2017 Turkish constitutional referendum "No" campaign
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The 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum 'No' campaign (Turkish: Hayır) refers to a collection of unsuccessful political campaigns led by political parties, organizations and media outlets in favour of a 'No' vote in the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum. Were the campaign to have been successful, it would have resulted in Turkey remaining a parliamentary republic as opposed to an executive presidency, which it became as a result of the referendum, and would have constituted the first direct upset against the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) since they took office in 2002.
Peoples' Democratic Party
Nationalist Movement Party factions
Other smaller parties and organisations (See list)
'Demokratik Cumhuriyet Ortak Vatan İçin Hayır' (No for a Democratic and Common Homeland)
| Campaign | 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Republican People's Party Peoples' Democratic Party Nationalist Movement Party factions Other smaller parties and organisations (See list) |
| Status | Lost referendum; 'Yes' campaign successful and constitutional package passed |
| Slogan(s) | 'Geleceğim için Hayır' (No for my future) 'Demokratik Cumhuriyet Ortak Vatan İçin Hayır' (No for a Democratic and Common Homeland) |
| Chant | Başkanlığa Hayır (No to an executive presidency) |
'No' campaigners faced alleged government-backed coercion and suppression. On 1 March, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) unveiled a 78-point report regarding irregularities and suppression of 'No' campaigners, with Deputy Leader Öztürk Yılmaz claiming that those who were campaigning for a 'No' vote faced fear and state coercion.[1][2] CHP parliamentary group leader Engin Altay also criticized the government for using state funds to fund the 'Yes' campaign while repressing 'No' voters, claiming that their conduct did not allow them to talk of 'democracy'.[3]
A 'No' vote was supported by the main opposition party, CHP, and the smaller opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Over 40 smaller political parties were also in favour of a 'No' vote, as well as a significant number of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) politicians and voters who opposed their leader President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for a 'Yes' vote. The main rival to the 'No' campaign, which did not have a centralized or united structure, was the 'Yes' campaign.
The 'No' option on the ballot paper used for the referendum was coloured in a light brown.[4]
Supporters
Political parties
The following political parties supported a 'No' vote in 2017:
| Party | Leader | Political orientation | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHP | Republican People's Party | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Kemalism | [5] | |
| MHP | Nationalist Movement Party inner-party factions | Collective leadership | Nationalism | [6] | |
| HDP | Peoples' Democratic Party | Selahattin Demirtaş & Figen Yüksekdağ | Left-wing | [7] | |
| Saadet | Felicity Party | Temel Karamollaoğlu | Right-wing | [7] | |
| BBP | Great Union Party inner-party factions | Collective leadership | Far right | [8] | |
| Vatan | Patriotic Party | Doğu Perinçek | Kemalism | [7] | |
| HAK-PAR | Rights and Freedoms Party | Refik Karakoç | pro-Kurdish | [9] | |
| HKP | People's Liberation Party | Nurullah Ankut | Communism | [10] | |
| DP | Democrat Party | Gültekin Uysal | Centre-right | [11] | |
| KP | Communist Party | Arif Hikmet Basa | Communism | [12] | |
| DSP | Democratic Left Party | Önder Aksakal | Centre-left | [13] | |
| LDP | Liberal Democratic Party | Gültekin Tırpancı | Liberalism | [14] | |
| MP | Nation Party | Aykut Edibali | Nationalism | [15] | |
| DYP | True Path Party | Çetin Özaçıkgöz | Centre-right | [16] | |
| TSİP | Socialist Workers' Party of Turkey | Turgut Koçak | Socialism | [17] | |
| TKP | Communist Party of Turkey | Hüseyin Karabulut | Communism | [18] | |
| ÖDP | Freedom and Solidarity Party | Collective leadership | Left-wing | [19] | |
| EMEP | Labour Party | Selma Gürkan | Communism | [20] | |
| DSİP | Revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party | Meltem Oral & Şenol Karakaş | Left-wing | [21] | |
| YP | Homeland Party | Sadettin Tantan | Nationalism | [16] | |
| AYP | Crescent Star Party | Serap Gülhan | Kemalism | [22] | |
| EHP | Labourist Movement Party | Sibel Uzun | Left-wing | [23] | |
| İKP | Workers' Fraternity Party | Mehmet Şadi Ozansü | Left-wing | [24] | |
| DİP | Revolutionist Workers' Party | Ömer Sungur Savran | Socialism | [25] | |
| DBP | Democratic Regions Party | Emine Ayna | pro-Kurdish | [26] | |
| HEPAR | Rights and Equality Party | Yücel Savaş | Nationalism | [27] | |
| ESP | Socialist Party of the Oppressed | Sultan Ulusoy | Far-left | [28] | |
| TİKP | Workers Villagers Party of Turkey | İsmail Durna | Left | [29] | |
| ANAP | Motherland Party | İbrahim Çelebi | Centre-right | [16] | |
| Dev-Parti | Revolutionary People's Party | Celal Özcan | Left-wing | [30] | |
| MTP | Nationalist Turkey Party | Ahmet Yılmaz Büyükekmekci | Nationalism | [31] | |
| ÖSP | Freedom and Socialism Party | Sinan Çiftyürek | Far-left | [32] | |
| 1920 TKP | Socialist Liberation Party | Şener Ataş | Communism | [33] | |
| Yeşil Sol | Greens and the Left Party of the Future | Naci Sönmez | Green politics | [34] | |
| TİVEP | Unemployed's and Labourers' Party of Turkey | Rıfat Derya Sercan | Centre-left | [35] | |
| SYKP | Socialist Refoundation Party | Tülay Hatimoğlulları Oruç | Far-left | [36] | |
| KP | Women's Party | Benal Yazgan | Feminism | [37] | |
