I am talking about a well-planned plot before the parliamentary session set to discuss the democratic initiative. I am talking about a well-planned strategy: A fight will be started, and the AK Party will be forced to adopt a strong stance. Attempts will be staged to undermine the democratic initiative and to make sure that Ergenekon will be forgotten; these efforts also seek to ensure that the public will talk about and discuss the fight rather than the initiative.This strategy will save the Ergenekon front and take them out of their current difficult position. The actual goal of the pro-Ergenekon actors is to weaken the image of the prosecutors handling the Ergenekon investigation. We have witnessed the recent developments at the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) meeting. This was an experience; considering that their attempts there failed, they are now trying to attack the AK Party to make sure that the whole process does not go smoothly.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) do not want the problem that some call the Kurdish issue and some call an issue of democratization to be resolved. They have not made any offers to resolve it, anyway. However, they are well aware of the fact that the resolution of the Kurdish issue, the removal of the barriers to democratization, the cleansing of the state from juntas, gangs and illegal entities will earn an election victory for the AK Party. Both parties now hold that they will be given a useful opportunity to undermine the AK Party’s popularity if the initiative eventually fails. For this reason, they are now plotting a new game. Their common conviction is that the era of the AK Party will be over if the initiative fails.
If the pulse of the people is taken, it will be evident that this plot should be taken seriously. In particular, the turnout for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants at the Habur border gate on their way to Turkey and the irritating welcoming ceremony held to celebrate their return from the Kandil Mountains has raised people’s concerns. The systematic publication by certain media circles and fabricated news programs are pretty influential in this matter. The CHP and MHP leaders reiterate their accusations stating that government officials committed treason and acted as the puppets of foreign powers and actors. The grass roots of both these parties agree with these arguments. The AK Party and its supporters are viewed as enemies and traitors. Society is divided on the matter. Turkey is moving towards a situation where problems will not be discussed on healthy ground.
The AK Party leaders and executives should make a new assessment in the face of this latest state of affairs. The AK Party headquarters should send deputies to local organizations and their election districts to inform their supporters. However, it should be noted that there are a number of people influenced by the propaganda carried out by the opposition parties. These large masses should be well informed about the government’s initiative. The prime minister should particularly expend efforts to this end; he should come together with media executives and writers as well as other relevant actors in different meetings and events to address the concerns.
Secondly, the AK Party officials should learn lessons from what happened in Parliament on Tuesday night. We witnessed then that no matter what they say, the words coming out of the mouths of the AK Party deputies provoke the MHP and CHP representatives. The AK Party speakers, under the influence of the tense environment, provided the opportunity the opposition parties have been looking for. We know from soccer that a player subjected to excessive violence during the game displays a strong reaction; however, this will eventually result in his suspension from the game. Such a player is taken out of the game by the referee with a red card. They suddenly become the wrong party when they were actually the victim. The AK Party deputies should recall this example when the democratic initiative is discussed in Parliament and remain calm. They should consider that they have to remain silent and cautious no matter how excessively they are provoked by the opposition. They have to consider the interests of this nation and the prosperity of future generations. They should remain patient for the sake of the future of this nation. Once they do this, they will see that the plot staged against them will be aborted and the nation will embrace them.
