If you do not stand against injustice

Cafer Solgun

The July 22 operation has shown the meaning and characteristics of the ongoing process that we are experiencing right now. The allegations that serve as the pretext for the July 22 operation will have a boomerang effect, because what we understand from the initial findings of the investigation is that the arguments of the government have been proven to be ungrounded.

On the other hand, the bribery and corruption allegations still remain unanswered and unattended. Our real problem is whether or not we will be afraid of the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) power and intimidation and remain silent.

The first concrete outcome of the campaign launched by the prime minister in the aftermath of the Dec. 17 corruption and graft operation was the July 22 operation. As part of this operation, presented by the pro-government media as a "parallel state" operation, which Erdoğan declared would be extended to other areas, some police officers were placed under arrest and others were released. It should also be noted that legal experts have described the way the operation was conducted as scandalous.

Lawyers have provided extensive details of irregularities occurring during the investigation. It is highly probable that the arrested police officers will be released upon appeal. If the injustice and irregularities are ignored and their appeals are not honored, this means that the judiciary is considering the pressure of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in its actions. Arrest is an exceptional precaution taken in the case of a strong possibility that the suspects will tamper with evidence or evade the judicial process. Is it possible to argue that people who have been staying in their homes for months in expectation of an operation against them would tamper with evidence if not placed under arrest? The most important conclusion of this investigation is that the campaign being carried out by the prime minister has been aborted.

It was argued that the Dec. 17 and Dec. 25 operations were a coup attempt. The recent developments confirm that Prime Minister Erdoğan has been carrying out a strong campaign to discredit the corruption and graft allegations. If there is a coup, everybody sees that this is a coup being staged by the AKP against the judiciary. Another important outcome of the July 22 operation is that the "parallel structure" argument is known to be ungrounded. The statements of defense lawyers suggest that there was not a single question raised by the judges with the defendants on this matter. So the publications and reports of the pro-government media over the last few months are part of a perception operation. The allegations of illegal wiretapping and espionage still need to be proven. The defendants have made clear and strong counter-arguments on this matter. So the prosecution should produce strong evidence. But it appears that there is no such evidence. The espionage allegation in particular is very serious and grave. In the case of it not being proven, the people who have been victimized by this allegation will resort to legal options.

These developments confirm that this is a political case and investigation rather than a judicial and criminal case. In this investigation, the judiciary is being used and manipulated by the political administration, which seeks to intimidate all critics and opponents. And because this is the case, remaining silent will mean nothing but support for repression and arbitrary actions. You do not need to be victimized directly for you to oppose injustice. Regardless of our political backgrounds, ethnic origins and religious beliefs, we all need to oppose injustice and unfairness. I am not a member of the Hizmet movement. Being a member of the Alevi community is sufficient for me to oppose the witch hunt to which the Hizmet movement has been subjected. The ethics and consciousness we should take into consideration are expounded by Ali, the great companion of the Prophet Muhammad: “If you do not stand against injustice, you will lose your honor as well as your rights.”

Published on Today's Zaman, 31 July 2014, Thursday