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News & Comment
Who Won? Democracy or the Muslims?
News
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu held his victory speech from the AKP headquarters’ balcony after the elections on 1st of November. Davutoğlu said in his speech: ''I greet my fellow citizens who enthusiastically celebrate this democracy feast across our 81 provinces. May Allah’s peace be upon you. We offer our greeting to each of our 71 million citizens from this podium of democracy. I am honoured to be on this balcony which our founding president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has turned into a democracy and consensus feast.” And during his speech in his hometown Konya, Ahmet Davutoğlu gave these messages, ''There are no losers today; today there are winners. And these are our nation, our republic, our democracy.''
Comment
In face of these statements by Ahmet Davutoğlu; there arises the question, ''Who won what? Why are you calling the Muslims to celebrate a feast?''. Yes, the AK party did win; and the leaders of the AKP and its Members of the parliament did win. In the end the victor of this election is the AKP, and they gained the mandate to govern Turkey through the preference of the majority of the people. This is a reason to celebrate a feast!
But what did the Muslims win and lose with these election results, and what did the Islamic groups who were calling the Muslims to vote win? What did Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and other Islamic countries which wait for a solution win or lose?
Muslims lost; because democracy which bars the way for Islamic rule came out of this election stronger.
The Islamic groups and communities lost, because in this election they conceded their Islamic gains for a few political gains of the AKP. The groups, who opposed democracy with a clear Islamic stance before, were even not able to distance themselves against Davutoğlu's ''Democracy feast'' expression.
Syria lost, because Ahmet Davutoğlu's Syria plan is hidden inside his ''Democracy feast'' statement. AK party supports the very democratic plan for Syria which America wants.
Palestine lost because, because the plan proposed by the AKP as a solution for Palestine is the recognition of the Palestinian State with recognized borders from 1967. And this solution plan is a dangerous plan that the USA seeks to implement since before now.
Iraq lost; because the statement ''democracy won'' used by Ahmet Davutoğlu is the same statement as ''We went to Iraq to bring democracy'' that was sloganized by America in order to invade Iraq.
Or what if the AKP had not won, and a leftist party like the CHP or a leftist Kurdish nationalist and democratic party like the HDP, or a nationalist Turkish party like the MHP had won? Would there be a difference? In general, nothing would have changed in Turkey’s politics. Or maybe something worse could have happened. However, the fact that these plans are being realized through the hands of the AKP which is backed by the Muslims, and celebrating the gained victory after the support of the Muslims as a democratic feast, brings great losses. For the AKP is a party whose leaders are Muslims. The AKP’s social messages to the people are messages with Islamic motives. Its leaders’ speeches and promises contain Islamic phrases. At the same time in terms of services to the people, the AKP renders more than all the other parties. All of these therefore are effective factors for the victory of the AKP in these elections.
But can all of these services, phrases, slogans and promises of the AKP bring expressions that Muslims use for their ''Holy Feasts العيد المبوك '' side by side with democracy? Don’t Muslim scholars have nothing to say against Ahmet Davutoğlu's words describing the electoral victory results as a democracy feast? Is there not anyone to come out and to speak against Davutoğlu who says, “The winner of the elections is democracy, is the republic”? Is there no one to ask, “What is your tongue speaking there, do you hear what you are saying?”
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
Mahmut KAR