Yenikapı call is an invitation to monarchy
And Erdoğan has announced the formula that will carry him back to power. Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, the AKP President Erdoğan described the process, which the People’s Alliance has named “Türkiye Free of Terrorism”, as the ground upon which the “Yenikapı Spirit” will manifest once again.
Erdoğan called upon those in search of the “Yenikapı Spirit” — which took its name from the rally where the government and representatives of the mainstream opposition came together following the 15 July coup attempt — to unite in the “resolution process”. Erdoğan’s exact words are as follows:
“If the Yenikapı spirit is being sought again, the process that must manifest is the Türkiye Free of Terrorism process. As the People’s Alliance, with the support of our Parliament, we will hopefully bring this auspicious process to completion and make a record in history that we will commemorate with pride.”
So, what is this Yenikapı Spirit? As will be remembered, a rally was organised in Yenikapı, Istanbul on 7 August following the 15 July coup attempt, featuring parties including the AKP, the CHP, and the MHP, and the country was literally governed by this wind thereafter. The long-lasting State of Emergency process, the referendum held on 16 April 2017, and the presidential election held a year later brought the country to this point step by step.
As of yesterday, Erdoğan is once again calling upon the Yenikapı Spirit. This is because the regime they established 10 years ago can no longer sustain them. He will launch the “One Man 2.0” version in a more oppressive, more authoritarian regime that will render elections and the ballot box meaningless. To achieve this, he wants to construct “Yenikapı 2.0”.
A NEW ALLIANCE IS REQUIRED
Ten years ago, Erdoğan paved his way by excluding the Kurds and the left-socialists. In fact, the social democratic base was also saying “no” to such a journey. However, the CHP Chairman of the period, Kılıçdaroğlu, ran to Yenikapı that day without asking anyone. He will likely be a volunteer again.
The new partner Erdoğan desires has become the Kurdish political movement, which he positioned as an enemy 10 years ago. On this new plane they call “Türkiye Free of Terrorism”, taking developments in the Middle East behind them as well, they are trying to bring Kurdish politics into their zone of inclusion.
In his assessment made upon leaving Parliament yesterday, Erdoğan pointed to the month of July and said, “Developments will take place.” It is possible to evaluate this as one of the statements made to prevent the Kurdish electorate from gradually distancing themselves from the issue and to prevent the mistrust towards Erdoğan from becoming permanent. On the other hand, it is no secret that the Kurdish electorate is desired to leave the opposition front, at least in the coming days, and become a third focal point. On the ground of the resolution process, they want the People’s Alliance, the nullifiers, and the Kurds to be present. They believe this picture will simultaneously play a leading role in creating the political atmosphere that will carry Erdoğan to power once again.
THE PREREQUISITE OF THE PLOT: THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE CHP
Erdoğan and the components of the Palace may view the Kurdish electorate as being “in the bag”. However, both the statements coming from DEM and the sentiments of the Kurdish people indicate that this is not quite the case. The call for democracy is still being voiced very strongly, both at the level of political parties and at the level of voters. The Palace regime believes that behind the objections coming from Kurdish politics, there lies an intellectual partnership with the CHP rather than mistrust towards the AKP. This understanding lies behind Ömer Çelik’s call to DEM to “distance yourself from the CHP”. They viewed the CHP as a serious problem both for the advancement of the “Türkiye Free of Terrorism” process and for the suppression of the social opposition in the country. For this reason, they attacked the CHP with all their might.
Another sentence from Erdoğan’s speech yesterday that must be borne in mind was, “At the point of resolving the country’s problems, the opposition must act as constructively as the government.” With these words, a boundary was drawn for the CHP once again. It was very clear; it was effectively said, “Either you operate within the politics we desire, or unprecedented things will happen to you.” Explicitly, there was a place for the nullifiers because they said yes, and for the Kurds if they say yes, in the new Yenikapı alliance. The others were excluded once again.
NULLITY POLITICS CANNOT BE MADE LEGITIMATE
The CHP occupies a critical position in this equation. The political line pursued by the CHP under Özgür Özel’s leadership is seriously disrupting the established order. Change was essential, and the journey should have continued with a familiar figure. This is precisely why the ‘legitimacy’ that Kılıçdaroğlu sought had been granted to him by Erdoğan himself through the courts. The legitimacy provided by the Palaces—stretching from Barrack to Erdoğan and on to Kılıçdaroğlu—defined the identity of the new regime.
In short, the new type of monarchical regime envisaged by the ‘Yenikapı Spirit’—amidst the debate over the CHP’s invalidity—is nothing more than a set of interlocking matryoshka dolls. Once the ‘Yenikapı Spirit’ removes the ‘terror-free Türkiye’, Barack’s benevolent monarchy will emerge.
Therefore, the absolute nullity debate within the CHP cannot be evaluated as an internal matter or as the ordinary agenda of politics. Along with absolute nullity, the government-opposition equation has changed once again. The CHP of the nullifiers is now on the same front as the government, standing in the ranks of monarchy at the crossroads of Türkiye. Therefore, regardless of its name or identity, it must be treated as a politics that has derived its legitimacy from the Palace. Any alternative will mean nothing more than carrying water to the authoritarian regime that is sought to be made permanent.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Yenikapı çağrısı monarşi davetidir, published in BirGün newspaper on June 25, 2026.
Kaynak: BirGün
