Normalisation and the unity of the domestic front
As soon as normalisation is discussed, the ‘domestic front’ inevitably emerges. This is immediately accompanied by constitutional debate. If three issues are discussed simultaneously, there is only one reason: ‘Tarzan is in trouble!’
Turkey is a country of agendas that suddenly emerge, are debated for weeks as if they were the nation's most fundamental issues, and then disappear from the scene. Two weeks ago, we were discussing ‘What's happening in the media? Who will speak on behalf of the AKP?’ Last week, however, was dominated by discussions of normalisation, the internal front, and the constitution.
The word ‘normalisation’ in a speech given by Özgür Özel in Manisa suddenly caught the attention of the pro-government media. The Hürriyet duo of Abdülkadir Selvi and Ahmet Hakan were joined by the Sabah newspaper on its front page. They were followed by other pro-government media outlets. Pro-government writers wrote at length about why the CHP was doomed to a process of normalisation. With public opinion polls, ongoing court cases, and internal party unrest, everyone contributed to the “normalisation” debate from their own perspective.
Özgür Özel also addressed the AKP and MHP bases yesterday. I don't know how much of a call for normalisation they will make of this. But I think CHP leader Özel also wants the ‘tension’ label to be lifted from him. Returning to the CHP and the opposition at the end of the article, it is worth looking at the other debates that accompanied normalisation last week.
THE MADURO ISSUE AND THE WARNING ABOUT THE DOMESTIC FRONT
The kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro by the outlaw US caused a huge stir in Turkey. While socialist structures assessed the situation as imperialist aggression, Erdoğan, Bahçeli and Fidan discussed the incident in terms of the ‘domestic front’. While using the imperialist banditry across the ocean to instil a climate of fear in Turkey, they also linked it to the ‘terror-free Turkey’ project, sending the message that ‘we have no alternative.’ Erdoğan and Fidan's approach, in particular, of not uttering a word to the US and saying things like, ‘Now do you understand why we said internal front?’, perfectly expresses this stance.
However, they left a broad grey area where they failed to convince the public. They wanted to say, ‘If Turkey does not take a firm stance, will the US invade Ankara?’ or ‘If we go against the US, will our fate be worse than Maduro's?’ It is unclear. But they managed to draw the conclusion from the US operation in Venezuela that the opposition should ‘support the government.’ Of course, with normalisation...
The sequence is clear: first, we will normalise, quickly establish the internal front, and crown it with a new constitution. Naturally, as a result of all this, Erdoğan will be re-elected. It is worth remembering that the three names, which were mentioned as different sides of the agenda two weeks ago, stood on the same ground last week, serving as a concrete example of the principle that ‘if the issue is power, the rest is trivial.’
WHY ARE THEY PUSHING THIS?
There are several reasons why the People's Alliance occasionally brings up the issues of normalisation, the internal front and the constitution:
The ruling bloc, which is unable to generate social consent and is facing a legitimacy crisis, is gaining another opportunity to renew itself. It is becoming a legitimate authority not only in the eyes of society but also for the opposition.
It gains the ability to set the agenda at its weakest moment. The agenda revolves around it.
It continues to be the sole interlocutor at the international level.
It succeeds in once again rendering the opposition immobile, ineffective, and increasingly unassertive.
Today's debate was the same as the one that took place 18 months ago, with the same headlines. Normalisation, internal front and constitutional debates gave the ruling bloc, which had been defeated and exhausted in the elections, time to rest and gather strength, while dragging the opposition into a meaningless inertia.
Erdoğan has a habit of trying every project that has yielded results once again. He has brought the same agenda back to the table. This time, the outcome will depend, above all, on the position taken by the opposition. Parties such as Zafer, DEVA, and Gelecek will increasingly seek reconciliation with the ruling bloc. It is highly likely that DEM will continue its ambivalent stance.
İYİP will essentially try to squeeze the opposition on the Kurdish issue. Here, the CHP's position will determine how much the ruling bloc will keep these issues on the agenda.
If the CHP increases the dose of its rhetoric, such as ‘the other neighbourhood, addressing AKP-MHP voters, embracing everyone,’ and takes a step further, Erdoğan will continue to reap the benefits.
To summarise, the ‘normalisation’, ‘internal front’ and ‘constitution’ package presented to us today has nothing to do with a desire to remedy the country's or society's problems. What we see before us is the ‘survival kit’ of a ruling bloc that has been crushed under economic ruin, lost social consent, and lost its ability to govern.
As in every period when he has been cornered, Erdoğan is resorting to the method he knows best: set the agenda, draw your opponents onto your turf, and build a playing field that will prevent them from standing together. These headlines are nothing more than a veil to cover up poverty, injustice and the repressive regime. Therefore, joining this debate and contributing to it is nothing less than political suicide for the opposition.
It must not be forgotten that nothing in the jungle is as it used to be. The lion's claws have been removed, the elephants are tired, and most importantly, ‘Tarzan is in trouble.’ Every step the government takes today is actually a search for a helping hand to pull it out of the pit it has fallen into. The opposition's task is not to take that hand and pull the government out of the pit; it is to put the people's real agenda at the forefront of the struggle and pave the way for change. Otherwise, every new branch Tarzan clings to will be years stolen from the country's future.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Normalleşme ile iç cephenin kardeşliği, published in BirGün newspaper on January 12, 2026.
