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UPCOMING APRIL 14 RALLY MARKED BY 'UNOFFICIAL' INVOLVEMENT BY CHP
HabÝb Guler Ankara
Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 11 2007
Despite announcements from the main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) that it has not been involved in helping to organize the
upcoming April 14 "Cankaya Rally" sponsored by the Ataturk Thought
Association (ADD), serious efforts are being made by the ADD to
encourage participation by CHP members.
While CHP leader Deniz Baykal has opted to take a decidedly background
role in the organization of the Cankaya Rally, Baykal's first cousin
CHP Denizli deputy Mehmet Uður Neþþar has sent out 23,000 invitations
to the rally. Neþþar, who has reiterated the close ties between the
ADD and the CHP, sent out the invitations to the Cankaya Rally through
90 Internet groups.
The CHP leadership is denying allegations such as those leveled by
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group chairman
Salih Kapusuz that "the CHP is involved as a shield for the ADD."
Instead, while underlining that they are not part of the "anti-AK
Party member becoming president" meeting, the CHP has said openly
that any of their party members who wish should participate.
At the same time, Neþþar sent out an e-mail invitation to thousands of
CHP members titled "Don't let your children ask you 'Why weren't you
there?'" The letter sent out by Neþþar also contained these lines:
"I will march on April 14 at 11.00 in Tandoðan Square, in Ataturk's
memory. I will do my national duty to save this country from the
approaching nightmare. What are you going to do? Are you going to be
able to say to your grandchildren with pride, years from now, 'Yes,
I was there.' Or will you have to bow your head downwhen your children
ask you later 'Why weren't you there?' I am aware of the danger, and
thus I choose to be in Tandoðan Square on April 14. I await you there."
Neþþar, commenting on the e-mail invitation, which went out to
an estimated 23,000, said it called on everyone to be aware and
sensitive to the matters at hand. Neþþar also noted that the CHP had
elected not to participate on an official, institutional level so
as not to give the meeting a "political image." Despite this though,
many CHP deputies and party members are in fact planning on attending
the ADD meeting. Underscoring the ties between the ADD and the CHP,
Neþþar noted that the current head of the ADD in Denizli is a former
CHP executive.
While the ADD is hoping to involve university students in the
upcoming Ankara protest, voices from within the ranks of the ADD are
already rising in protest at some of the methods being used by the
ADD leadership. ADD Þanlýurfa President Sadettin Gursoz said that
he had received faxes from ADD headquarters urging him to support
participation by local university students in the April 14 protests.
Gursoz, however, said that in principle, he was opposed to any such
"encouraged" inclusion and that participation in the meeting had to be
entirely voluntary. Gursoz also noted that while students from Harran
University could attend the Ankara meeting on an individual basis, no
one would be pressed into going. Gursoz also underlined that, as with
Inonu University in Malatya, university vehicles would not be used to
bring the students to Ankara on the day of the protest rally. Said
Gursoz, "There might be some who want to criticize this situation,
but it is just not right for universities to take part in this."
Meanwhile, parties representing socialist and communist stances in the
Turkish political spectrum have also announced that they will not be
at the ADD's upcoming Cankaya Rally. The Freedom and Solidarity Party
(ODP), the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) and the Labor Party (EMEP)
have all said they will not be in Ankara for the protest. Only the
leftist Workers' Party (IP) is officially supporting the protest,
though it has expressed reservations about what it characterizes as
gaps in the philosophy backing the rally. Also, any IP participation
on April 14 will take place without IP leader Doðu Perincek, who
will be in Paris on the same day attending a protest against Armenian
allegations of genocide.
--Boundary_(ID_OhbE5f3sdpnP2O7tRCpuHg)- -
HabÝb Guler Ankara
Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 11 2007
Despite announcements from the main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) that it has not been involved in helping to organize the
upcoming April 14 "Cankaya Rally" sponsored by the Ataturk Thought
Association (ADD), serious efforts are being made by the ADD to
encourage participation by CHP members.
While CHP leader Deniz Baykal has opted to take a decidedly background
role in the organization of the Cankaya Rally, Baykal's first cousin
CHP Denizli deputy Mehmet Uður Neþþar has sent out 23,000 invitations
to the rally. Neþþar, who has reiterated the close ties between the
ADD and the CHP, sent out the invitations to the Cankaya Rally through
90 Internet groups.
The CHP leadership is denying allegations such as those leveled by
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group chairman
Salih Kapusuz that "the CHP is involved as a shield for the ADD."
Instead, while underlining that they are not part of the "anti-AK
Party member becoming president" meeting, the CHP has said openly
that any of their party members who wish should participate.
At the same time, Neþþar sent out an e-mail invitation to thousands of
CHP members titled "Don't let your children ask you 'Why weren't you
there?'" The letter sent out by Neþþar also contained these lines:
"I will march on April 14 at 11.00 in Tandoðan Square, in Ataturk's
memory. I will do my national duty to save this country from the
approaching nightmare. What are you going to do? Are you going to be
able to say to your grandchildren with pride, years from now, 'Yes,
I was there.' Or will you have to bow your head downwhen your children
ask you later 'Why weren't you there?' I am aware of the danger, and
thus I choose to be in Tandoðan Square on April 14. I await you there."
Neþþar, commenting on the e-mail invitation, which went out to
an estimated 23,000, said it called on everyone to be aware and
sensitive to the matters at hand. Neþþar also noted that the CHP had
elected not to participate on an official, institutional level so
as not to give the meeting a "political image." Despite this though,
many CHP deputies and party members are in fact planning on attending
the ADD meeting. Underscoring the ties between the ADD and the CHP,
Neþþar noted that the current head of the ADD in Denizli is a former
CHP executive.
While the ADD is hoping to involve university students in the
upcoming Ankara protest, voices from within the ranks of the ADD are
already rising in protest at some of the methods being used by the
ADD leadership. ADD Þanlýurfa President Sadettin Gursoz said that
he had received faxes from ADD headquarters urging him to support
participation by local university students in the April 14 protests.
Gursoz, however, said that in principle, he was opposed to any such
"encouraged" inclusion and that participation in the meeting had to be
entirely voluntary. Gursoz also noted that while students from Harran
University could attend the Ankara meeting on an individual basis, no
one would be pressed into going. Gursoz also underlined that, as with
Inonu University in Malatya, university vehicles would not be used to
bring the students to Ankara on the day of the protest rally. Said
Gursoz, "There might be some who want to criticize this situation,
but it is just not right for universities to take part in this."
Meanwhile, parties representing socialist and communist stances in the
Turkish political spectrum have also announced that they will not be
at the ADD's upcoming Cankaya Rally. The Freedom and Solidarity Party
(ODP), the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) and the Labor Party (EMEP)
have all said they will not be in Ankara for the protest. Only the
leftist Workers' Party (IP) is officially supporting the protest,
though it has expressed reservations about what it characterizes as
gaps in the philosophy backing the rally. Also, any IP participation
on April 14 will take place without IP leader Doðu Perincek, who
will be in Paris on the same day attending a protest against Armenian
allegations of genocide.
--Boundary_(ID_OhbE5f3sdpnP2O7tRCpuHg)- -