Neo-nationalists who parted ways with CHP to transfer to Homeland Party

Following an extraordinary party congress held on Sunday in Ankara, the Workers' Party has changed its name into the Homeland Party (Vatan Partisi). Party Chairman Doğu Perinçek, former main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İzmir Deputy Birgül Ayman Güler, United Public-Business Confederation President Hasan Kütük and Kemalist Association President Tansel Çölaşan attended the meeting.

"We are united with our homeland. We trust our Turkish nation," Perinçek said in the meeting.

Perinçek said that republicans, nationalists, populists, socialists and revolutionaries are all united in one party, which is the Homeland Party.

Many CHP and Democratic Left Party (DSP) figures in the western city of İzmir, which heavily support the CHP, parted ways with their parties and transferred to the Homeland Party at Sunday's meeting. Professor Dr. Mehmet Ali Kaya said that he left the CHP since the party does not trust its base and he would never ever support the current CHP, which he said had changed its ideology. Former CHP Ödemiş district Vice Chair Coşkun Meydan said: "I believe all national powers will meet at the [Homeland Party]. It is not possible to overcome the deadlock in the CHP."

Perinçek also invited neo-nationalist politicians Süheyl Batum, Birgül Ayman Güler and Emine Ülker Tarhan who parted ways with the CHP as it has been claimed that some neo-nationalist CHP figures would transfer the Homeland Party, according to political rumors in Ankara.

The internal conflict in the CHP first erupted during the March 30 local elections. The failure of the main opposition in the elections caused party dissidents to raise their voices against the party administration while some accused the CHP of cooperating with the Gülen Movement behind closed doors. The August 10 presidential election also witnessed the same "failure atmosphere" for the party and caused it to hold its 18th extraordinary party congress in September. Even though CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was re-elected, party dissidents continued to criticize their party. The first resignation by a neo-nationalist party dissident in the CHP came with renowned Ankara Deputy Emine Ülker Tarhan. Criticizing the CHP for its wrong policies, Tarhan resigned and set up her own party, the Anatolia Party (Anadolu Partisi). After Tarhan's resignation, former CHP Eskişehir Deputy Batum was referred to the party's disciplinary committee for his supportive comments over Tarhan's statements and was later dismissed from the party.

Ahead of Sunday's meeting, another former CHP deputy, Ayman Güler, said in a written statement that she would appear at the extraordinary party congress and that the only way to solve Turkey's problems is to have effective representatives at Parliament.

Current independent İzmir deputy said that she would give all necessary support to the Homeland Party before and after the extraordinary party congress.

In January, Güler resigned from her party after she was referred to the party disciplinary committee due to her claims that the CHP was in alliance with the Gülen Movement, which is believed to have infiltrated key state bodies in an attempt to overthrow the government. Güler accused the party of forming an alliance with the Gülen Movement during the March 30 local elections when they cooperated with different components of the movement in various provinces and districts. She said that the alliance with the Gülen Movement must be questioned. "Despite the party administration's denials, the CHP cooperated with the Gülen Movement during the March 30 local elections," Güler asserted.

Veteran journalist Avni Özgürel, in comments to Daily Sabah, evaluated the divergence between the CHP and its neo-nationalist deputies: "They saved the CHP from a millstone around its neck, but it does not mean that the CHP's troubles are over."

He further said that neo-nationalists figures in the CHP and those who parted ways are still not able to find the correct parties in which they should run and they only took a stand since the general elections [on June 7] are getting closer.

Claiming there is hypocrisy in Turkish politics, he also asserted that some CHP dissidents are still within the CHP and they do not choose to leave the party before being dismissed only since they are not able to find suitable parties in which to run for Parliament.