My requests from pro-presidential hawks

I have immense respect for all kinds of ideas and views. 

Looking at the course of events, the constitutional changes will be processed in parliament and a referendum will be held. Citizens who are still undecided by that point will probably monitor the media debates.

My request from those brothers and sisters of mine who will vote in the referendum is – even though we are not legal experts – to understand fully, listen to what is being suggested and vote accordingly. 

I have other requests from those who defend the amendments. 

Do not argue that “the current system is bad; you are criticizing the new one but the separation of powers is not fully functional now, either.” Are you not doing the constitutional change to correct all these? 

Do not argue that “It was like this in the 1920s and the 1930s. We already experienced similar authoritarian situations. Well, the secularists did the same at the beginning of the 1900s.” Then I would ask what your intention is. A rematch? Or do you want a democratic, secular, free and bright Turkey that has corrected its former mistakes? 

Do not defend the new amendments saying: “We did not copy the American presidential system, but, for instance, this is how the presidential system is applied in Mexico. Or that article is exactly the same as in the Venezuelan presidential system. That issue you are fixated on actually works very well in Chile.” Our goal is not a democracy at the caliber of Central Asian or South American countries. What would be suitable for the Republic of Turkey is a very advanced and civilized system.

Do not defend the changes to me by saying: “You are all critical but in our traditions, in our customs, there is the essence of this system. Our people are used to it from history.” Well, customs, traditions, history are all good things but democracy and human rights are continuously developing; their definitions broaden every year. By traditions, if you mean the sultans, the empire and the monarchy; that is inapplicable, my dears. It is wonderful to be proud of the Ottomans and to cherish them. But trying to adapt the monarchist system of a couple of centuries ago to today as our “tradition” is a very bad idea.

I, personally, do not want an administrative system in which the current constitution’s mistakes are not corrected, in which the authoritarianism of the 1930s is taken as a guide, which has the marks of the monarchies of the Ottomans of centuries ago and which, from time to time, bears resemblances to the Mexican and Chilean presidential systems. I really do not want that. 

If the target is 2023, so be it. Let us look at it in the long term. 

What kind of a system will the United Kingdom, Germany and France be ruled by in 2050? What will they do to incorporate more democracy and more welfare? How will they formulate their constitutions? Let us dream of these and try to project them. If a new system is to be introduced, then let us construct it according to this.  

If there is such a constitutional offer, I would throw a large party the day the referendum results say “yes.” 

Police operation like a film 

To be frank, I thought the Reina nightclub terrorist must have fled the country a long time ago. When so many days passed after the attack on the first day of the year, I thought it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

I applaud the police, the intelligence units and whoever had an effort in this. It was amazing that he was caught; it was more amazing that he was caught alive. There were 250 policemen taking security precautions around the hospital the terrorist was taken to for a health check, so I am guessing that there is a high expectation that information and contacts will be obtained. If they are able to complete the connections and solve that network, then this operation is not only awesome but would be a worldwide heroic story. 

Any day that we are currently experiencing as a country has the potential to become the plot of a future film. If this last operation is shot as a film or a documentary one day, I will be the first to watch it. 

Generally, we have been suffering sleepless nights with terrible news arriving at late hours. On Monday night, this time, it was good news that caused our insomnia.