Crime and punishment

Ekrem Dumanlı

Former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin, who submitted a parliamentary question to be answered by Interior Minister Efkan Ala about a multifaceted government plan to “finish off Hizmet," will certainly have an impact on history. It has been seen that the government is manufacturing false crimes against one particular segment of the society in order to oppress them. Why? Because the immoral and irrational accusation of this group being a parallel state, an illegal organization and a criminal gang have been proven false. The government mobilized all its resources and orchestrated unimaginable scenarios, but could not find anything illegal to use against the Hizmet movement. Because there are none to be found; the Hizmet Movement does not engage in illegal activities. Now, they are destroying the legal system in order to create the legal framework for an illegal investigation of the Hizmet Movement. But the investigation, launched seven months after the major corruption probe that was made public on Dec.17, 2013, will have no real legal basis. If there were a crime, those who have been voicing the “parallel structure” lies would have found evidence of this crime. They could not find anything, despite the appointment of new judges and prosecutors who promised to commit illegal acts to hurt members of the Hizmet movement.

They flashed headlines on their front pages to defame the prosecutors who conducted the graft investigation and the operation in which trucks owned by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) were discovered in Adana, laden with weapons. The prosecutors were accused of being members of the “parallel structure” that the prime minister says is trying to overthrow his government. The government media, in an attempt to associate the Hizmet movement with crime, made up the story that the phone lines of 7,000 people in Turkey had been wiretapped. Prosecutor Adnan Çimen, who pro-government newspapers suggested had ordered the wiretapping of 7,000 phone lines while working for the Tawhid-Salam terrorist organization, denied the allegation. It also became evident that it is technically not possible to eavesdrop on 7,000 lines during an investigation. The investigation of claims of illegal wiretapping and covert listening devices found in the office of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also ended up in a fiasco, because despite everything, the courts make decisions based on concrete evidence instead of fabricated stories. Fanatic Justice and Development Party (AK Party) supporters may buy these parallel state lies and be mobilized by these lies, but the law requires definitive evidence and information. Without any conclusive evidence, no criminal charge can be filed.

If those who can't find any concrete evidence try to fabricate evidence, they will commit a serious crime. Unfortunately, on the instructions of the government, public officers in police departments, courthouses, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been openly fabricating evidence. The actors of the postmodern coup of Feb. 28, 1997 who shouted boastfully, "The Feb. 28 process will last for a thousand years," did not even go this far.

Currently, there is a massive profiling campaign against the members of the Hizmet movement. Those who are conducting this profiling campaign either do not know that profiling is a constitutional offense, or they think that they will not be held accountable for their actions in the future. But, those who violate laws during chaotic periods will be held responsible for their illegal activities, because a crime does not disappear once committed.

Fabricating documents and evidence and forming a legal framework to declare a group of people a terrorist organization are not only sins but also criminal acts. Those who are involved in these illegal acts, such as members of the police intelligence, police departments that focus mainly on counterterrorism, smuggling and organized crime, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and courthouses, are committing a crime. Their political background as members of the National View (Milli Görüş), Hakyolcu and the Menzil community will not be enough to justify their illegal actions. Because, when the truth is revealed, their own communities will not forgive this suppression.

Every day, a crime of discrimination is being committed. Several institutions that have been labeled as an institution of the Hizmet movement are facing double standards. Do you think that those who illegally awarded contracts to pro-government foundations and associations and committed crimes against the members of the Hizmet movement on the instructions of the government will not be held accountable for their actions?

Yusuf Keleş, who is a finance expert and a columnist for the Zaman daily, wrote an article on June 2 titled "AK Party brings on another round of poll tax." Keleş claims that the Finance Ministry's tax inspectors began examining the records of companies that either belong to Hizmet members or have close relations with companies that do. Conducting tax audits based on profiling reports issued by intelligence units is a crime in every part of the world. The US government was widely criticized when individuals and foundations who are members of the Tea Party movement of American conservatives experienced a similar event in the US. Don't Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and his team know that they are committing a crime if criteria similar to the poll tax imposed on non-Muslim business interests throughout Turkey on Nov. 11, 1942 during the single party era are used to select those to be audited for taxation purposes?

What about the İzmir governor's decision to prevent the outdoor performance of the 12th Language and Culture Festival -- formerly known as the Turkish Olympiads -- in the city? The governors who fabricated excuses in order to prevent the Turkish Olympiads from being held in Turkey have allocated the same places for concerts and political party meetings. Doesn't Mr. Governor know that this is a crime of discrimination and those who committed this crime are violating the Constitution? And the Religious Affair Directorate (DİB)! How can DİB, which is currently holding a religious book fair explain the fact that they have denied an application to rent space at the event to Ufuk and Zaman Kitap Publishing Houses, which have ties to the Hizmet movement, while allocating stands to the government-controlled Yeni Şafak and Star dailies, although neither publication has the status of a publishing house? When he was asked about this decision, DİB Deputy President Mehmet Emin Özavşar stated: "This incident may be related to the ongoing process." This is utterly unbelievable. Is DİB promoting discrimination among believers during the holy month of Ramadan as a partner in this crime?

