Lilliputs

Once upon a time, in a country of little men far away, there was an administration that came to power promising people to fight against poverty, corruption and prohibitions. Over the years, the administration achieved great strides in improving the economic conditions of the country but failed in the three areas it pledged to meticulously fight against.

While the number of greenback millionaires increased in the 12 years of rule of that political administration, not only ministers, but sons and even higher-up families as well were alleged to have been involved in corruption, misuse of office and several other forms of professional graft. It was also revealed that even the civil servant recruitment examinations were bypassed and those holding the honey pot indeed licked everything to the last drop, placed their relatives in nice public posts, fooling the recruitment system’s rigid rules through fast-track transitional recruitments to local administrative positions. “What’s in that?” it could be asked. Unfortunately there is lots in that because the central recruitment system through a high security central examination system was introduced in that country decades ago, just to stop favoritism and enable the state to recruit eligible candidates.

If and when even a parliamentary inquiry can be gagged with a court order and an all-inclusive domestic security package with the potential to turn the country into a police state is legislated through Parliament within a few days, ignoring all the criticisms, nepotism might not be an alien phenomenon at all.

Thank God such things do not happen in this beautiful Turkey. The newly elected president in that far-away country could not agree to become president like his predecessors and wanted to change the system of governance from the top down, ignoring constitutional restrictions. For example, while there is a prime minster and Cabinet in charge of the affairs in that country, is it rational for the new president to issue a circular and change the structure of the presidency. In that far-away country, instead of four “departments” to report to the president regarding the constitutional compatibility of legislation, administrative affairs, financial issues or the functioning of state bodies, now 14 sections have been created. These sections, like a council of ministers, or “secretaries” in countries having a presidential system of governance, will take care of developments in all areas from energy to foreign policy to labor affairs, investments and such. These “section chiefs” or prospective secretaries, so far, will only report to the secretary-general of the presidency – who will pass on the advice to the president – and will not have executive powers.

While in that far-away country of the little men – shall we call them the “Lilliputs?” – there has already been a discussion as to whether another pious clan has established “parallel governance” and is trying to oust the true-pious clan of the tall president.

Anyhow, the tall president of the country of the little men declared recently that one reason for him constructing a gigantic presidential palace and moving the presidency out from the rotten, old cottage was to show friends and foes alike where the nation is ruled from. Furthermore, he said the grotesque new palace was impressing foreign guests and giving them the message of how big the Lilliputs were…

In that great Lilliput land, however, the state’s fight against corruption was lost with massive and systematic corruption at various levels. The distribution of wealth became so terrible that while there were more millionaires than ever, millions were living under the poverty line in misery. Prohibitions, on the other hand, were lifted for the pious ladies, and the climate in the country was improved to nourish religious and rancorous new generations. But on the other hand, the country was veiled with an unprecedented atmosphere of fear, forcing intellectuals, writers and journalists to apply painful self-censorship.

Thank God, this is not Lilliput land. In our beautiful country there are no such problems as we live in tranquility.