“Civil Society Must Be Involved In The Process For The Politics To Overcome The Crisis”

Democracy and Progress Party (Deva) Vice Chairperson Mehmet Emin Ekmen to whom we spoke about civil society and politics relationships, says that it would only possible for politics to get out of the crisis, would be by involving of civil society in the process.

Stating that the crisis in politics is visible on several counts Ekmen said: “We are at a point where mutual dialogue and communication are none. There is this dominant perspective of ‘You are either my friend or my foe’. Another aspect of the crisis in politics is that state institutions are literally aligned with the political power. It would not be wrong to say that this includes the General Staff, the police force, and the judiciary.”

Ekmen emphasized that in terms of civil society and politics relations, there is not a crisis but a state of absence said: “This point can be described not as a crisis, but as a state of absence. Almost all organizations are in a great withdrawal. That’s because of because of the fear created by the dominant ruling system.”

By saying: “It is also necessary to evaluate the situation of the civil society of the nationalist, conservative, religious neighborhood, just as evaluating the state institutions being equated and aligned with the power.”, Ekmen notes that there is a structure that is fully integrated into the political system.

Ekmen, who stated that the pandemic has clarified the situation of crisis in Turkey said: “Turkey is experiencing a crisis. This manifests itself from the inability to distribute masks and manage the vaccines during the pandemic as well as from education to economy and judiciary. Civil society is a part of this crisis as well. Therefore, I do not think that this situation will improve without a total change in the political power in Turkey and without the new understanding of the new political power making suggestions to relieve all those areas of crisis.”