The election results has shown that AKP-Erdoğan are the winners of the 1 November elections, forced – under extraordinary conditions – upon the country, following their defeat on 7 July. Behind this ‘success’ lies the deception of the population, through unease and fear created by politics of warmongering and chaos, in conditions where all democratic rights have been trampled over and the opposition parties could not even hold rallies. The scene we are facing is a result of the politic atmosphere created by a plan of war and chaos; aiming on the one hand to eradicate conditions of political activity by HDP and all other workers’ and democratic forces and on the other to divert nationalist vote from MHP to AKP by way of provocations for war.
AKP-Erdoğan have deceived the working class and the labouring masses through propaganda of the necessary ‘single party rule’ to prevent the worse; not through resolution of any economic, social or political problem but through deepening problems and the deadlock.
Therefore, the first conclusion to be drawn from the 1 November elections is the acute need for the working class and the people to move towards a stronger and united struggle – by renewal of their platforms of struggle – based on growing problems and sharpening conflicts of the period we are facing.
The importance of the struggle for political rights and freedoms has increased in the face of the de facto dictatorial regime of Erdoğan. Overtaking media organs; shutting down websites; prohibition of strikes; the removal of elected mayors in Kurdistan; oppression of workers’ and democratic forces, detentions and prosecutions; these have all become routine under the de facto dictatorial regime.
The anti-democratic electoral threshold of 10% is still in affect; despite the promise of its abolition. The country is still governed through a constitution patched up by necessary measures that ensure only the status quo for the AKP. All these attacks increase the need for workers and people to unite in their struggle for democracy.
Despite the spreading expectation of ‘stability’ by the AKP and by capital, all information indicate to worsening socio-economic conditions for workers and labourers. Increased unemployment; rising inflation; increasing exchange rates; shrinking production and reduced growth rate are clear signs of economic crisis. It is clear that all attempts will be made by capital to base their attacks against workers and labourers on these signs. This renders the establishment of a widespread line of struggle including unions, all other workers’ organisations and the wider non-unionised worker-labour masses an absolute necessity.
The spread of policy of war to include blockades of towns, the rise of groups within society – especially capitalists and small business owners – after the damage war caused to economic and social life, led to AKP’s return to power with an outright majority. In these elections held in conditions of war, votes not cast due to oppression and obstruction, as well as a tendency to vote for AKP in the hope that it will end the war, led to a drop in the votes received by HDP. However, this does not change the fact that majority of the public are still gathered around HDP and the Kurdish political movement, or that a democratic and peaceful desire for a solution that meets national demands for full equality is continued.
The continued operations – despite the decision for ‘inaction’ by the KCK – demonstrate AKP-Erdoğan’s insistence on war; an insistence combined with the offensive against Rojava. This is compounded by opening airbases – primarily Incirlik – to the use of US imperialism and the turning of IS – that have long been supported in Syria – into an internal problem.
In conclusion; AKP-Erdoğan have again come to power by deepening all economic, social and political problems. This makes it imperative for workers’ and public forces – all labour, peace and democratic forces in the country – to renew their platforms of struggle, to create a stronger democratic front and raise the struggle. The road to changing the scene arising from the elections of 1 November and to bring about the end of the dictatorial regime; creating a democratic country based on equality, where people can live humanely, is by raising the struggle through determination and perseverance.