Istanbul is going to polls today – though, one that is a rare example in our recent history. The Istanbul mayoral elections are going to be renewed.
It is but a local election, yet one that can change everything.
It is such an election that no candidate carried out their campaigns, or could carry out their campaigns through their various schemes or projects.
The country has still not been able to make its real choice.
The Istanbul election is not free of it.
Yet Istanbul has a mountain of problems. It seems we will be discussing this after the election.
This is Turkey.
The will of Istanbulites was put on hold through monkey business in the previous elections.
The people of Istanbul are going to lay claim to their will today and give the necessary response to those who stole their will at the ballot box.
Perhaps the most important indicator that the Istanbul election is not a simple re-run is the overt and covert statements by opposition parties that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s presidency and hence, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government’s legitimacy will be opened up to debate.
Now, this is dangerous.
The elections that brought the ruling government to current power were held last June.
Opening to debate the legitimacy of the presidential system and Erdoğan’s presidency following the Istanbul elections shows that they have not tired of monkey business.
Launching such an artificial debate while the country has a mountain of problems would defend the interests of global power groups, not the country’s.
Now, this is dangerous.
Yet, by switching to the “presidential system,” the country realized one of the greatest transformations of the history of the Turkish Republic.
The presidential system is a critical transformation in terms of the decision mechanisms in the country running more swiftly and efficiently and, as a result of this, Turkey’s rapid growth and strengthening.
The switch to the presidential system disturbed some of the groups that advocated the previous parliamentary system: the previous system, though called a parliamentary system, was an entirely Jacobean system imposed from the top – an oligarchy that has three legs.
An unquestionable legal oligarchy.
An unquestionable military oligarchy.
An unquestionable commercial-economic oligarchy.
The people’s will was put on hold through these three oligarchic mechanisms during the parliamentary system that was effective in our country for 70 years.
There have been criticisms and suggestions that I made since the start about the revision of the president’s authorities in the presidential system.
Erdoğan is going to make regulations regarding this matter in the upcoming process.
In addition to this, the oligarchic order that has been adjusting the country through “monkey business” received a major blow with the switch to the presidential system. Hence, the advocates of the old system are able to talk of “revenge” or a “legitimacy problem” breaking out, even though we are only renewing the Istanbul election today.
In a nutshell: The ropes in this country are still not in the hands of the country’s real children. The monkeys that have taken over this country internally for two centuries, the evil circles that have been protecting the interests of the global system are striving with all their might to prevent the authority being placed into the hands of the true children of this country.
Despite the great shortcomings and mistakes in education, culture, media, youth and urbanism, this noble nation will not make a mistake that will interrupt this country’s fight for independence and the future.
Both our burden and liability are heavy.
If we cannot act with the awareness of our liability, we will be crushed under this load and never be able to make up for the disappointment of the oppressed that see us as beacon of hope.
I have confidence in the prudence and foresight of this nation. They will take action once more with the awareness of this great historic responsibility.
May the Istanbul election bring glad tidings to our country; may it bring good.
