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FROM 'ALLEGED KURDISH PROBLEM' TO 'QANDIL GANG,' THE MHP CONVENTION
Radikal website
Nov 5 2012
Turkey
Commentary by Oral Calislar
[Translated from Turkish]
This is my first MHP [Nationalist Action Party] Convention. I am
really curious. Bahceli was speaking when I entered the hall. During
his speech at the convention the MHP Chairman voiced criticism of the
AKP [Justice and Development Party] and said, "Let them place hope
in the Qandil gang." In one respect, that summed up his entire speech.
In the past the MHP was the active militant in the "fight against
communism." Today it is opting to continue its "career" as the militant
opposing a solution to the "so-called Kurd problem."
Bahceli repeated the phrase "so-called Kurd problem" many times during
his speech and has diversified his glossary after the "so-called
Armenian Genocide."
The speeches by the three party chairmanship runners confirmed this
analysis: The MHP leadership continues to act as the representative
of a language and politics that are far removed from Turkey and its
new shell; far removed from Turkey's new axis.
The traditional idealist or ultranationalist movement used to derive
its power from central and eastern Anatolia's conservative masses.
That conservatism was tough. A new bourgeoisie began coming onto the
scene in recent years. This bourgeoisie is conservative like in the
past and nationalist on occasion, but given its class it has forsaken
the hard-line nationalism of the past.
The MHP's central core did not pay too much attention to this
transformation. It did not (it failed to) develop new policies in
line with change and allowed the AKP [Justice and Development Party],
which represented a more moderate form of conservatism, to snatch
its potential in the inner regions. Spreading out towards the coastal
towns, where the "concerned modern" masses lived, the MHP is continuing
to use a language that comes close to that used by the groups it used
to clash with in the past. When asked, "What makes you different from
them?" they reply, "They are not pious."
When you look at the image of the delegates and the supporters in
the hall at yesterday's party convention you could see this: That
classic "villager provincial type" has largely changed. There was a
more urban feel in the hall. This situation in one respect symbolizes
"the journey from central and eastern Anatolia to the coastal areas."
One of the characteristics of Bahceli's style of speaking is his
"defensive tone" in combating criticism from the other parties.
Sentences of the kind "they call us anti-solution" and "they claim we
do not want the guns to fall silent" are by way of reply to criticism
from the AKP. Saying, "They call our party the spare tire" Bahceli
was striving to spread his "defensive line" into broader fields.
His expression, "There is no desperation in nationalism" was like an
admission of desperation. Bahceli gave the impression that he was
aware of his supporters' mood in the face of a government that has
been in power for 10 years and is still strong.
One aspect of his speech that is worthy analysing was the way he did
not touch on two current topics:
1. The hunger strikes.
2. Parliamentary immunities.
Even though the immunities topic is likely to be raised in Parliament
soon he did not touch on the plight of the BDP deputies. The fact
that foreign policy was also ignored is a choice that needs to be
debated separately.
Listening to Bahceli's worn-out sentences I came up with this fiction:
Bahceli could have said in a way that would have surprised us all, "We
shall fix the Kurd problem; we have just such a plan to fix it." Many
problems that cannot be fixed and that lead to polarization can be
fixed when the problem's toughest parties participate. It should at
least be possible to imagine that the MHP as "the toughest loop in
the stalemate knot" can make a surprise.
Why should those who can remember Alparslan Turkes's bids in making
first contact with Armenia not have similar expectations of Bahceli
right now?
[Translated from Turkish]
Radikal website
Nov 5 2012
Turkey
Commentary by Oral Calislar
[Translated from Turkish]
This is my first MHP [Nationalist Action Party] Convention. I am
really curious. Bahceli was speaking when I entered the hall. During
his speech at the convention the MHP Chairman voiced criticism of the
AKP [Justice and Development Party] and said, "Let them place hope
in the Qandil gang." In one respect, that summed up his entire speech.
In the past the MHP was the active militant in the "fight against
communism." Today it is opting to continue its "career" as the militant
opposing a solution to the "so-called Kurd problem."
Bahceli repeated the phrase "so-called Kurd problem" many times during
his speech and has diversified his glossary after the "so-called
Armenian Genocide."
The speeches by the three party chairmanship runners confirmed this
analysis: The MHP leadership continues to act as the representative
of a language and politics that are far removed from Turkey and its
new shell; far removed from Turkey's new axis.
The traditional idealist or ultranationalist movement used to derive
its power from central and eastern Anatolia's conservative masses.
That conservatism was tough. A new bourgeoisie began coming onto the
scene in recent years. This bourgeoisie is conservative like in the
past and nationalist on occasion, but given its class it has forsaken
the hard-line nationalism of the past.
The MHP's central core did not pay too much attention to this
transformation. It did not (it failed to) develop new policies in
line with change and allowed the AKP [Justice and Development Party],
which represented a more moderate form of conservatism, to snatch
its potential in the inner regions. Spreading out towards the coastal
towns, where the "concerned modern" masses lived, the MHP is continuing
to use a language that comes close to that used by the groups it used
to clash with in the past. When asked, "What makes you different from
them?" they reply, "They are not pious."
When you look at the image of the delegates and the supporters in
the hall at yesterday's party convention you could see this: That
classic "villager provincial type" has largely changed. There was a
more urban feel in the hall. This situation in one respect symbolizes
"the journey from central and eastern Anatolia to the coastal areas."
One of the characteristics of Bahceli's style of speaking is his
"defensive tone" in combating criticism from the other parties.
Sentences of the kind "they call us anti-solution" and "they claim we
do not want the guns to fall silent" are by way of reply to criticism
from the AKP. Saying, "They call our party the spare tire" Bahceli
was striving to spread his "defensive line" into broader fields.
His expression, "There is no desperation in nationalism" was like an
admission of desperation. Bahceli gave the impression that he was
aware of his supporters' mood in the face of a government that has
been in power for 10 years and is still strong.
One aspect of his speech that is worthy analysing was the way he did
not touch on two current topics:
1. The hunger strikes.
2. Parliamentary immunities.
Even though the immunities topic is likely to be raised in Parliament
soon he did not touch on the plight of the BDP deputies. The fact
that foreign policy was also ignored is a choice that needs to be
debated separately.
Listening to Bahceli's worn-out sentences I came up with this fiction:
Bahceli could have said in a way that would have surprised us all, "We
shall fix the Kurd problem; we have just such a plan to fix it." Many
problems that cannot be fixed and that lead to polarization can be
fixed when the problem's toughest parties participate. It should at
least be possible to imagine that the MHP as "the toughest loop in
the stalemate knot" can make a surprise.
Why should those who can remember Alparslan Turkes's bids in making
first contact with Armenia not have similar expectations of Bahceli
right now?
[Translated from Turkish]