The list of crimes committed under the protection of the government is long. Of course, all these crimes are recorded by history, and one day, those who committed these crimes will be held accountable for their illegal acts. It would be best to say right now that launching a smear campaign using the resources of the state, promoting discrimination and using hate speech are crimes, and that there is no crime that goes unpunished. No matter who gave the orders, or forced them to do this, those who committed these crimes will be called to account in court, regardless of their rank or position. Because no one has the right to commit a crime or has the authority to suppress others. In the face of the “parallel structure” accusations we have always stressed, "Those who are involved in illegal actions should be called to account in court." The pro-government groups should say the same thing. If police officers, judges, prosecutors or intelligence officers abuse their power and authority by committing offenses, they must be held accountable and must know that all illegal acts will be brought to justice. Is that a threat? Absolutely not; it is the plain truth. All police officers, judges, prosecutors and intelligence officers who abuse their power and authority by committing offenses will be brought to justice and those who ordered them to commit these crimes will not stand behind them. If they still care about honor and dignity, AK Party supporters should say: "No matter who you are, you should not violate the law, otherwise we all will pay for it."

Do not struggle in vain

Every ungrateful person who is exerting effort for the closure of the Turkish schools around the world is doomed to be disgraced and condemned in the eyes of the people. There can be no escape from this. The politicians who did not put any effort into their establishment, the bureaucrats who made no contribution to their improvement and the writers who have never contemplated how they win people's hearts… How can you defend Turkish officials' efforts to undermine the Turkish schools abroad?

What will you say when people ask: "What kind of national policies are you conducting that you would try to close these schools that started to be established about 25 years ago by your own people by snitching on your citizens?” Why do they say they do it? They claim that the major corruption probes made public on Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2013 were organized by the parallel structure, and so all these schools around the world need to be closed down. What a shame! There are some people who have voiced tragicomic claims. They have stated that the students of these schools may become the members of the parallel structure. This is utterly disgraceful!

1) Let's say you are right; let's say the people conducting the major corruption and bribery probes of Dec.17 and 25 were members of the Hizmet movement. How can you explain the fact that you ignored the principle of individuality of offense and suppressed tens of thousands of people? 2) Given the extraordinary success of these schools, how can you dare to declare the students of these schools a possible danger to their countries, saying "These children going to the Turkish schools abroad may cause problems for your country."?

Do not struggle in vain! Just look at the articles that you have written and the TV programs that you have participated in, and tell your colleagues how much damage has been done because of this smear campaign, and ask the people who have never resorted to a smear campaign despite insults and slanders hurled at them.

Never mind... The truth is that you can never explain why you would betray these schools that were established thanks to the great sacrifices of the people of Anatolia. That is not possible. Until the moment that you are held accountable for this and you express your regret and apologize for your actions, the people of Anatolia will not forgive you.

Journalism is not their primary concern

Journalism has become a profession for barefaced liars and the shameless. Those who are competing in terms of lying and slandering do not take a break even during the holy month of Ramadan. It is a tragicomic situation that dailies that do nothing but fabricate stories consider themselves to be honorable. Lying is not among the attributes of a Muslim, thus becoming a machine to produce lies cannot be considered an honorable thing.

For example, the Akşam daily publishes fabricated stories every day, and they do not bother to even apologize to the people when their stories turned out to be a lie. They slandered the Zaman daily in April 2014, we called on them to prove their claims or apologize, if they had any honor left. Since then, Mehmet Ocaktan, Akşam's editor-in-chief, has not uttered even a single sentence about this. So where is their honor and dignity? On April 21, 2014, government spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç refuted a news story from this daily. They have not published any denials, explanations or corrections. Now, the same daily that eagerly fabricated parallel structure news has published a defamatory story about the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). They have claimed that there is also a parallel structure nested within the TSK and that several high-ranking generals are members of this parallel structure. President Abdullah Gül, who is also the commander-in-chief, has accused them of being "irresponsible." The TSK has issued a press release refuting the daily's claim. Moreover, this is but one of numerous previous scandals.

Do they feel ashamed? I don't think so. Because their primary concern is performing their duty as government hitmen in its political engineering project rather than finding the truth. The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) is approaching, so we need to look at those who ask these dailies to publish this fabricated news. Then, we can understand the close relationship between these dailies and those who ordered these fabricated news stories.

Published on Today's Zaman, 30 June 2014, Monday