Communism has come to the country

Communism has finally come to our country!

At least to one province: to Ovacık in Tunceli.

The news coming from Ovacık carries the high probability of being ignored under the macro and micro analysis being done about the election results. The Turkish Communist Party (TKP) has probably provided the biggest surprise of the elections, yet this event will most likely make a short appearance among “interesting notes from the elections” and then disappear. It attracted my attention as a byline on the TV screens: the TKP’s candidate Mehmet Maçoğlu won the elections in Tunceli, Ovacık.”

I started getting information from the virtual world.

* * *

Mehmet Fatih Maçoğlu, 44, is a candidate who entered the elections with the support of the Democratic Rights Federation.

The federation takes its roots from the days of Mustafa Suphi (one of Turkey’s communist leaders in the early Republican days). It aims for a democratic people’s revolution.

It was established in 2008.

It held a campaign rally March, 24 2014 in Ovacık using Dersim, the city’s historical name in its slogan.
The rally that could be identified as an anti-communist’s worst nightmare started with a commemoration to “Berkin Elvan, the martyrs of Gezi and the Revolution.”

The spokesperson of the federation, who was the first to speak, started his speech by saying, “Dear comrades, dear friends we are going to wipe out the bourgeois parties from Dersim.”

* * *

Then the person who spoke on behalf of TKP said this:

“These thieves have burned our villages, they are building HES (hydroelectric plants) in our rivers. These thieves have sold our country. We well give them their answer on March 30. I salute you with the sun of June.”

And then the TKP’s candidate Maçoğlu spoke:

“To those who owe their existence to their labor: let’s create nice and sunny days by joining the Munzur River’s energy with the revolutionary effort, which is small but legendary.”

* * *

There would be some who might mock what I have been saying about the rally that was held under the banners of Mao saying “Communism … at this age? ... Oh my god.”

Yet at the end of the day, the TKP’s candidate Maçoğlu was elected mayor by receiving 26 percent of the votes in Ovacık, which has a population of 6500. For those who are curious: the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate had won the last municipal elections, but had joined the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in protest of the CHP’s policies during the elections.

The name of the candidate was Mustafa Sarıgül, ironically (the same name of the CHP’s candidate for Istanbul).

He contested in these elections on behalf of the BDP and came out second. The CHP came out third, receiving 15 percent of the votes.

Now it is a must to go see what kind of municipal activities will be implemented at the end of a step, which is small yet, big for the TKP.

It would be a shame not to go and see it, as Communism has come to the country.