SEP Statement on Local Elections in Turkey

SEP STATEMENT ON LOCAL ELECTIONS

The working masses, who are condemned to live on the edge of poverty and hunger, hit the AKP like a ton of bricks in the local elections. AKP's biggest weapon, identity-culture polarization, did not work this time and class reactions came to the fore. While the country's resources were handed over to big companies, the cost of stating "there is no money" when it came to the workers has been heavy for the AKP. The agitation carried out through the so-called internal and external enemies ran out of steam in last year's elections. These conditions made it possible for the main opposition party, CHP, to achieve great success with reaction votes. Some of the urban poor who reacted to the hypocrisy regarding Palestine were also dragged into the YRP (another far right Islamist party) ranks. It has become clear that the coming period, in which the working people will become even poorer, will be very difficult for the AKP.

Baseless assumptions that spread pessimism and discouragement, that this country and people would never change, were also refuted in these elections. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that Erdoğan maintains its power with huge forces and CHP is not an alternative to this corrupt system of exploitation.

In the upcoming period, workers will become poorer with  more austerity measures. On the other hand, the AKP government will want to use state power effectively to prevent possible class reactions from spreading. The restriction of democratic rights and the oppression of Kurds and other oppressed groups will continue. Under all these conditions, it would be a big mistake to wait for the 2028 elections in the next 4 years. Moreover, it is known that the possible CHP government would defend the same economic policies as Mehmet Şimşek, the current ministry of economy.

Therefore, it should not be forgotten that the organization and actual struggle of the working class and young people is more important than anything else. It should be known that the comprehensive attacks on workers and democratic rights throughout the 22-year AKP rule have been stopped or curbed by the actual struggle in the streets. For this reason, class-conscious workers and young people should concentrate on expanding the struggle against increasing poverty and the wild capitalism prevailing in the country, and reject the attitude of waiting for the elections and the CHP government.

Our party SEP will continue its efforts to build the united struggle front of the socialist left. No matter what the parliamentary tendencies claim, the only way for the socialist left to make a breakthrough is through actual struggles and gaining revolutionary positions among the working masses. Our party will continue to strive to achieve this goal with all its strength. To the extent that the socialist left cannot achieve this task, the class anger of the urban poor will turn to dead-ends such as YRP, which presents itself as an alternative to the system.