundaries of traditional CHP politics:
- Attempt to exceed the core base
- Sitting at the same table with right-wing parties
- Developing a language that does not exclude Kurdish voters
- Bringing together different ideologies under a single goal
This is no easy task. In Turkey, this translates to:
Breaking through the polarization.
That is why the resulting .59 is not just the vote of a single candidate;
one the result of the political modelStop.
2. Breakdown: The Model Was Set Up, But Could Not Be Moved
But that's where the real problem begins.
The model has been set up.
But the organizational discipline needed to sustain that model could not be established.
What was missing?
- Full coordination
- Clear communication
- Non-stop fieldwork
- Election Night Management
And most importantly:
Full consolidation around the leader
If an organization does not trust its leader,
That leader cannot produce a 0 result.
It's as simple as that.
3. Who Is to Be Held Accountable: the Individual or the System?
The biggest mistake made today is this:
Placing all the blame on a single person.
This is easy.
But that's not true.
Because the real picture is this:
- There was an alliance, but not complete harmony
- There was an organization, but there wasn't strict discipline
- There was a campaign, but there was no central location
To get .59 with a setup like this…
It’s not failure; it’s pushing the limits.
4. Today’s Politics: Easy Criticism, Hard Work
Just look at those criticizing Kılıçdaroğlu today:
- Were they able to form a broader alliance?
- Did they achieve a higher voter turnout?
- Were they able to maintain the same sociological diversity?
No.
But the criticism is intense.
This shows us that:
In Turkey, politics is driven more by purges than by the creation of policies.
Politics, however, is not about tearing things down, but about building them up.
5. Final Sentence: Who Will History Remember?
Politics isn't just about the winners.
He also writes about those who set thresholds.
Kılıçdaroğlu:
- It pushed the CHP to its historical limits
- It turned the opposition into a genuine alternative to the ruling party
- It gave tangible form to the feeling that “we can win” in Turkey
And yes, he didn't win the election.
But he left this question for history to answer:
Who will cross this threshold?
If no one can beat it,
then those who say he “lost” today,
Tomorrow he’ll realize just how hard it was to reach that point.
The Account Has Not Been Closed
A one-sentence summary of this article:
The 2023 election was a test not of an individual, but of a system.
And on that exam:
- The leader pushed the limits
- The system couldn't handle that load
The reckoning is still ongoing.