Disunity of opposition and ruling bloc’s power consolidation strategy in Turkish politics

Recent developments in Turkish politics reveal the true aim of the “opening” game, which has created significant disunity within the opposition. To be more specific, the purpose behind this move, as directly admitted by Devlet Bahçeli, is a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for Erdoğan’s reelection as president.

At this point, we can see that the AKP-MHP partnership, known as the *People’s Alliance*, has stepped up efforts to weaken the opposition in order to strengthen its hold on power. Key observations include:

1. Weakness of the Opposition: Following significant losses in the local elections, the *People’s Alliance* adopted a strategy to weaken parliamentary opposition and thus secure its position. CHP leader Özgür Özel’s calls for normalization played into the ruling bloc’s hands, and the opposition’s failure to present a solid alternative led to an increase in undecided voters. Additionally, by opposing early elections, CHP granted the ruling bloc an additional 2.5 years in power, which disappointed opposition supporters.

2. Bahçeli’s Opening Move and Admission: MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli openly acknowledged that the objective behind the “opening” process is to seek a constitutional amendment that would enable Erdoğan to run for another term. Bahçeli’s move, which incorporates rhetoric around “peace” and the “Kurdish issue,” appears aimed at causing fractures within the opposition by using themes that have positive resonance with the public.

3. Drawing the Opposition into the Ruling Bloc’s Game: The AKP-MHP alliance is attempting to draw the opposition into debates over the Kurdish issue with a “peace” narrative. Despite the negative experience of the “Yes, but Not Enough” campaign in the past, the opposition struggled to take a firm stance against this maneuver, displaying fragmentation.

4. A Call to the Opposition: It is essential that CHP and other opposition parties resist being misled by the ruling bloc’s calls for “peace” and a “democratic constitution” and stand against the risk of a regime shift. Parliamentarians in opposition need to find ways to align with anti-regime citizens to present a tangible alternative to the ruling bloc.

In conclusion, the People’s Alliance has deployed a strategic game plan while the opposition struggles to respond effectively, raising the possibility that the ruling bloc could regain strength.

Source: BIRGUN.NET (by Nurcan Bilge Gökdemir)