System showdown with the nation

Some parts of the country are declared “special security” by the state; the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on the other hand, declared them “autonomous.” 

The PKK declares a system that suits it; we receive the news of new martyrs every day and mothers are crying again. Every new day holds very serious new dangers and risks.  

However, it has been 70 days since the nation expressed its will, but no government has been formed. Those who do not see the message to reconcile in that national will do not aim to form a government but rather seek a new election. 

It seems a showdown with the nation who sad “no” to the presidential system on June 7 was opted for. On the other side of the showdown is one that would never be experienced in a democratic country which goes “I will not abide by the constitution. The constitution should be amended for me. You should vote accordingly so that this is done.”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is absolutely correct. It is a concerning fact that not even one objection has come from within the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to the proclamation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the system has changed.

Since the coalition talks started I have expressed that the process was managed wrongly and the tours would be vain, and now its reasons have been clarified.

We understand through the CHP not leaving the table that especially the “palace,” by not having a government formed since the beginning, wanted to create a “system debate.” 

The minutes of the meetings between the AKP and CHP delegations exist. When they are released one day, we will see everything much clearer, but in addition to the tactics of gaining time and obstructing all through the process, we have come to understand that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has not been able to overcome the will of the palace. 

Let us talk about the secrecy agreement Davutoğlu referred to. There are two aims in this agreement. One is the secrecy of the style and content of the talks and the other is the “high-level language” the leaders were using.  

We should be happy with the second one because we will benefit from proper political language.  

All the information, the meticulous language of leaders and their sincere meetings have yielded no results; it all points to the palace obstacle. 

Let us go back to the first meeting on July 13. What did Kılıçdaroğlu offer Davutoğlu? 

He said, “Let us form a high-profile government; in other words, its numerical superiority should be strong, it should last four years and there should absolutely be mutual trust.”

Because Davutoğlu approved of these, the talks started. But we now understand more clearly that Davutoğlu did not proceed on the road he opened. He gave clues that he lost his initiative. These clues may be revealed one day but there were other wrongs in the process.

For instance, it was wrong to inform the palace immediately after each talk. The two leaders were giving positive vibes after the first meeting but Erdoğan poured cold water on them only hours after, calling for a new election. 

The same thing happened after the next positive meeting. There was a warning to Davutoğlu to “not make a mistake” and a reference to “suicide.” 

Davutoğlu may have put a shadow in his leadership capacities but the AKP and those power groups that support the AKP left him alone. 

For instance, starting with the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), why were those mighty nongovernmental organizations that declared in every opportunity after the elections, “No to early elections, we want a coalition,” immediately silent?  

I wish we could know the cause of this silence and whether or not there was a warning from the palace.