Prof. Dr. Ersan Şen issued a clear warning after the commission's decision: "CHP must not be divided!"

MYNET EXCLUSIVE | Political parties submitted their members to the Speaker of the Parliament for the commission to be established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in line with the goal of a " Turkey Without Terrorism ." The AK Party submitted 21 names, the CHP 10, the DEM Party and MHP 4 each, the Yeni Yol Party 3, and HUDA PAR, TİP, EMEP, DSP, and the Yeniden Refah Party 1 each.

From the very beginning of the commission process, all eyes were on the Republican People's Party (CHP)'s decision. CHP leader Özgür Özel had stated that the commission would reach a qualified majority vote, stating that Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş had informed them of the news, and subsequently announcing that 10 of his deputies would be on the commission.

PROF. DR. ERSAN ŞEN : "A BIG TEST FOR CHP"

After the CHP announced that it would take part in the commission, the path the CHP would follow was discussed behind the scenes. Legal expert Prof. Dr. Ersan Şen, who evaluated the process to Mynet regarding what would happen next, announced that the commission process in question was a big test for the CHP.

Professor Dr. Şen emphasized that joining the commission is a necessity for the CHP and highlighted the "danger of division" for the CHP. Şen said, "The People's Alliance's tactic is division. They will attempt to sow division within the CHP through Sezgin Tanrıkulu. Therefore, one person should speak out, and that person should be Zeynel Emre. However, deputy group chairman Murat Emir could be the spokesperson for the CHP wing of the commission, or Murat could become the Minister."

Legal expert Prof. Dr. Ersan Şen's comments on the matter, made exclusively to Mynet, are as follows:

"If a commission is to be established and everyone is asked to participate, the job of the commission is to prepare the legal infrastructure, explain what Mr. Bahçeli and Mr. Erdoğan know and want, and members from the MHP and AK Party will act within this framework.

"THE NEXT STEP IS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND AMNESTY"

What they will actually do is to reveal what Mr. Erdoğan and Mr. Bahçeli know and ensure that decisions are made accordingly, the next step is to issue an amnesty, either openly or covertly, through constitutional amendments and laws, and if possible, to convince the opposition on this matter; if not, to complain about the opposition to society and convince the public. Therefore, there is nothing to be angry about.

"IT IS NECESSARY TO JOIN THE COMMISSION"

In fact, the people should have been approached first, and action should have been taken according to the results. The Constitution and the referendum come later, but first they are establishing a commission, so it is necessary to participate in this commission.

The commission's work must be conducted transparently, and what's happening here must be explained to the public. The Constitution should not be on the agenda, because what's happening isn't being implemented. The nation's concern isn't identity politics, and it's certainly not about whitewashing PKK members.

Okay, let's solve the problems, but is there any sincerity? If they unconditionally laid down their arms, what commission is it? Citizens are asking this question.

Well, if they have laid down their arms unconditionally, what will the commission meet to discuss? There are no weapons left behind, only a few for show, because their big brother, America, is managing the process according to itself, so they want to see what decisions will be made, recommendations will be made, and what will be explained in this commission, that much is clear; amnesty expectations, autonomy for local governments if possible, education in the mother tongue.

There is no legal infrastructure for these, otherwise they will not sit down and talk about how many oncologists there are in Hakkari, Mardin, Şırnak, they will not just ask each other how they are, everyone sees what is going on, but there is a desperation, weariness, indifference, because they say "don't get involved, the economy is bad, and you are dependent".

"THE PROBLEM THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE SOLVED IN THE COUNTRY..."

It was clear from the moment trustees were appointed to municipalities, what will happen now? A power struggle!

DEM wants the trustees removed because municipalities are important, tenders, money coming in, the rest is history. The current order continues, the people are oppressed, this is what happened, that's what happened, who cares? The real problems that need to be solved in this country are address-delivered tenders and loans, wealth transfers, balanced budgets, interest rates, and equal and fair distribution.

"THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT IDENTITY"

What concrete proposal has the DEM Party made for a comprehensive and comprehensive solution to these problems? They're still concerned with identity. Can there be a problem of unity and solidarity in a unitary structure? We don't have such a problem. We have problems of democracy, law, equality, irregular migration, and justice, but these problems are the same for every Turkish citizen. We don't have a problem of one language, one nation.

"THEY WILL BUILD THE LEGAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PARTY"

This commission's mission is said to be to lay the legal groundwork for a terror-free Türkiye. If an amnesty is to be issued, they will lay the legal groundwork for it. Beyond that, they may have no other role, with Erdoğan and Bahçeli making the decisions. So, what will this commission say? No one has yet spoken about it!

CHP should enter the commission, at least it should show what it is and what it is not, if it claims to come to power, it should prove this to the society, and today is the time for that commission.

"THEY WILL TRY TO FIND A SPLIT IN THE CHP"

The CHP and the opposition must act with caution. Therefore, decisions must be made with a single voice; not with Sezgin Tanrıkulu on one side and Zeynel Emre on the other; one person must express the party's views. The People's Alliance's tactic is division; they will attempt to sow division within the CHP through Sezgin Tanrıkulu. Therefore, one person must speak, and that person should be Zeynel Emre. However, Murat Emir, the deputy group chairman, can be the spokesperson for the CHP wing of the commission, or Murat can be the Minister.

"THEY MAKE GAINFUL PROFITS FROM THIS BUSINESS"

Someone supported by the people should speak, not everyone. Party decisions are crucial on this matter. The CHP shouldn't be divided; they should be a single voice. If they become one voice, the voice of the people, they will benefit.

"THE MOMENT A DISCUSSION STARTS, YOU MUST LEAVE THE TABLE"

One person should speak, the party should make the decision, and Zeynel Emre should be its spokesperson. The CHP's only line in commission meetings should be the six arrows. The moment the national state model is discussed, the table must be cleared, and I repeat, Sezgin Tanrıkulu and his team must be reminded immediately that they cannot make any statements they wish.

CHP members should also not embrace DEM's speeches and demands. If they follow the DEM line, the CHP will be the loser. Atatürk's nationalist line should not be ignored.

In May 2023, the people promised that the People's Alliance would not leave a single terrorist, but that hasn't happened today. If we accept that sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the people, we should have first asked the people their opinion at the ballot box, as is required by democracy. There's no Key Party, no Victory Party, no Good Party, yet at least 10 to 12% of the public currently supports these parties.

"NO ONE CAN COME TO GOVERNMENT IN Türkiye WITH DEM'S SUPPORT"

Mr. Özel must not upset the nationalist, nationalist, and patriotic segments, and must take a clear stance against the Democratic Party of Turkey (DEM) when necessary. No one can come to power in Türkiye with the support of the DEM, including Mr. Erdoğan. Because the name of the State is the "Republic of Turkey." Be vigilant; the Turkish people are the decision-makers. If you forget the six-arrow "nationalism" element and resort to identity politics and expect a miracle from the DEM, there's no need to hold public meetings. Nationalists won't vote for the CHP. I repeat, if you can't get the votes of Turkish nationalists, you won't be in power.

As Atatürk said, “How happy is the one who calls himself a Turk”, there is no problem in the CHP, the problem of the CHP may be that it does not listen to its base, Mr. Özel should solve this problem of “not listening”. The CHP should be on the commission, so we will see whether the current administration truly follows the lines of Atatürk's CHP.

"THE REASON WHY ERDOĞAN INSISTS ON SEEING THE CHP THERE..."

If you aspire to power, this is an opportunity; we'll get a better look at your views on this matter. In fact, the reason Mr. Erdoğan insists on seeing the CHP there is to provoke internal conflict and expose its disorganized image to the public. This is a test for the CHP's current cadre: they will either continue on Atatürk's path and become viziers, or engage in identity politics and be humiliated!

