No CHP-HDP election alliance in sight

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, while responding to a question in Diyarbakır over the weekend about a possible election alliance with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) denied that his party had such a thought. However, he then said “24 hours is a long time in politics,” prompting doubts among the audience.  

Let me start with certain facts that everyone can easily accept.  

Yes, a majority of Kurdish voters who today vote for the HDP used to vote for the CHP in the past because of their “leftist” beliefs. The same Kurdish voter, on the issues of secularism and gender, does not differ too much from the average CHP voter.  

These two voter profiles used to meet under the umbrella of the SHP in 1991.

Also, the CHP, over the weekend in Diyarbakır, came across a new picture. In its meeting with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) - especially middle income group representatives - the CHP was told about the horror of the Oct. 6-8 Kobane protests.     

The representatives told the CHP that middle income groups considered these horrific days to be signs of the PKK’s pursuit of regional dominance and proof that the ruling AKP is not sincere in the resolution process. They also said this congestion might be eased if the CHP could step in.

These representatives, aware of the difficulty - indeed the impossibility - of the CHP intervening in the resolution process now, had a number of suggestions. They drew attention to the fact that economic situation in the region was worsening, and that the solution could not be to introduce “new incentives” but rather to “build confidence that the peace process will continue sincerely.”

They also told the CHP that - at this stage at least - it could meet with the NGOs at certain platforms in order to referee the situation, thus becoming a kind of “third party” observing the situation from outside.

We should not be surprised to see such a platform being formed between the CHP and NGOs in the Kurdish region.

However, despite all the above, there is still no possibility that the CHP and the HDP will agree on an open election alliance. The reason for this is that arms have still not been buried yet, that horrible massacres and deaths have occurred in PKK demonstrations, that Atatürk busts and photographs have been burned and destroyed, and that museums have been torched. These realities keep on blocking the path.

Also, such a possibility would create an earthquake in the CHP, with only six months left before the parliamentary election and with only one month having passed since arms and violence showed their faces in the most merciless forms.

I don’t think the CHP administration could risk such an earthquake. This is because today’s HDP does not deny its connection with the PKK.

It seems that the CHP will continue to say that “first, arms should be silenced” and “a resolution should be sought within Parliament.” It has proven that it will support any initiative and will continue to adopt the same stance for new initiatives.

Is it possible for arms to be buried forever in the remaining six months?

I would love to answer this positively, but the PKK does not seem to have such an intention. I wish I was wrong, how nice it would be…