Is there a high court here?
Between April 25 and May 3, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was broadcast live on channels A Haber, TGRT, Ülke TV and Kanal 24 for 991 minutes, which is 16 hours 31 minutes. All the regular programs were cancelled, replaced by presidential rallies. The same channels, on the same dates, allocated zero air time for opposition leaders Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Devlet Bahçeli and Selahattin Demirtaş. The article of the law concerning equal and impartial broadcast has been totally violated; the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) is only watching silently.
It has been like this since March. Erdoğan is making Justice and Development Party (AKP) propaganda for hours on live broadcasts. He responds to the opposition one-by-one, criticizes them. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have objected numerous times on the grounds of a “violation of the constitution;” the Supreme Election Board (YSK) turns them down every time.
Lastly, the Patriotic (Vatan) Party filed an application to the Constitutional Court demanding the suspension of Erdoğan’s rallies. We do not know what the ruling will be, but even if the Constitutional Court decided on a suspension, will Erdoğan abide by it? That is another aspect.
No matter, the task falls on the “high courts.” This illegality has to be probed and stopped. The constitution is being violated constantly, laws are not applied and “election safety” has become a top concern. However, on the other hand the “higher judicial bodies” are only watching. The situation is perfect for a doctoral thesis…
Rebellion at the semi-colony
“How much do you earn? My undersecretary earns 5,000 Turkish Liras, you earn 10,000.” For five years these scandalous words were behind the ongoing tension with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC); insulting Turkish Cyprus through financial aid.
In July 2010, Erdoğan asked TRNC Prime Minister İrsem Çelik in a joint press conference, “How much is your salary?” He was implying, “We are paying your salary; why are you still talking?” This insult opened a deep wound in Turkish Cyprus: the frequent mentioning of aid.
Five years later, Erdoğan is again calculating money: “We are giving you almost 1 billion liras.”
Turkish Cyprus does not have a say before Ankara; it is as if it were a “semi-colony.”
Mustafa Akıncı is the newly elected president of Turkish Cyprus and I assume Ankara does not want him. Akıncı wants out of this “semi-colony” situation and is looking for ways to enter the EU by solving the Cyprus problem. The EU is supporting Akıncı.
On the other hand, Ankara is threatening to cut 150 million liras of the 1 billion liras in annual aid. Typical colonialism; Turkish Cypriots are uneasy.
The Ankara-Turkish Cyprus tension is not new. The election of Akıncı, despite Ankara, has crowned it all. Akıncı is visiting Ankara and I am expecting policies from him which would carry Turkish Cyprus into the international arena. I agree with him in his rebellion.