Wearing the ISIL sympathy glasses

The “constitution professor” of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Burhan Kuzu, during Cüneyt Özdemir's show on CNN Turk, said one young man killed during the pro-Kobane protests, Yasin Börü, had been tortured. “These are unacceptable things. On the other side, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL] is perhaps doing this job in more practical terms,” Kuzu said.

Indeed, it is impossible to understand the murder of a 16-year-old boy by torture. It is the utmost duty of the police to catch those who committed this act and hand them over to justice. This savage murder should not go unpunished.

However, while criticizing an atrocity, what does it mean to categorize the other atrocity as “practical?” You will remember how former Deputy Prime Minister Emrullah İşler had posted a similar tweet, writing: “ISIL is killing, but at least it's not torturing.”

Obviously, the methods ISIL is using, such as beheading, raping women and selling women in the slave market do not seem so “savage” to these guys. 

We may think that perhaps one of them got carried away. But if another person - after such a reaction from the public - who is a professor, can re-voice the same sentences, one needs to search for “sympathy glasses.” 

If we consider their reluctance to describe ISIL as a terrorist organization, as well as their “smart” proclamations about "trying to understand this organization,” then we can easily find those glasses. 

Away game bans and powers of the police

During Oct. 18’s derby game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, there will again be an “away game ban.”

At the beginning of the season, the administrations of Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş agreed to provide spectators of the visiting team with the opportunity to watch the match. Later, Galatasaray joined this agreement.

However, in this week’s match, the away ban will be reapplied. No Fenerbahçe fan will be allowed to enter the stadium.

The reason for this is that the Istanbul Security Department, based on the fact that the new “Passolig” system is not yet fully functional, opposes the presence of away fans in stadiums.   

There is nothing in any other country that is similar to the Passolig system. The purpose of developing this system, which one by one records all spectators entering the stadium, was to prevent violence in football.

You already know that we also have a law on preventing violence in sports. It contains heavy penalties and introduces significant punishments to those who resort to violence, who are involved in incidents and who prepare the ground for violence.

The Istanbul Security Department, the establishment that is in charge of securing the free movement of people in this city with peace of mind, wants the away game ban to continue.

Well, if laws are needed, then here are the laws. What's more, the Passolig system ensures that everybody entering the stadium, their background and which seat they are sitting in, can be easily monitored. Stadiums are also equipped with plenty of cameras, so whoever is involved in an incident can be removed from the stadium immediately.

However, despite all this, the Istanbul Security Department still fears that a few hooligans could initiate an incident. With this fear it wants the ban to continue, obstructing people from freely attending any match they wish.