ÇETİN AY SAYS, "A FEARFUL OPPOSITION BENEFITS A GOVERNMENT THAT INSTILLS FEAR...!"

In Turkey, the truth can no longer be hidden. Millions are struggling to make ends meet, seeking justice, yearning for hope; yet at the ballot box, they are once again faced with the same question: Will the opposition govern better? What keeps the ruling party in power is not its strength; it's the opposition's inability to build trust.

While the nation searches for direction, the opposition remains confined to meeting rooms. The fate of this country is shaped as much by the actions of the ruling party as by the inactions of the opposition. And now the real question is: Is the opposition ready to change before the ruling party changes?

The fundamental rule of politics remains unchanged. Everywhere in the world, it's not the power that determines the game, but the one who sets the agenda. The ruling party opens a new debate every week; dragging the opposition along, confining them to a defensive position. However, those who follow the agenda lose; those who set the agenda win. The day the opposition sets the agenda, Turkey's direction will change.

The people's question is extremely clear: How can those who cannot protect themselves protect the country? The opposition's disintegration during times of crisis exacerbates the loss of trust in society.

And now we come to the most critical point. There is a truth now being openly discussed behind the scenes. The ruling party isn't calculating the possibility of losing the election; it's calculating how to control the outcome even if it does lose. Behind-the-scenes contacts with some smaller parties are being discussed. When these parties sit down at the table, they present an image of unity; however, at critical moments, they act like a mechanism that breaks up the table. The view that the sudden splits within the Six-Party Table are not coincidental, but rather act like dynamite detonating from within, is now widely accepted.

In Ankara political circles, this strategy is summarized in a single sentence: "If I can't win, let the winner be mine." As claims that this approach is effective on some parties gain strength, it becomes more difficult for Turkey to seize a real opportunity for change.

The real issue is this: the opposition remains silent when it should be making its presence felt at the most critical moment. Politics requires willpower; society wants to see that willpower. Today, what keeps the ruling party afloat is not pressure, but the absence of this willpower in the opposition.

The obstacle to change in Turkey is not only the ruling party. It is the opposition itself that avoids taking responsibility for change. As the ruling party suppresses, the opposition's retreat deepens the silence in society. This silence is turning into the greatest advantage for the ruling power.

The nation wants change; but the first structure that needs to change is the opposition. Turkey's way out can only be possible if the opposition presents the society with a clear, concrete, and trustworthy roadmap. Real change begins with the opposition looking in the mirror. And the question that still awaits an answer today is: Is the opposition truly ready to change before the ruling power changes?

If there is a reverse gear in character, courage cannot move forward.

Çetin Ay

BWA PRESIDENT