To my friends in Turkey; Please read article below, I believe it is important to know about presidential candidates for up coming elections in Turkey, I wanted contribute in my share, and than I found this article below in the internet, I believe, it reflects a lot!!,... Please read! (LUTFEN TURKCEYE CEVIRIP OKUYUN!) Despite his young age, Selahattin Demirtaş is one of the most important political leaders in pro-Kurdish politics. He is extremely skillful in maintaining the delicate balance of representing a complex constituency comprising groups that participate in legal and illegal activities. He does this by his courage, intuition and influential personality. This is not something just anybody could do. It is not an easy task to remain within the boundaries of legal politics and to voice the demands of an armed movement at the same time. Demirtaş is a politician who is able to do this. Considering the fact that the pro-Kurdish movement is multilayered and diverse, Selahattin Demirtaş is a young politician who is capable of uniting different strands within this movement by using his versatility and charm. Because of these abilities, he is appreciated not only by his support base but also by many other people who would not normally vote for him. Demirtaş is a political leader who is able to look at the political, social and power relations from the margin. Demirtaş is a political leader of the Kurds who maintains balance against the dominant powers by relying on persuasive language. Demirtaş is a politician who never feels ashamed of his identity and background. He is a leader who establishes cordial relations with his rivals without being appealing to feelings of superiority or chauvinism. His lenient approach and confidence could be attributed the contemplation and meditation he engaged in during his study at Ankara University. In an attempt to understand the contradictions presented in the struggle for for the articulation of Kurdish identity and political legitimacy, he has asked himself, “Why, when we are participating in a legitimate struggle, have we been viewing ourselves as illegitimate?” An examination of the current political orientation, discourse and stance of Demirtaş reveals that he has resolved this legitimacy problem and that he has become confident in serving as the representative of a justified and legitimate cause. The source of his courage is the struggles he experienced during his youth. He learned not to be afraid and to be free. This led to confidence rather than hatred in his heart. A confidence that does not resort to arrogance inspires others and attracts their support. Demirtaş developed a discourse espousing freedom without relying on the language of hate. Demirtaşs greatest advantage is his ability to serve as the voice of legitimate calls for equality and justice for the Kurds. Being right puts you on ethically solid ground. Despite the negative impacts of being on the margin, his expression of confidence in himself raises the confidence among his followers. Demirtaş declares his assets, those of his wife Demirtaş is a genuine and honest leader. You can see this in his eyes, tone of voice, body language and words. Honesty is not something you would want to see in a politician all the time because it reveals who you are and what you do wrong, and this gives others the opportunity to criticize you. However, honesty and integrity create strong character and credibility, which attract the trust and respect of the people around you. He gave this impression even when declaring his wealth after entering the presidential election. He declared not only his assets but also the assets of his wife, showing that he has nothing to hide. Demirtaş has never been apologetic in what he feels to be right and proper. Integrity and courage make his supporters confident in his stance. Even those who do not vote for him find him to be a man of honor. Integrity also requires justice. Demirtaş is a political leader who is able to observe things objectively. He does not look at the developments unilaterally. For instance, he stressed in the aftermath of the Dec. 17 corruption probe that the case and the reorganization within the state should be analyzed objectively. Likewise, he preserved his impartiality during the Gezi protests, confirming that he was aware of the intentions of both sides. His experience during the struggle for the recognition of Kurdish identity, as well as the hardships we encountered in this period, contributed to his courage and mercy rather than to hatred. These are the preconditions for being just. You cannot expect justice from one who is unable to stand against injustice. Demirtaş has empathic abilities to understand the victimization of others, their alienation and their pain. Even though some view mercy as a sign of weakness, true mercy transforms knowledge into wisdom. Because of this, Demirtaş gives the impression that he is a politician who is able to feel the pain of others and understand how they feel. He sees supporting the oppressed as an ethical responsibility and expresses this very bravely. To this end, he has expressed a sensitivity regarding a number of issues including the rights of Alevis, the headscarf issue and the rights of those who have different gender preferences. He noted in the aftermath of the Dec. 17 probe that his party would not take part in the witch hunt and smear campaign of the government. This may also be taken as a reflection of his sense of justice. Openness to criticism allows a politician to explore the common denominators of society. A good politician is a person who listens to everybody carefully and seeks ways to achieve consensus. Demirtaşs movement is a movement that pays attention to self-criticism, negotiation and common sense. Therefore, the fact that Demirtaş is strong does not mean that he is not open to negotiation. He is a politician who is ready to support policies that he believes will contribute to society. He is not a pragmatist or a populist; instead, he is reasonable and embracive. He is a politician who takes action when necessary. He has done this many times regarding party matters as well national issues. Demirtaş is a politician who strongly criticizes the stone-cold approach of the state. He believes that the state can be merciful and passionate. In the speech in which he declared his candidacy for the presidency, he said: “In our understanding, there is no room for a stern, strong and brutal state. That era will be over. We would like to show that the state can smile and that it can be governed by the people.” These remarks actually define how the Kurds view the state. It is an attempt to offer a different definition of the state to those who view it as a treasure that needs to be protected from the people. Demirtaşs greatest dream is to eliminate the state as a source of oppression. He proposes a state dedicated to justice and service rather than a state that dictates how people should live and behave. Demirtaş lacks experience in foreign policy, state administration Demirtaş has no experience in foreign policy or state administration. This can be seen as a flaw. However, this may also be considered an advantage given that he would enter the presidency with no prior political entanglements. These are also minor flaws for a presidential candidate if it is considered a symbolic position. Besides, as a lawyer and politician, Demirtaş will be able to overcome these disadvantages. Selahattin Demirtaş has no chance of winning the election due to unfortunate prejudices in Turkey. It is not possible to eliminate these longstanding prejudices within a short period of time. However, if his political background is taken into consideration, his candidacy is a great asset and advantage for Turkey. This is a great asset given that this politician -- who has been part of a political movement that was perceived as separatist and terrorist -- is now speaking to all of Turkey and expressing his intention to serve the people of Turkey as their president. Demirtaşs candidacy is a great advantage for the inclusion of the Kurds in Turkish politics, the representation of marginalized groups and the awareness of the diversity in Turkey. On the off chance he is elected, Turkey will see a president who is able to respect plurality and differences. To this end, the election of Demirtaş as president would be a huge development, something even more important than Obamas election as the president of the US. *Associate Professor İlhan Kaya is the chair of the International Cultural Research Center (UKAM)
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 05:00:25 +0000
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