DEVA leader Babacan warns court ruling on CHP congress threatens Turkish democracy
DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan said on June 3 that a court of appeals ruling annulling the 2023 CHP party congress could foster a widespread belief that governments cannot be changed through elections in Turkey. He expressed fear that young people in particular may conclude that democratic politics no longer exists in the country. Babacan urged citizens not to abandon hope in the ballot box, saying the solution must come through legitimate political means.
DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan warned on June 3 that a court of appeals ruling annulling the 2023 congress of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) could foster a widespread belief that governments cannot be changed through elections in Turkey, and said his biggest fear is that young people may conclude that democratic politics no longer exists in the country.
Speaking on Murat Yetkin's YouTube channel, Babacan said the court's ruling of absolute nullity (mutlak butlan) regarding the CHP congress is not just an issue for the party but could deepen a perception that the government cannot be removed via the ballot box. "If people stop going to the polls, it would benefit the current rulers but harm Turkey as a whole," Babacan said. He added that the three branches of government have turned into a unity of powers, saying: "The executive power is in their hands, the legislative power is in their hands, and now they are personally using the judicial power. So the separation of powers has actually turned into a unity of powers."
Babacan said the possibility of changing the government through elections is the heart of democracy. "If this happens, God forbid, people will not go to the polls, people will move away from politics," he said. "Who does this benefit? It benefits those currently running the country. But it does not benefit Turkey as a whole."
He urged citizens, especially young people, not to lose hope in politics. "My request, my demand from young people in particular: please do not lose hope in politics," Babacan said. "If there is a solution, it will come through the ballot box and politics. There is no other solution. They can commit any illegality, any injustice. But the fight against illegality and injustice must also be on legitimate ground."
Babacan said he will continue to fight against the perception that the government cannot be changed through elections. "We will not leave this country to this despotic style of governance," he said. "We will continue to fight to the end."
The court ruling, which annulled the 2023 CHP party congress, has deepened political tensions in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 1 denied any government role in the CHP internal dispute following the court's decision.