Comparing the nighttime attackers with Hürriyet's daytime staff

Belgin Akaltan - belgin.akaltan@hdn.com.tr

I am taking a look at the crowd that attacked our newspaper building, the headquarters of daily Hürriyet, twice this week and I am taking a look at us, the Hürriyet journalists, who gathered in front of the same entrance of the building where glass was shattered. We were there to renew our commitment to independent journalism and they were there, I don’t know, to attack us, to intimidate the press, break the glass and beat a few security guards.

I can’t help but compare the two groups of people. One crowd is dark. They appear at night; they are nocturnal. They are all male, their women are at home. They shout and are full of hatred. They think they love their country and are committing these acts out of their love for their country. They see us as enemies.  

When I look at us, I first see that we are a coed group; there are many women employees, women managers, in fact our chairperson is a woman. We are colorful, young (not me), well-educated, a bit intimidated but happy. We smile; we make jokes, we do not earn much but we have a lot of love to give. Well, we are versatile; we do not hate the other crowd. We have no intention of attacking anybody. We love our country just as much as they do and maybe more. 


They called us traitors when they attacked the building. They told us to leave the country. Well kids, I have a grown up son who could have been doing his [compulsory] military service right now. My male colleagues have all done their military services. It is compulsory in Turkey. How are we any different from you? Can’t you see that some centers are pumping hatred all around so that we fight each other?  

I am just as Turkish as you are. I am just as Kurdish as you are. I love my country just as you do. I don’t like some aspects of my country and criticize them just as you do. But I do not attack your workplace with stones and clubs and break your glass. That’s the difference between us. 

Well, I was going to write that I will be supporting the ruling party from now on. I have changed my mind. Not that I am intimidated by the attacks on our offices. Well, yes, I am scared to death. But this change of mind of me to vote for the ruling party is for another reason. I want peace and I want to see what they can do. No other rational choice will stop the bloodshed so why not try some irrational choices? 

I love penguins anyway. 

I mean obviously they love their country and they have certain solutions to fix the problems of this country. Obviously 13 years were not enough. For the sake of peace, I want them to win, change the constitution and let the president be the all-powerful executive president. Let us see what is happening. I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want the young souls of this country to die for nothing. 

I don’t want to be engaged in trying to explain to “nocturnal” people again and again that there is another option: daylight. And that there are proven universal rights and wrongs and we do not need to discover them again. I succumb.

Let’s all go and join the ruling party. Let us be one of them.

I will vote for them. I will join the mob. I am tired.