When those silent to injustice become the target of injustice

In the heydays of the cooperation between the government and the brotherhood (Gülenists); when police used to hold operations at five o’clock in the morning in households; what did dailies Bugün, Zaman, television channel Samanyolu, and writers Ekrem Dumanlı and Ahmet Altan used to say?

They used to say:

-“Why are you in a hurry? Hold on a minute; the legal process should be completed.”

-“Trust the judiciary, judges and prosecutors of the Turkish republic.”

-“They were not arrested because of journalism; the issue is not pressure on the media; press freedom is being abused.”

-“Turkey is in the midst of a struggle…Obviously there will be some itsy bitsy legal problems when such a struggle is taking place.”

-“Why shouldn’t there be operations at dawn? Why should anybody have privileges?”

And when the decision of arrest came: “See, it is obvious they committed a crime.”

This was the stance that let the government have the audacity to do such reckless operations.

Is this their stance that eliminates all ground to target and criticize the government?

Yet we had warned at that time.

We said:

- “Don’t say that; don’t do that.”

- “Today, they are targeted; tomorrow, you could be targeted.”

- “Political process cannot be administered by the hand of the judiciary.”

- “People are wasting their lives because of what you call tiny legal errors.”
 
We went to the streets saying, “This is a strike against freedom of press.”

They should not worry. Today, just like tomorrow...We stand behind fair justice, genuine judiciary, rights and freedoms.

Leave us alone. Even those who were subjected to operations, those who suffered, those imprisoned, are not saying “well deserved.” They object to this operation and side by justice.

I am very curious.

While facing the picture today. 

Do they regret a little bit? Do they feel a bit of remorse, the dailies Bugün and Zaman, and writers Ekrem Dumanlı and Ahmet Altan?

What would I say if I were a member of the AKP

Had I been a minister, a parliamentarian from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), or just a sympatizer of the AKP, I would have ignored İhsan Özkes, the retired imam and a former member of the opposition Republican People’s Party who made eulogies about the palace.

Because the problem of İhsan Özkes is not about changing views.

His problem is a matter of character.

Let’s think like that.

Had İhsan Özkes been from the AKP, had he praised the Palace… And after he would break away from the AKP to criticize the palace with Islamic references....

I would have told him the same thing: “Why are you using Islam?”

What I am interested in this issue is neither Recep Tayyip Erdoğan not the palace.

It is not even about changing views. It is the lack of personality.

Let me give you an example.

Burhan Kuzu from the AKP. If it happened Kuzu startrf critisizing the palace just because he was not named minister. Whatever I would have said to Özkes. I would have said the same to him.