I wouldn’t count on Gül and start an uprising

President Abdullah Gül was addressing journalists during his recent trip to Hungary when he said, “If you have pressure over you, you have every right to rise up against it.”

Let’s look again: Who said this? The person who said this is heading the state of the Republic of Turkey. In other words, you can count on his words and feel free to rise up, right?

Well, I’m very sorry, dude. I would not count on these words and attempt to rise against anything… No need to be engaged in such acts…

As long as the mentality that is capable of suspending the Constitution with an early morning coup, one which makes the judiciary report to the executive power, a mentality that has adopted such a dictatorial stance…

When the person heading the government, each and every day, is advancing on us with his police, his intelligence and his tax inspector, as well as with his passion for rhetoric…

When he has blacked out and is even putting aside the authoritarian regime and opting for an open dictatorship…

I would not count on the president’s words and stage a rise-up.

Well, let’s say I am not much concerned about my own situation. I would still be concerned for the company I am working at; I would consider the bread and butter of the people working there… 

I would be pondering on the police officers who would knock on my door at the time of the morning call to prayer, the financial mujahidin that would frequently visit the case of my company.

As long as those who regard the nation as stupid, who generate a new lie every day and then repeat that lie every day… As long as those who base their election campaigns on lies, then divide the people into two, into three based on these lies, occupy their seats…

Assurance given by the “head of the state” does not really mean much to me.

Nobody should count on me, I would not do it consciously, that is, become the brave victim of an interim regime.

I like the president; I respect the president; however, I would not count on him and stage a rebellion, because if my doorbell rings at 6 a.m. in the morning, I am as sure of it as myself that the one knocking at my door is not the milkman.

What has this interim regime taught us?

This interim regime has taught us that an elected government may not necessarily be democratic, that even dictators can come to power through elections…

That, the national will of the 40 percent may beat up the national will of the 51 percent…

That, there is no risk for politicians when they lie and when they slander…

That, politicians can continue their lies, even after they were disproved by documents and images…

That, corruption and theft are not too much of a crime in the eyes of a segment of the public…

We have learned all of the above…

A Tuesday nightmare every day for 40 days 

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially launched his election campaign yesterday. There were a thousand insults for the media…

This means that, in the coming 40 days, every day will be a “Tuesday nightmare.” (Tuesdays are the days political party leaders, including the prime minister, deliver their parliamentary group speeches.)
Take care that you do not get too upset…

While he is talking, close your ears and make a “Lalalalalaaaaaa” noise loud and clear so that you avoid the passion of the rhetoric spilling on you.

Ertuğrul Özkök is a columnist for daily Hürriyet in which this piece was published on Feb 20. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.