This commission is a great opportunity for the CHP; either they will team up and make Atatürk's CHP the guarantee of this country, or they will fight among themselves and lose.

"THE COMMISSION IS A TEST FOR THE CHP'S FUTURE"

While the government wants the CHP to become ineffective, its voters do not want it to make mistakes either, so this commission is a test for the CHP's future.

Mr. Özel needs to listen to people a little bit, he needs to give up his authoritarianism of “I know everything, only I can talk, you cannot talk around me”, if he doesn’t stop, the public will react.

The CHP should not be divided over the established commission, its members, or the issues to be discussed. The CHP must emerge successfully from this commission with a policy that adheres to Atatürk's nationalism as a whole. If the CHP is politically divided, there is a possibility of marginalization. If you remove the nationalist and pro-nationalist wing, marginalization becomes inevitable. The CHP should join the commission, but it should not follow the Democratic People's Party (DEM) Party. Because the DEM Party still cannot call the PKK a terrorist organization or condemn terrorists. The CHP should stand with the Turkish nation and remain aligned with the CHP, which founded the Republic of Turkey, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's vision for an independent Turkey. The nationalist and pro-nationalist base must remain within the party; if this base leaves, the party will suffer significant losses. This is the concern of the commission. The CHP should not be divided, marginalized, or lose its line. The founding philosophy of the Republic of Turkey and the characteristics of the Republic are clear.

Öcalan or the PKK cannot be a topic of discussion for the CHP; the moment amnesty is discussed against them, the CHP must leave the table.

If the CHP has the desire to come to power, show your Atatürk nationalism, statism, populism, secularism, and your firm stance in front of that commission today. This is a great test for the CHP. We will see: is the CHP truly the party of the people or the party of the system?

Everyone will see if identity politics is enough!

It is difficult to understand the political events in Türkiye; the understanding of politics here is based on undermining one's opponent, the person has pledged allegiance, taken sides, cannot question the person he has chosen to side with and obeys whatever he says, so you just stand still, and what we encounter is a poor quality understanding of politics.

WHAT SHOULD CHP DO AND WHAT SHOULD NOT DO?

Whether or not to participate in the commission is essentially a matter of detail. Unless a party seeking to come to power or remain in power takes control of the political and economic agenda, it will be dragged around by temporary agendas, so to speak. The opposition must set its own agenda. Ultimately, all power rests with the government.

Those who want the CHP not to participate in the commission are worried that the CHP will deviate from its Atatürkist, nationalist and patriotic line and they do not trust the work the commission will do. They say the CHP should not surrender to this agenda and should continue to remain among the people.

I think the CHP should join the commission, but it should take control of the agenda and not compromise its nationalist and pro-nationalist stance. The CHP needs to be in Parliament. After all, the people elected you, not just to speak on the streets or on buses. Join the commission so that you can control the agenda. What does "I was already elected to Parliament, so I won't be there" mean? Signing for such a thing is something else entirely. The CHP needs to be there, in Parliament, as the voice of the people. After all, the fight should be waged in Parliament and in the commission. You spoke outside, what happened? I think the most important thing is not to be divided and to take control of the agenda. With its Atatürkist and nationalist identity, it will speak to the commission about what is necessary. The people belong in Parliament; fight there, even if you're the only one left, and continue until the end.

Whether this commission has a legal counterpart in the Constitution and the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure is another matter; after all, this commission can be seen as a special commission, an advisory or consultative commission.

Ultimately, since there's no election in sight, you take the recommendations made by the commission to the public and have them vote. Just take control of the agenda, and the public will follow suit. Unless you set and control the agenda, you have no chance. I say this for every political party. We must be Türkiye's party, we must avoid marginalization. You must either claim to be Türkiye's party, or you must engage in identity politics. PERIOD.