"CHP Returned to Nationalist Votes"

"While CHP used to address both left and nationalist tendencies, now it looks there is a major turn to nationalist votes. They used to worry about Kurdish votes, now they worry about how many votes they can pick from Turkish nationalist MHP."

bianet interviewed Ayşen Uysal in the wake of Gülseren Onanç's resignation from her post as CHP deputy chairperson.  

What is your reaction on Onanç's resignation?

The nationalist wing in CHP is gaining strength. While everbody thought that CHP would lead towards left within the selection of Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu as chairperson, it is actually leaning towards nationalism. Did Kılıçdaroğlu's team really suppress nationalist wing in the beginning? Or was it always impossible to isolate CHP from its nationalistic tendencies? We should ask this question. The very idea of forming a central left party from a republic-founder, state- related party is problematic in the first place.

So what happened to the enthusiasm on Kurdish question that was initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu and his teams arrival to post?

There is nothing left from that. CHP remained silent on the peace process and oppose the wise people commission that it initially proposed. They say they wouldn't support a wise people list exclusively selected by PM Erdoğan. But they fail to offer alternatives. Instead of generating new policy ideas, CHP got stuck into the dynamics of reactionary opposition upon PM Erdoğan's remarks.

What will happen if CHP intact in the peace process?

If they continue like this, it will be the end of CHP. They should shift gears and get involved in the peace process. Otherwise they will limited to a small group of voters. The case is hopeless though. Looking at the current situation it would be optimistic to say that such change will ever happen.

Do you other CHP deputies might resign too?

I won't talk about specific names but if it goes like this they might be ostracized by the party. We should not forget that the municipal elections are foregoing. Nobody will want to leave the party now. But they might be compelled to resign due to nationalist wing's pressures.

Onanç said: “65 percent of CHP members support the peace process". Do you think so?

CHP members are not homogenous. This is related to party's policies. Influence of framing is also very important. You can present the case like the world is ending. I don't think that CHP members are that optimistic about the support since the party administration is this skeptical to the peace process. Out on the streets, they are demonstrating like ultra-nationalist Workers' Party. 

In a previous interview, you said: CHP  is the party of "catch up with everybody"...

It is not valid anymore. They have been shooting for MHP's votes ever since the previous party administration. While CHP used to address both left and nationalist tendencies, now it looks there is a major turn to nationalist votes. They used to worry about Kurdish votes, now they worry about how many votes they can pick from Turkish nationalist MHP. The upcoming elections are pregnant to a lot of new things. The balances might shift. It might even turn out that AKP revisits nationalist arguments and CHP returns to Kurds. One can never cease to surprise." (NV/BM)