No Sign of Deniz Baykal

However, CHP chairperson Deniz Baykal chose not to face the defeat yesterday evening. He watched the results at home and did not go to the party's headquarters.

Baykal at home

Party supporters gathered in front of the headquarters and shouted protest slogans, and CHP general secretary Önder Sav was forced to admit that he "had not yet spoken to the Chairperson". Again, Baykal did not leave his house.

And he still has not...

Many newspapers today remembered Baykal's promise to "swim to Rhodos in the case of defeat". Some even showed pictures of him swimming in the sea.

In his speech yesterday, Sav said that "voters have given us the duty of main opposition". When reporters insisted with their questions, he said, "we will do whatever the lack of success requires".

Sezer: Results not good

Zeki Sezer, chairperson of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), which had shared a candidate list with the CHP, said: "Of course the result is not good. But we have 13 candidates to represent us in parliament. We will observe the coming period and then make decisions."

CHP vice general secretary Oguz Oyan said: "Every election has to be evaluated on its own grounds. The real question here is how the AKP managed to increase their votes so dramatically. The AKP's real character has not been unveiled. We were not able to do that properly. We are also at fault."

When Oyan was asked whether they considered resigning, he said that the party did not consider it necessary.

Öymen: "No logical explanation"

Onur Öymen, the CHP's vice chairperson, has organised a press conference in Bursa, where he said: "There is no logical explanation as to why in places like Giresun, where people were protesting against the price of hazelnuts in the streets, the AKP has increased its votes. It is impossible to explain why the government has received so many votes from the agricultural areas."

He added, "If there are so many illogical elements, this is worrying as far as democracy is concerned."

He listed the reasons for the AKP's increase in support as first, the exploitation of the people's religious feelings by the AKP, second, the handing out of food and coal support, and third, the use of public facilities for their election campaign. (NZ/AG)