Muharrem Ince, who entered politics in his youth with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), never managed to reach the leadership levels he desired and eventually ended up splitting with CHP. He has now established the Homeland (Memleket) Party. As a former presidential candidate for the CHP, Ince has set the ultimate goal to win the next Presidential elections.

Deputies Ozcan Ozel, Huseyin Avni Aksoy, and Mehmet Ali Celebi, resigned from the CHP and joined the Homeland Movement as well as the party management. Eskisehir Deputy Gaye Usluer, who also resigned from CHP, has been named the Homeland Party’s Deputy Chairwoman and Party Spokesperson while Hakki Akalin has been appointed General Secretary. Following the party’s establishment, Muharrem Ince announced a roadmap at the meeting held in front of the party’s headquarters. “On the one hand, the People’s Alliance, on the other hand the National Alliance. We’ll say neither People nor Nation, the only way is Homeland,” said Ince, criticizing both the government and the opposition.

“Our principles are clear; we don’t want those who disrespect Ataturk, nature and the environment. We don’t want those who discriminate, who don’t keep a distance from terror and condemn all kinds of terror,” said Ince. “Let’s establish a party, reveal 3-5 deputies and negotiate. We are not concerned about this. We will be the top party. We’ll govern this country. We’ll be a Kemalist party, a republican democratic party.”

There is a cowardly opposition that avoids speaking the truth, according to Ince. “There is an opposition which can’t organize the social opposition, represent hope and generate solutions,” he added.

FOUR MAIN TARGETS

Ince announced the party’s four main targets: economic development, participatory democracy, the rule of law, and peace and security. Ince also touched on the party constitution. “We have a constitution that no party has in the country and is able to compete with parties in Europe,” said Ince.

The Chairperson of the Homeland Party will be determined by members, according to the party constitution. In accordance with the constitution, no one will be able to collect more than 250 signatures including the Chairperson. “What will happen if those who want to break ties with others intend to become chairperson? We’ve set the ‘minimum 50’ condition for that. The Chairperson won’t be able to receive ‘700 votes by collecting 1,100 signatures. It has been banned in the constitution,” he added, referring to CHP’s intra-party election system that he is critical of. A party chairperson who fails to win in two consecutive elections won’t be able to become a candidate again, according to the party constitution.