On 19 March, waves of reaction continued to ripple across Turkey following the operation that led to the detention and arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and IBB administrators.

The accusations against Imamoğlu and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality officials, particularly centered on the 'Urban Consensus' reached with the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and the government’s efforts to “terrorize” the DEM Party voters, caused protests in Turkish society. This situation has led to new discussions for a joint struggle between the Republican People’s Party (CHP), socialist groups, and the DEM Party.

CHP MP for Diyarbakır (Amed), Sezgin Tanrıkulu, spoke to the ANF about the developments after the 19 March operation and the CHP’s perspective on the Kurdish question.

CHP and millions united against the coup targeting Imamoğlu

Contrary to claims that the mass protests have surpassed the CHP, Sezgin Tanrıkulu said that people have not distanced themselves from the CHP but rather united against the coup attempt targeting Imamoğlu. Tanrıkulu said that the government had not anticipated this reaction and added: "Istanbul is not just a big city; it is also a miniature version of Turkey. People from every province of Turkey live in Istanbul. With its population of 16 million, its vast economy, its ports, and the Bosphorus, Istanbul is Turkey’s gateway to the world. Therefore, playing with Istanbul’s fate, undermining its will, and rendering the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality dysfunctional means paralyzing the entire country. However, the current government does not care about these balances. The hostility of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) toward the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality stems from the fact that, although it once plundered the municipality’s resources, it has been unable to do so over the past two terms. The hostility towards Ekrem Imamoğlu is rooted in the fear that he will defeat Erdoğan by a wide margin in the next election, dealing him a historic defeat.

In reality, the mass protests have not surpassed the CHP. The CHP and millions of citizens united against the coup attempt targeting Imamoğlu and broke through the wall of fear that the government tried to erect using every means of violence. The government did not anticipate this; they never calculated for it. Their old assumptions have been shattered. Now, they are afraid of the people who have overcome the wall of fear and of the CHP that refuses to retreat. All the unlawful actions they are taking today stem from this profound fear."

Özel’s stance on the Kurdish question a continuation of CHP’s politicy

Sezgin Tanrıkulu pointed out that the determination shown by CHP chairperson Özgür Özel regarding the Kurdish question has alarmed the government. He emphasized that the CHP does not view the Kurdish issue as an election tool. Tanrıkulu said: "Mr. Özel’s commitment, and the Republican People’s Party’s stance on resolving the Kurdish question, is something the government finds deeply unsettling. Because the AKP wants to keep the Kurdish issue as a functional area it alone can maneuver within, without resolving it. At the very least, they do not seek to solve this issue by democratizing Turkey. The CHP’s approach is not something that just emerged today; since 2010, the party has been demonstrating its will for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question and has been offering comprehensive proposals. Therefore, Mr. Özel’s embrace of the Kurdish issue and his determination to solve this historical problem is not merely a personal stance, it is a continuation of the political line the party has pursued for many years."

CHP is demonstrating will to resolve the Kurdish question

Tanrıkulu said that the AKP has never been as sincere as the CHP when it comes to resolving the Kurdish question, not even during the so-called solution process between 2013 and 2015. He said: "When the AKP came to power in 2002, there was no conflict, terrorism, or violence in Turkey. Yet it did not take a single step in its first two years. In 2005, Erdoğan went to Diyarbakır and declared, ‘The Kurdish question is my problem.’ But the following year, in March, after the events in Diyarbakır, he openly targeted all Kurds by saying, ‘Even if it is a woman or a child,’ making them the object of state violence. What followed is known to everyone.

If not for the AKP’s selfishness and political opportunism, Turkey could have reached the standards of European Union (EU) membership in the early 2000s, and the Kurdish question might have been resolved at least 15 years ago. But instead, the AKP has always seen the Kurdish issue as a convenient instrument during election periods. That is why the problem has become increasingly regionalized and internationalized. Today, if the AKP believed it could win the next elections in a climate of conflict, it would end the current process with a single move. But it has no harbor left to reach. The CHP, on the other hand, does not see the Kurdish question as an electoral tool but as one of the most significant obstacles facing Turkey. Therefore, it is demonstrating a will to resolve it, no matter the cost."

The people are ready for unity

Tanrıkulu said that the people are ready for joint struggle and emphasized that this convergence must transform into an alliance of struggle. He continued: "Even if the paths of struggle, ideologies, discourses, and methods of those who want democratization in Turkey differ, their destinies are intertwined. A government that appoints trustees to Van, Batman, and Hakkari, that seizes the political will of the Kurds, cannot be expected to allow democratic governance in Istanbul, Ankara, or Izmir. Likewise, a government that prosecutes the mayor of Istanbul for reaching an urban consensus with the Kurds, that imprisons Ekrem Imamoğlu and his colleagues, that appoints a trustee to Esenyurt, and that disperses protesting youth through torture, cannot be expected to promote democracy in Diyarbakır, Batman, or Hakkari. This government and the ruling elite behind it have no genuine commitment to democratic values. They only invoke the word 'democracy' when it serves their interests.

This government has created conditions worse than those of the 1980s in many areas. Therefore, the joint struggle of those who want democracy in this country is of vital importance. If this unity does not happen, everyone will be forced to continue the struggle from within their own field. All our suffering stems from remaining silent when injustices are done to others, and from others remaining silent when injustices are done to us. We must break free from this vicious cycle. In my view, the people are ready, and the political sphere is ready as well. The government's profound fear stems from this. It is a government that, through repression and violence, has brought together people who otherwise would never stand side by side in the same protests. Turning this convergence into an organized alliance of struggle would help us escape from this darkness more quickly. But even if this broader unity does not materialize, at least on behalf of the CHP, I can say that our struggle will continue until this government is changed."