| TURAN | Great Turan Movement Party | Varol Esen | Ultra nationalism | [38] | |
| HHP | Rights and Peace Party | Gürsel Yıldız | Centre | [39] | |
| HTKP | People's Communist Party of Turkey | Emre Yağan | Communism | [40] | |
| CİHAP | Universe Party | Kürşad Emre Öğretmek | Centre | [41] | |
| Anayol | Main Path Party | Zafer Maden | Centre-right | [42] | |
| TÜHAP | People's Party of Turkey | Mehmet Çetin | Centre | [43] | |
| MMP | National Struggle Party | Ahmet Kaya | Nationalism | [44] | |
| ASP | AS Party | Cavit Kayıkcı | Nationalism | [45] | |
| İDP | Workers' Democracy Party | Oktay Çelik | Left-wing | [46] | |
| TKH | Communist Movement of Turkey | Erkan Pınarbaşı | Communism | [47] | |
| Devrimci | United Revolutionist Party | Ufuk Göllü | Left-wing | [48] | |
| AP | Justice Party | Vecdet Öz | Centre-right | [49] | |
| TBP | Unity Party of Turkey | Hüseyin Ekici | Kemalism | [50] | |
| SEP | Socialist Laborers' Party | Gökçe Şentürk | Socialism | [51] | |
| EYP | Universal Path Party | Metin Güler | Alevism | [52] | |
| Büyük | Great Turkey Party | Tevfik Diker | Centre-right | [53] | |
| DGP | Democratic Young Party | Erkin Çözeli | Centre | [54] | |
| Ulusal Parti | National Party | Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu | Third Position | [55] | |
Organisations
The following organizations favoured a 'No' vote:
| NGO | Type | Political orientation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) | Trade union | Centre-left | [56] |
| Turkish Medical Association (TTB) | Medical union | Centre-left | [57] |
| MHP Dissidents | Intra-party opposition | Nationalism | [58] |
| BBP Dissidents | Intra-party opposition | Far-right | [59] |
| Confederation of Public Workers' Unions of Turkey (Türkiye Kamu-Sen) | Trade union | Centre-right | [60] |
| Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK) | Trade union | Left-wing | [61] |
| Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) | Trade union | Left-wing | [62] |
| United Confederation of Public Employees' Unions (Birleşik Kamu-İş) | Trade union | Kemalism | [63] |
| Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD) | Kemalism | [64] | |
| Youth Union of Turkey (TGB) | Youth organisation | Kemalism | [65] |
| Republican Women's Association (CKD) | Women organization | Kemalism | [66] |
| Retired Military Officers Association of Turkey (TESUD) | Military veterans organization | Kemalism | [67] |
| Artists' Union of Turkey (TSB) | Art organization | Kemalism | [68] |
| Artists' Initiative | Art organization | Left-wing | [69] |
| Turkish Law Institution | Institution | Kemalism | [70] |
| National Constitution Movement | Think tank | Kemalism | [71] |
| Intellectuals' Hearth | Nationalism | [72] | |
| Confederation of Turkish Tribes (TÜRKBOY) | Nationalism | [73] | |
| Social Thought Association (TDD) | Nationalism | [74] | |
| Turkish Left | Magazine | Third Position | [55] |
Republican People's Party (CHP) campaign
The Republican People's Party (CHP) held a pre-campaign rally in Adana on 3 December 2016, titled 'We will not partition Turkey'. The rally was also supported by Idealists, who traditionally support the MHP.[75] The CHP parliamentary group voted against the proposals in Parliament but was unable to block their approval.[76] On 15 February 2017, it was announced that the CHP wouldn't refer the voting process, which had been marred by unconstitutional open voting by AKP MPs, to the Constitutional Court, claiming that they believed that voters would reject the proposals at the ballot box.[77]
On 6 February, the CHP unveiled a 10-article booklet detailing the reasons why they supported a 'No' vote, with the 10 key points being opposition to a 'one-man regime', a party state, the end of powers of Parliament, a government without scrutiny, a biased judiciary, en economic crisis, terrorism, the erosion of fundamental and universal values, to partitioning Turkey and an 'elected monarchy'.[78] This followed on from a 21 December 2016 publication released by CHP Deputy Leader Bülent Tezcan, containing 35 questions and answers about the proposed presidential system.[79]
On 28 February, the CHP unveiled their campaign, under the slogan ‘Geleceğim İçin Hayır’ ('No' for my future). It was stated that party logos would not be used during the campaign.[80] The party also unveiled its first official campaign rally to be at Amasya, though one of the party's dissident MPs Muharrem İnce held a rally at Alaplı, Zonguldak Province on 8 March.[81][82] Also on 8 March International Women's Day, the CHP Women's Wing in İzmir held an event where participants spelled out the word 'No' with their bodies, with the scene captured by helicopter. The event was also attended by party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's wife Selvi and Deputy Leader Selin Sayek Böke.[83]
Many CHP MPs began visiting different areas of Turkey and Turkish expats abroad in order to gather support for a 'No' vote soon after the referendum date was announced. The party's former leader Deniz Baykal attended an event in France while Istanbul Member of Parliament Sezgin Tanrıkulu and parliamentary group leader Özgür Özel led a group of MPs to Diyarbakır where the party has no representation.[84][85]
At the start of the campaign, party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu reportedly asked the party's officials to conduct the 'No' campaign on a purely positive basis, refraining from using a negative or alienating discourse. It was also reported that the CHP were getting ready to make a campaign film similar to the 'No' campaign for the Chilean national plebiscite of 1988, which resulted in a victory for the 'No' side and an eventual end to the regime of Augusto Pinochet.[citation needed]