Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, speaking at his party’s congress in Batman, said: “If it will contribute to social peace, we say ‘yes’ to a general amnesty.” What does a general amnesty mean? It means the pardon of the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The CHP was alarmed at once. First the people close to Deniz Baykal berated Kılıçdaroğlu. Then Baykal spoke, saying: “These words are wrong. It is never appropriate to bring such an issue to the agenda and to start such a search from this point.” Holding a press conference at the CHP’s provincial unit in Elazığ, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu said, “We will learn many things from our chairman.” He then spoke to NTV, saying, “I did not say, ‘A general amnesty should be introduced,’ …” This is too much, and nothing can be said about it.Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has backpedaled in the past and finished himself off today. You’ll remember that during a parliamentary debate on terrorism that took place on Nov. 10, CHP spokesman Onur Öymen, responding to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s let-no-mother-cry discourse, said, “Did mothers not cry in Dersim [the former name of Tunceli]?” He was referring to the Dersim case as a model of counterterrorism. This triggered debates as to what really happened in Dersim between 1937 and 1938. During the Dersim incidents, which are reminiscent of the Ergenekon plots, three fleets of warplanes bombed Turkey’s own citizens. Thus, about 40,000 people were killed indiscriminately under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion. Sabiha Gökçen was decorated with a gold medal as the female pilot who dropped the highest number of bombs at the lowest altitude. Thanks to Onur Öymen, the lies of official history opened the eyes of the new generations. Kılıçdaroğlu was a descendant of the people from that region. Forgetting the CHP reality, he was quick to say, “Onur Öymen is obliged to do whatever is necessary.”
What he said was true. Had Öymen resigned, the CHP could have redressed a big gaffe. This was the first time that Alevi voters experienced the great horror about the CHP. The Ergenekon trial had already served as an eye-opener for them. They can now reassess the incidents in Sivas and Gazi as well as provocations and murders targeting Alevis. For a brief moment, Kılıçdaroğlu spoke his conscience and demanded Öymen’s resignation. But his was a pure naiveté. The CHP was a state party with deep roots and it was being managed by the elites of the republic. They were the White Turks. Kılıçdaroğlu was never from among them, and he will never be. He was nothing but a showcase politician recruited to give the image of being close to the grass roots. But Kılıçdaroğlu is still not aware of this.
Baykal was quick to respond to Kılıçdaroğlu’s call for Öymen to resign. When he came to the parliamentary group meeting, he was accompanied by Öymen. On that day, Kılıçdaroğlu could not enter the hall.
He should have already learned his lesson. It appears that he cannot restrain himself. Still, the approaching CHP congress will be troublesome for both Baykal and Kılıçdaroğlu. Indeed, after the Dersim reality was exposed to the new generations with clarity, Alevis will not support the CHP. As the CHP won’t change, there is no place for Kılıçdaroğlu in the CHP except as a showcase.
The Ergenekon case has shown everyone that the CHP is a party of the state and not of the people. Indeed, the CHP does not care about the voters or elections. It just watches for any risk or danger to the formula military + CHP = political power. If there is any risk, a new formula is developed: judiciary + CHP = political power. Just have a look at developments from this perspective.
Note: In my article titled “The junta finally flowers,” I used the phrase “they could not say anything to the state and therefore opted to blame religious people” to refer to the interview Bilge Emeç, the wife of slain Çetin Emeç, gave to Sanem Altan of Vatan. My intention was to describe the change in perspective with respect to murders and not refer to any general group with the word “they.”
