Baykal's absence from the meeting is supposedly caused by the possibility that the SI Ethics Committee will issue a warning to the CHP and urge it to revise its commitment to the principles of democracy or even expel it from the institution. There have already been widespread suspicions in Turkey about the CHP's social democrat credentials, because the party acts like a statist, pro-coup, protectionist and even xenophobic group most of the time and settles its party policies solely on a discourse on secularism, falling far behind the principles of social democracy, which prioritizes freedom, equality, social justice, human rights, national will and welfare. The SI meeting only helped to open another debate. Vatan's Okay Gönensin describes the likelihood of the CHP's expulsion from the SI meeting as a shameful situation for a party that defines itself as a social-democratic group. He regrets the fact that neither the CHP administration nor its leaders are willing to take any lesson from this embarrassing situation for their party. In his view, while the CHP slowly severed its ties with social democracy, it totally forgot the fact that it has a responsibility to preserve democracy in all cases. "It is not possible to harbor any hopes about the future of the CHP with the current party administration, which is only obsessed with remaining in office, has no concerns about winning any elections, settles for being in Parliament and does nothing politically other than irritating the government," Gönensin writes. What the CHP does currently is just to block some of the government's actions through the use of the judiciary, he stresses. Commenting on what the situation of the CHP will be if Turkey goes to early general elections in the event that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is closed down, he says the CHP has no program, no project, no hopes to offer the public in the next elections other than its sensitivity about secularism. "What will happen after such an election? Perhaps Baykal will decide to retire and live at his home with the comfort of leaving wreckage behind," Gönensin suggests.
Sabah's Erdal Şafak suggests that it is high time for the CHP to revise its troubled relation with social democracy, which resurfaced with the SI meeting. According to Şafak, there are three options for the party, looking at the developments in the left-wing ideology in the world. It will merge social democracy with liberalism, carry the colors of alter-mondialism, the influence of which has begun to be felt in Europe, to its party program or it will synthesize both of these movements. "The CHP guys may certainly say 'we are fine with our current situation,' then we have to right to ask the following question: Does this satisfaction with your situation result from the fact that you will not come to power or are you afraid of coming to power if you change?" asks Şafak.
