But then he started talking about the Ergenekon investigation and compared light-anti tank weapons (LAWs), which can blow a hole in armored tanks, to empty pipes. It was clear that Baykal was sticking to his same old political style. Acting normally and focusing on issues that normally concern a social democratic party increased the CHP’s vote in the March 29 local elections. Shortly after the elections, the CHP delivered speeches that implied it would continue tackling social problems. But Baykal did what he traditionally does and took two steps back after taking one step forward. If we look at the CHP leader’s political life over the past 20 years, we can see that after every step he took forward, he took two and sometimes even three steps back.Weapons are popping up everywhere, and no government institution is claiming them. Enough LAWs and hand grenades to supply an entire army have been found, and while this has caused an uproar throughout the country, Baykal is acting like the advocate of Ergenekon and describing these weapons as pipes. Clearly, it is what it is and even the most concerned authorities aren’t denying it, so to come out and describe the weapons as mere pipes puts a huge question in everyone’s mind about your intentions. In fact, when we recall what Baykal said after the attack on the Council of State -- a case which has been merged with the Ergenekon trial -- suspicions over Baykal’s ties to Ergenekon intensify. Shortly after the attack on the Council of State, even before the reason for the attack was understood, Baykal said, “Blood has stained politics.”
Baykal is sticking to his same old political style. He makes it seem as though he is going to introduce new efforts, but he’s just bluffing. He takes one step forward, but before he gives everyone enough time to rejoice, he takes three steps back.
A main opposition leader who defends anti-democratic games and describes weapons as pipes has no place in politics. Turkish politics is witnessing a war between old styles and new styles. A meek political understanding based on military tutelage only concerned with Turkey is being replaced with a brave and elite political understanding that closely follows world events.
Note: Who is opposing this new political approach the most? Hüsamettin Cindoruk, Süleyman Demirel, etc. Look at the people who are competing against the young and broad-minded Democrat Party (DP) leader Süleyman Soylu. They are 70-plus-year-old men who defend the old order. Esat Kıratlıoğlu and Yıldırım Avcı want to keep the atmosphere primed for a coup d’etat. May God protect us from being misled. May He protect us from losing our mental balance. The masks are slipping off those who garnered support from people by deceiving them and who stood on the right side and conducted politics from behind the coup plotters who executed Adnan Menderes. In what way will people remember them after they die? Do you think they will be remembered in the same way Turgut Özal and Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu are remembered? I doubt it. Baykal had the opportunity to become a historic leader like Özal. But he has resisted every opportunity.
