Opposition does not want to face realities

The Turkish people have given Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a clear mandate to usher this country into an era where the construction of the "new Turkey" will be completed. Erdoğan promised to complete his "new Turkey" project as president. He offered to run the country in his capacity as president and the people approved this.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was also an engine in Erdoğan's success and now the party and the government will take the shape of Erdoğan's wishes.

What is unfortunate is that four days have passed since Erdoğan's election victory and the clear defeat of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the conservative Nationalist Movement Party led by Devlet Bahçeli.

What is shocking is that instead of acknowledging defeat, the two parties and their leaders are trying the create all kinds of alibis to cast a shadow on Erdoğan's victory, refusing to see their terrible mistakes.

The MHP is blaming the low turnout rate and lambasting the supporters of the CHP for not going to the polls. Yet the MHP cannot explain why some of its own supporters voted for Erdoğan.

The CHP is blaming some of the MHP voters for favoring Erdoğan while it fails to explain why it did not carry out a proper campaign to effectively support its own joint candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu.

The CHP is also trying to divert attention from its elections flop by accusing the prime minister of staying in office and not quitting his party seat while it knows well that until the handover ceremony Erdoğan legally remains at the helm of the party and has to be there to properly oversee a smooth
transition of the AK Party leadership and government.

The CHP is also trying to create divisions within the AK Party between the old guard and the new comers. All these are empty efforts and gestures.
There are several CHP deputies challenging Kılıçdaroğlu. They want a convention to replace him. They are the ones who opposed İhsanoğlu being named the joint candidate of the CHP and the MHP.

The CHP leader has to face the facts that he has lost badly along with Bahçeli and should pay the political price for all this. It is wrong to create alibis and try to blame others when you have to face up to the realities of what it takes to be a leader.