October 27, 2014

13 recommendations to MGK secretary for inclusion in 'Red Book'

Veysel Ayhan

The president pays attention to the current National Security Council (MGK). He is determined to declare Hizmet a terror organization. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is not interested in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Kobani, Syria, the approximately 3 million refugees and the murder of 40 people in violent protests. His only concern is Hizmet. Given that the MGK is designed to be a place to discuss personal concerns, I, as a citizen, would like to raise some points of recommendation for the MGK secretary-general for possible inclusion on the agenda of the council.

1- Dear President, you call the Hizmet movement a terror organization. Not a single person affiliated with this movement is being prosecuted for ordinary crimes. These people do not carry even a knife. They do not take to the streets to protest. Even the relatives of the police officers who were illegally placed under arrest recited the Qur'an and performed prayers. Their dormitories and schools were burned down, but they did not respond. You did not call the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) or even ISIL terror organizations until your return from the US.

It would have been pretty scary to imagine what would happen to you if you had made insulted other groups like you did to the Hizmet movement. But members of Hizmet did not even raise their voices. What is your intent in trying to declare Hizmet a terror organization? Will grave allegations become invisible when you do this? If somebody else had done this, we would have not paid attention. But given that it is you who made this allegation, I am afraid this move could lead to state-sponsored terror.

2- Dear President, the commanders who attended your meeting almost put an end to the PKK in 2008; but the settlement process revived them. We have continued to patiently believe that this would contribute to the attainment of peace. Cultural rights, including the right to native-language education, should have been recognized without any negotiation, but delays in recognizing these rights exacerbated the situation. True, nobody was killed in the clashes, but the armed forces did not leave. On the contrary, thousands of new militants joined the PKK; the Kurdish people were left to the discretion of the PKK. Over the last two months, 11 soldiers were murdered. No stage of the process was discussed with the military commanders, who were not even informed of what was happening. Was the recognition of Imralı as a peace maker what you meant by settlement process? If this is the case, why are not you appointing Abdullah Öcalan as interior minister instead of Efkan Ala, given that he has no time because he is busy with dealing with Hizmet.

3- The Interior Ministry failed in the Kobani protests. Ala just disappeared. The minister of agriculture tried to maintain safety. Recently, the PKK declared autonomy in Cizre. The police are unable to patrol the area; what is the meaning of subordinating the gendarmerie to the Interior Ministry, which has completely collapsed? Is this a measure to ensure that the gendarmerie does not take action in the event of corruption in the future?

4- Dear President, as citizens, we have always respected supremacy of law. So have the military servicemen attending your meeting. For instance, a former chief of staff served two years in prison. So did other generals and military officers. Admiral İlhami Erdil was imprisoned for corruption. The military servicemen did not ask you to reappoint judges and send police officers into exile.

We, the people, and the military servicemen were respectful of the law. But we are surprised to witness the sons of some ministers and Reza Zarrab released illegally, and your son Bilal made immune to a legal process; we are also shocked to see that those who caught them in the act are now in prison. Most recently, the judges who were assigned to perform a special task sealed the Dec. 17 case. Will the ministers implicated in this case be returned to their former positions? When will they resume their jobs to better serve the nation?

5- Dear President, thank God we are reasonable and mindful people. Let us not joke around. Would you please offer an explanation for the tapes where you are heard whispering? Your supporters may believe you. And the newly appointed head of theScientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), who was previously a director of a zoo, may also argue that this was a fabricated tape. But what will happen to the grave allegations and the five villas referred to in these tapes? That night, Ala issued instructions that nobody should enter and search Bilal's house and that they would not need a court order to remove police officers who attempted to do so. Now, the judiciary is under your control. So this means that you have nothing to worry about. Would you at least inform the MGK members on this matter?

6- Dear President, No public officer has been prosecuted for an attempted coup in the last ten months. The courts also released all police officers who were under arrest. The motions that were referred to Parliament, which were published by the Cumhuriyet daily, indicate that the corruption cases were not a coup attempt. Therefore, there is no evidence for a coup and there are no suspects. In this case, what will happen, considering you previously stated that those who raise allegations and fail to prove them are dishonorable?

7- Dear President, 40 people were killed 25 days ago. A curfew was declared in five cities. The state failed. Did you receive any intelligence that would have helped prevent these violent protests? We have an intelligence agency that does everything but its main job. The suspect in the Paris murders, which placed Turkey in a delicate position in the international arena, was also linked to the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). There is a legal file involving MİT agents who infiltrated the KCK and committed crimes. But this file has been covered up.

And there is the issue of ISIL. It has organized in our country for many years and recruited militants. But we just learned this. I wish the intelligence agency is not accused of grave violations including profiling people, recruiting informants and plotting against its own people and returns to its legal sphere of competence.

8- In public meetings and political rallies, you polarize the people. But when you are accused, you argue that it is the opposition that polarizes the public. You are now unable to appear in public because you promoted hate and polarization. You were even unable to attend the ceremony of the presidential cup. The police officers are unable to protect you in the cities you visit. They have to receive additional support from other cities. Recently, the police department had to ask support from Malatya for your visit to Gümüşhane. Three police officers were killed in an accident on their way back to their original posts.

9- History has not seen a president who tried to lead a bank in his country to bankruptcy. Are not you worried that your policy based on personal hatred is being covered by the renowned news agency Reuters?

10- Your U-turns on the Syria policy in recent months are being ridiculed by the global media. We have become a country mocked in the press. Is the reason for these U-turns the wiretapping that the US, England and Germany admitted to? Or is it because of the alleged money being held in Swiss banks? Would you please deny the allegations that Turkish politics has been taken hostage by such moves?

11- Despite the fact that you took an oath in which you pledged to serve as an independent and impartial president, you still engage in polemics with the opposition. You have become the president of the 20 million people who voted for you. By relying on the political power you hold, you suspended the constitution and turned the political system into a de facto presidential system. The office of the prime minister is now a ceremonial post. Is not this a little bit embarrassing for Ahmet Davutoğlu? Is not the suspension of the constitution an issue of national security?

12- We have become an isolated actor in international politics. Turkey, which received 151 votes in 2008, now receives the support of 60 countries. New Zealand, on the other hand, received 145 votes. What do you think about the deteriorating image of our country? In addition, where would you travel other than Lithuania in your pricy new airplane?

13- There is also the issue of the White Palace, whose construction was costly. A total of 300,000 hectares of cultivable land were destroyed to build this palace. There is also a court order for its demolition. Article 138 of the Constitution was violated and the palace was preserved. Who is behind the decision to construct this huge and pricy building, which is six times the size of the White House and 12 times as large as the Kremlin? The committee of ministers or the Parliament? The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) could have built 30,000 housing units for veterans and the poor by using the TL 1.1 billion that was spent on this building.

Ironically, the establishment of the republican regime will be celebrated in a few days in this building, where residence is not allowed under the laws.

Dear President! These crucial impasses are raising concerns in the minds of people who are not submissive. You should at least persuade the members of the MGK. I promise we will say nothing if they say they are satisfied. We will repeat the following statement for those who make those allegations: “Those who make allegations are obligated to prove their case. In the case that they fail to prove the allegations, they shall be considered dishonorable.”

Published on Sunday's Zaman, 26 October 2014, Sunday
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