Hürriyet, Turkey
March 13 2009

Veteran politician seeks to end politics of polarization

ISTANBUL-It is time to end prejudices and stop polarizing the
community, according to one liberal mayoral candidate running on the
Justice and Development Party, or AKP, ticket.

A self-declared social democrat and humanist, architect Sinan Genim is
the AKP’s mayoral candidate for Istanbul’s Kadıköy
district, which has gone to main opposition Republican People’s Party,
or CHP, in three consecutive elections since 1994. "I am and have
always been against factionalization. This nation has suffered too
much from it and now we are creating artificial ‘others,’" Genim told
the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

Kadıköy is considered by many to be a left-wing
stronghold, though Genim dismisses such terminology as unnecessarily
aggressive, and the AKP faces a difficult campaign in the highly
polarized district. Many see the AKP as being against the Republic’s
secular founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

He expresses his distaste for those who use Atatürk as a
political tool. "It is wrong to turn Atatürk into a sole
property of one side. I did not declare my candidacy against
Atatürk," said Genim. "Atatürk is for everyone. He is
the reason we even have a democracy. The opposition is using political
cliches to cover up its lack of vision."

On whether his candidacy can overcome these prejudices, he admits it
is much harder to change people’s beliefs than to work with them on
common concrete projects. "It is easier changing the structure of
constructions than to make people overcome their fears," he said,
though he promises not to hide behind polarizing slogans.

"Genim’s candidacy does show the AKP’s attempt to appeal to a broader
base, that the party embraces differing viewpoints," said Gila
Benmayor, who is also a columnist for the Daily News. "But his victory
and his attempt to break down these prejudices in
Kadıköy are difficult to achieve because
Kadıköy’s beliefs are very solidified."

Having served terms in the BeÅ?iktaÅ? district assembly
and the Istanbul municipal assembly for the Motherland Party, or
ANAVATAN, since 1989, Genim was offered the Kadıköy
candidacy at the end of last year by Istanbul Mayor Kadir
TopbaÅ? of the AKP.

Genim’s involvement with the AKP has stemmed from two main
reasons. "First, it is just easier to accomplish things with the party
in the majority. The AKP has a wide base and a greater public
reach. Secondly, I am not out there to start a fight," he said. "I am
all for rapprochement."

"My whole life, I have followed a social democratic, humanist agenda
while I was in ANAVATAN. And when the AKP asked if I would work with
them, I accepted. Had I been a candidate of any other party I would
argue exactly the same points."

He sees the AKP as a reformist party that has made many progressive
strides for Turkey. "For example, just a short while ago, we were on
bad terms with all our neighbors, but now we have strengthened our
relationships with many countries like Armenia, Syria, Iran and
Georgia," he said.

"Parties cannot win by just representing one particular group," Genim
said. "They can only win the majority by representing all."