Last Sunday, the people of Turkey were called to vote to elect their new
president and their deputies. After very long counts, Erdogan's AKP demandingnumerous recounts of the votes in the ballot boxes where he was in the minority,a second round is taking shape on May 28. Not being elected in the first round isin itself a political setback for Erdogan, but his possible re-election and hismajority in Parliament do not bode well for the popular classes and therevolutionary forces. ---- With 49.51% of the vote, Erdogan manages to climb tothe top of the presidential elections, ahead of his main opponent, the Kemalistcandidate Kiliçdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who totals 44.88%of the votes cast. Another candidate, the dissident fascist Sinan Ogan, gathers5% of the votes and has already sold his voters to the highest bidder for the 2ndround. We doubt that the already very heterogeneous coalition behind Kiliçdarogluwill manage to seduce such a character, but the workings of politicalnegotiations could surprise us.However, the situation remains unprecedented since it is the first time since hehas been in power that Erdogan has to face a second round. This is therefore asign of the weakening of its aura on Turkish society, despite the hardening ofits repressive policy against the leftist opposition.Suspicions of fraud exist, although poorly substantiated for the moment. However,we must remember the very particular context of these elections, with tens ofthousands of people displaced after the earthquake. In addition, there areseveral incidents and violence on the sidelines of these elections, targeting inparticular international observers, including those accredited by Ankara. InLyon, activists from the Green Left Party (YSP) who manned the polling stationswere threatened several times before the elections and found their flat tires onSunday.? Despite everything, a left that remains alive ?Since 2016, Erdogan and his AKP party-apparatus have become radicalized. Tens ofthousands of opponents have been arrested and imprisoned and the slightestcriticism of the Head of State is now equated with terrorism (implied under theinfluence of the PKK and the Kurdish left) . Even when it is Kurds who aretargeted, official propaganda pulls off the intellectual pirouette of blaming theKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for the attacks.In this context, the HDP (party which brings together the Turkish and Kurdishleft) is in fact banned but its activists continue their activities as best theycan, in particular by supporting the Green Left Party (YSP). The Turkish andKurdish left has also decided not to present a presidential candidate to giveKiliçdaroglu every chance. It continues to play a non-negligible role, however,since it manages to have around 65 deputies elected to Parliament (a numbersimilar to the last legislative elections) in a difficult context.?Is the AKP soluble in a coalition of circumstance??However, this election does not upset the balance of power: North Kurdistan(regions of eastern Turkey) largely consecrates the opposition candidate toErdogan, the coast and the big cities, more liberal than the rest of thecountries, also prefer it. But the strength of Erdogan and the AKP lies in themore conservative and religious Anatolian lands (and the diaspora). Itsterritorial network, made up in particular of patronage networks, has been ableto maintain a pious and conservative electorate in its fold, despite uncontrolledinflation and scandals linked to the earthquake. In addition, Erdogan turned inhis favor the support for the Kemalist opposition of the foreign financialbourgeoisies and their political leaders, Macron in the lead. He has been able topresent himself as a bulwark of the real greater Turkey against depraved Westernappetites, although in reality it is his calamitous economic policies that havebrought the country to where it is today. Of course, the stranglehold on themedia and all-out repression since 2016 are also elements that help explain howthe AKP manages to retain its influence.As in other countries (USA, France...), we note in these Turkish elections theweakness of the left in the countryside (with the exception of Kurdistan). It isa pressing challenge for the revolutionaries to take back the ground, todayboulevard of the 50 shades of fascism throughout the world. As the situation inTurkey testifies, this urgency becomes vital for left-wing movements and theiractivists because where the far right manages to rise to power, it represses,locks up and methodically crushes those who fight for their rights and for dignity.Libertarian Communist Union, May 16, 2023https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=642887591215814&set=a.298440838993826_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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