ABSTRACT
The centre-left’s erratic, even authoritarian, ideological position discussed in the last chapter is related to the symbiotic relationship of Kemalism with modernity. Put simply, centre-left parties continue to rely on classical tenets of modernity and wanting to create a ‘modern Turkey’, which formative Kemalist ideology depended upon nearly 80 years ago. As such, attachments to ‘traditional’ issues such as religiosity and ethnicity are perceived to be irrational, even backward. The aim of Turkish modernity as far as the centre-left is concerned is to create a Turkey that conforms to the principles of ‘advanced civilisation’ (muassır medeniyet). The inability to adopt a post-modern position prevents not only the adoption of a social democratic ideology, but also a pluralist andmulticultural approach to cleavages of religiosity and ethnicity. The modernist perspective of an ‘enlightened leadership’ is also visible in the structure and organisation of the party. Leftist parties in Turkey can only be considered as representative parties in the Schumpeterian sense. That is, electors choose the governors, and then take a back seat. Very little room for participation in policy determination and leadership can be said to exist.
