The CHP (the Republican People's Party) administration has undergone changes, but the nature of this change remains unclear. Özgür Özel, previously Kılıçdaroğlu's deputy group leader for eight years, along with those who supported Özel, now form the core of the "new CHP," despite calling for change.

The "new CHP" emerged with Kılıçdaroğlu molding its ideology, program, and policies while the AKP was shaping the "New Turkey." Thus, what was necessary was not merely "change" or "renewal" but a revolutionary shift back to the principles of the "old CHP."

While it's positive that Özel emphasizes prioritizing organizations, eliminating layers of advisors, and embracing a politics unashamed of defending secularism, his recent congress speech indicated a potential continuation of the leftist stance from the Kılıçdaroğlu era.

Accusing the AKP of 'Detaching Turkey from the West'!

Regrettably, Özgür Özel's congress speech signaled a continuation of the Atlanticism associated with the Kılıçdaroğlu era.

During the May elections, we criticized Kılıçdaroğlu and his team for accusing the AKP (The Justice and Development Party) of "detaching Turkey from the West" and blaming Russia for "interfering in the elections."

Özel's recent speech suggests this misguided approach may persist.

Like Kılıçdaroğlu, Özel accused the AKP of "detaching Turkey from the West," even implicating Kılıçdaroğlu by claiming, "Since the CHP failed to come to power, the AKP was able to change its course from the West to the East." However, the AKP has not shifted its course from the West to the East but rather engaged in strategic cooperation with the East while negotiating with the West.

The Real Picture

Özel accused the AKP of aiming to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a claim lacking evidence. The AKP's actions have aimed at repairing US-NATO relations and leveraging this to achieve full EU membership.

To illustrate the East-West economic difference, Özel presented a chart indicating a $45,000 national income in the West, from which the AKP purportedly detached Turkey, and a $4,500 income in the East, where the AKP supposedly seeks to align Turkey.

Özel's economic analysis needs updating: the world's ten largest economies now include four Global South countries, and data suggests a shift in favor of the Global South in the next decade.

Moreover, the income disparity in the West is widening due to wealth concentration among the top 1%, while the East exhibits a more equitable distribution.

Turkey's Direction

For Özel to genuinely transform the CHP and propel it to power, a departure from Kılıçdaroğlu's flawed global analysis is imperative.

A realistic global analysis reveals the weakening of US hegemony, the collapse of the unipolar world, the rise of a multipolar world, favorable international relations for the Global South, and the ascendancy of Asia as the global economic center. That challenges the validity of Atlanticism in most parts of the world.

Consequently, the CHP, instead of accusing the AKP of "detaching Turkey from the West," should pledge to "position Turkey in rising Asia" to gain power. That involves shifting Turkey's relationship with the West from dependency to an independent state-to-state association.

We have yet to delve into the issues where the US targets Turkey and how it weakens Turkey across economic and political spheres...