In 2019, Makoglu became the first Communist mayor of Tunceli.
Istanbul:
Fatih Macoglu, the popular “communist mayor” of a city in eastern Turkey, is currently vying for control of the vibrant, fashionable Istanbul region on the Asian coast of the Bosporus.
In 2019, he was elected mayor of Tunceli, a Kurdish-dominated Alevi city in eastern Anatolia that is known for being extremely secular and left-leaning.
During his five-year tenure, he won praise for knocking on office doors to promote transparency.
This time, in the March 31 elections, he has set his sights on Istanbul’s Kadikoy district, a bastion of the secular opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The charismatic, mustachioed 55-year-old is the candidate of the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), which has no seats in the National Assembly.
In an interview with AFP during Kadikoy’s campaign, Makoglu said his experience as mayor proved that good governance was possible.
“The world is getting worse, and I believe socialists can reverse that trend,” he said.
“Socialists have the power to rule this country and this world.”
“Honest approach”
In 2019, Makoglu became the first communist mayor of Tunceli, a city formerly known as Dersim that has a turbulent history.
He took over a city council run by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party until it was handed over in 2016 after a failed coup to oust long-ruling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan To a government-appointed trustee.
Makoglu refused to use his official car and posted the council’s finances on a banner hanging in front of his office building to show people how he spent his money.
He opened a cooperative to promote organic honey and chickpeas, and its sales funded university students from poor families and provided free transportation.
“I followed Makoglu’s successful practice closely. I was impressed by his honest approach to politics,” said Sevgi Celik, 42, a resident of Kadikoy.
“I believe he will do the same thing in Kadikoy,” Selik added.
“I don’t think we’re having a good time. The country as a whole is not in a good place. To make things better, we need better people in power.”
Murat Karabiyik, 46, agrees that the current order needs to change.
“We can’t find shelter. We can’t eat. We can’t drink. We can’t travel. This has to change,” he said.
“People who are affiliated with political parties are usually after profits. But that is not the case here. God willing, we will change that.”
Asked whether he would stick to the same novel approach if elected mayor of Kadikoy, Makoglu said: “Of course. Our city works because we have a plan.”
Makoglu’s bid for Kadikoy – an artsy neighborhood with lively cafes, bars and galleries – was condemned by supporters of the Republican People’s Party and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party, which is also based in Istanbul.
They say Makoglu should run for Istanbul’s working-class constituencies or stay in Tunceli.
Makoglu told AFP he found the criticism useful but stressed he was not against any one opposition party.
“We are socialists. We want to explain to the public that there is a better plan. We are not against any political party.”
“We will win”
Some commentators said Makoglu could attract votes from people disillusioned with the Republican People’s Party, which seized Istanbul from Erdogan’s Islamist conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2019 of control.
“You can rest assured that we will win.” He said confidently.
Makoglu pledged transparency, freedom and accountability, including opening the commission’s resources to the public rather than reserving funds for individuals or monopolies.
He said he would be inclusive of all groups, including the LGBTQ community, which expresses its opinions freely in Kadikoy and is often attacked by Erdogan’s right-wing coalition.
Erdogan has been critical of LGBTQ people in Türkiye.
They were a particular target of his during last year’s presidential election, when he accused them of threatening traditional family values and called them “perverse.”
“We defend everyone’s right to life, including LGBTQ people,” Makoglu said.
“We say that primarily because the current political climate marginalizes these issues.”
Asked if the nickname “communist mayor” bothered him, Makoglu said: “Not at all. It makes me happy.”
“Communism is a way of life. The capitalist, imperialist system has given communists a very bad image that they don’t deserve,” he said.
“Everywhere I go in this country, there are millions of people saying… ‘It would be great if this was communism.'”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
