A beautiful summer ahead of us
I have been writing for days. I have been saying, “It will be a beautiful summer.”
Friends, it will be a beautiful summer. I can feel it.
Three military coups and three interim regimes; these are the five sad signposts in my political memory…
Whoever comes with elections should go with elections… What a nice saying this is… A nice wish I can now grasp fully. What a peaceful, happy saying this is…
We have shown the entire Islamic world what this wonderful saying means.
In every election, there are losers and winners. Well, who were they in this one?
Well, Turkey has won. Those who said democracy would also work in the Islamic world have won. Well, what about the political parties that competed in the elections?
Those who have voted for the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the reasonable executives of the AKP, deputies, the party organization; I am telling you with all my heart: If a party is still gaining 42 percent of the votes in its fourth elections, if it is still the first party, be sure that it has not lost.
What has happened is that it has found the opportunity to correct its faults and shortcomings. In politics, not winning does not mean losing. What is important is to be able to recognize the mistake, to make a correct diagnosis.
People’s Republican Party (CHP) voters, do not accuse your party by looking at the votes it has received.
Look, I am 68-years-old as of April 8. Repeating myself, I have gone through three military coups and three interim regimes. Until now, I had not seen a high-quality, refined CHP campaign. Turkey, with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has seen this new, civil, tolerant and calm style of politics.
Many CHP supporters I know have voted for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) just to protest the inequality in the election system.
Kılıçdaroğlu has shown a key democratic maturity by never trying to obstruct this preference. Kılıçdaroğlu has shown all of us that a different and civilized politics is possible.
I have not voted for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) but I am thankful. They have run a very refined campaign. While nationalist parties of the West went on with their xenophobic, ethnic-hate campaigns irresponsibly, the MHP did not conduct a hostility campaign against the Kurds.
While Turkey gave a lesson of democracy to the Islamic world, the MHP gave a humanitarian lesson to Western countries. They proved that nationalism is possible without racism and hatred.
The HDP and Selahattin Demirtaş, I can say without any hesitation that they are the biggest winners of the elections in the name of Turks and in the name of Kurds.
They had a historic victory. What have they done? They formed a bridge of love between the Kurds and Turks living in the west of Turkey.
Note this: Today, the solution of the Kurdish issue is on an easier road than yesterday.
In this election campaign, we have all seen that a civilized and fraternal solution is possible under the Turkish flag.
Well, then, who is the loser of these elections?
A political style has lost. Anger has lost. “Otherizing” has lost. Humiliating has lost. Hubris has lost. Injustice has lost. The policy of oppression and fear has lost.
I said it will be a beautiful summer. Now is the time to make our beautiful country again into one nation; it is the time to embrace, strengthen democracy and rebuild justice and impartiality. Without being caught in the feeling of revenge, without fears, without terrorizing, and instead with embraces, it is time to build the real New Turkey.
Also, it is time to mourn together for our brothers who lost their lives in Diyarbakır.
Indeed, it is the time to pray all together for the souls of the children of this land who paid the price for insults, humiliation and oppression.
I said we will have a good summer. We have long deserved it… Hopefully, it will be very beautiful.
