For the last century, an oligarchy has ruled Turkey with several different models and tactics and they have only shared their privileges with certain segments of the society whom we dub “White Turks.” If the overwhelming majority wants to benefit from the system and wants to be treated as equal first-class citizens, they have to change the system. A new system means a new democratic constitution and only a new constitution will complement the tremendous socio-cultural transformations taking place in the country. When we go beyond the empty rhetoric and scratch beneath the surface, we see that the only party that can deliver the new constitution is the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

In this column I have criticize the AK Party frequently and on several points I am not happy with them. But for a democrat who wants his country to be honorably integrated into the globe and takes its place in the free democratic world, is there any other viable option? The main contender in the electoral race, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is not only an elitist party, but it also has many Ergenekon suspects running as its candidates. It is a party even an infamous opportunist dinosaur who belongs to another century, Süleyman Demirel, staunchly supports. It is no secret that the military generals who detest democracy support the CHP. İstanbul business tycoons, who, to put it mildly, never cared about the masses and grass roots, and who dislike the values of the Turkish people, support the CHP. The Doğan Media Group that obviously and very clearly have serious issues with regards to anti-democracy, corruption, military intervention in politics, Islamophobia, ultra-nationalism and so on also support the CHP. Can you believe that Süheyl Batum, who publicly said that the army was a paper tiger just because it could not stop the democratically elected politicians and civilian courts, is the person responsible for the CHP’s new constitutional proposals? What kind of constitution should I expect from him? Why should I side with all these people that I listed above by voting for the CHP? God forbid.

You do not expect me to spend my time explaining why I would never vote for the ultra-nationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), do you? What about its Kurdist counterpart, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), who publicly defends the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and keeps stating that if their demands are not met they will climb the mountains, implying that they will resort to terrorism? Why on earth should I vote for them?

With opponents like these, the AK Party does not really have to work hard but they have worked very hard. Nobody can deny that the Turkey of 2011 is a much better and more democratic place compared to the Turkey of 2002. Why should I resort to paranoia and superstition rather than sound observation and robust analysis that clearly show that if I want a more democratic Turkey, the AK Party’s opponents are hopeless? What is more, unlike the CHP, MHP and BDP, the AK Party is not a political wing of some armed groups who detest democracy. So whenever the electorate wishes they can send the AK Party to the garbage bins of history. With especially the CHP, whenever the people sent them away, they bounced back with the help of bloody military interventions. I believe that at least half of the electorate can see what I can see. In this sense, tomorrow we will not only hold an election but a census too.