Change in CHP only window dressing as intraparty wars begin

CHP Secretary-General Önder Sav, the architect of Baykal's elimination, also effectively eliminated CHP İstanbul provincial branch President Gürsel Tekin, whose name was synonymous with change. This move started a war within the party. This weekend, the CHP appointed the A team of its party and its administration members. Tekin was left out of the Central Executive Board (MYK), which is already causing a crisis. Sav, the party's deputy leader, was reappointed as secretary-general. He managed to leave Tekin out of the MYK and also partially prevented Tekin from returning to his post as the party's İstanbul provincial branch head. Tekin had tried to promote an alternate list during the CHP's 33rd congress against the list of nominees promoted by Sav for the election of Party Council members with the backing of 32 provincial branch leaders.

Sav used his influence in the Party Council to leave Tekin out of the core administrative bloc. Tekin met with Kılıçdaroğlu, requesting him to stop Sav, but, upon seeing that Kılıçdaroğlu would not “disobey” Sav, left Ankara without even attending a luncheon of Party Council members.

Sources say Kılıçdaroğlu advised Tekin to return to İstanbul, but his seat as the party's provincial branch leader of Turkey's biggest city is already in danger because, under party bylaws, Party Council members cannot serve as branch heads. In light of this, Tekin is likely to choose his position as leader of the İstanbul branch over Party Council membership, but it is impossible for him to make this choice alone. Sav's confirmation will be needed.

In a recent statement he made to close friends, Tekin recalled that Kılıçdaroğlu had promised him the deputy chairmanship of the party. He also stated that he would not leave his post as the İstanbul branch leader, complaining that he had been trapped. The same sources also say Tekin said not a single person close to Kılıçdaroğlu had made it to the core party administration.

Sav burns Tekin's bridges

New information indicates that Sav has for the most part managed to corner Tekin and sent a notice to the party's local branches, reminding them of a bylaw provision that precludes those elected to Party Council positions from holding positions in local branches and that if the heads of branches are elected as such, the branches would have to vote in a new president. Sav's notice indicates that Tekin returning to his post is going to be very difficult. However, Tekin, who has a firm grip over the İstanbul branch, might prove a tough nut to crack. Sav is now expected to nominate his own candidate for the post, starting a second war inside the party. Sav's operation to eliminate Tekin has not only proven that any hope inside the party for consensus is lost, but that change occurring within the CHP after Baykal is rather limited. Many party members claim that the positive atmosphere that emerged with Kılıçdaroğlu's leadership has been ruined by Sav and his team. Meanwhile, many in the CHP note that Abdülrezzak Erten, who has been elected to the Party Council, is Sav's brother-in-law.

Kılıçdaroğlu formed his new party administration this weekend with 20 nominees he selected from members of the Party Council. Sav was reappointed secretary-general. Faik Öztrak, who was brought to the party by former Prime Minister Kemal Derviş, was appointed as the party's main accountant. Haluk Koç, appointed as a deputy chairman, will be in charge of the party's foreign policy. Other deputy chairmen are Hakkı Süha Okay, Umut Oran and Nevin Gaye Erbatur. Tekin Bingöl, who was appointed deputy secretary-general, will be in charge of the party's eastern and southeastern policies.

Other names appointed deputy secretary-general are Gülsün Bilgehan, Gökhan Günaydın and Erten. Members selected to the MYK are Süheyl Batum, Mevlüt Coşkuner, Turgut Dibek, Mahmut Duyan, Hüseyin Karakoç, Ali Koçal, Abdullah Özer, Berhan Şimşek, İzzet Çetin and Şahin Mengü. Meanwhile, Party Council member Professor Sencer Ayata was put in charge of the party's science policies. Orhan Eraslan was reappointed as head of the Supreme Disciplinary Board.

CHP gets closer to Ergenekon

Kılıçdaroğlu, who conveys a positive and reconciliatory image to the outside world, has kept individuals who are not very different from the CHP's mentality under Baykal. Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the May 27, 1960, military takeover -- an intervention generally applauded by the Turkish left -- as well as the April 27, 2007, military memorandum against the alleged Islamization of Turkey under the government, but people in his party administration might in fact find criticism of these dangerous. Kılıçdaroğlu is now being criticized for acting differently in front of the outside world.

Kılıçdaroğlu also distributed a book written by Başkent University Rector Mehmet Haberal to Party Council members. Haberal is currently jailed as a suspected member of the coup-plotting terrorist organization Ergenekon. Mengü, elected to the party administration, has followed the Ergenekon trial, physically going to most of the hearings in Silivri to show his support for the suspects. Professor Batum has also spoken in favor of the suspects publicly.

Sarıgül's hope refreshed

Mustafa Sarıgül, the mayor of İstanbul's Şişli district and the man working to establish a new alternative left wing party called the Turkey Movement for Change (TDH), had announced that he would work with organizing the party later, perhaps in the fall after seeing developments within the CHP. He also hinted that he might return to the party, now that Baykal, a former rival, is gone. However, the recent party administration appointments and Tekin's elimination have shown Sarıgül that going back might not be a good idea. Sources close to him say that he will now return to organizing his new political party.