Those who cannot speak should not serve on the Cabinet

If we lived in a normal country, we would have been reading news stories today about Interior Minister Naim Şahin’s handing in his resignation to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, or about how the prime minister told Şahin that his resignation would be so much better for the interests of the party.
 
We have seen neither that Şahin has any such intention nor that the Prime Minister has a habit of forcing Cabinet ministers to resign, the ones he had hand-picked himself. On the contrary, the Prime Minister has a nature that protects “his man,” even if he is upset with him. Well, of course this also has its limits. Apparently Şahin has not crossed the line yet.

The Interior Minister will not resign despite severe criticisms from the speaker of the ruling party and prominent members of the Cabinet, however, with his stance, he is likely to lose his credibility and influence with the public and in the ministry he heads.

In the period ahead, either Şahin will totally keep quiet and be free of blunders, or he will continue to talk and be dismissed with the first Cabinet reshuffle, because however much the prime
minister protects him, Şahin has unnecessarily and grossly hurt the image of the ruling party.

The reason for this is his lack of political flexibility. Actually he is a direct, straightforward human being; he means what he has uttered. He says what he thinks. However, from time to time his thoughts do not coincide with the mainstream of his party. Also, many times, when he begins to speak, he ends up speaking on unplanned topics.

There is only one way to escape similar situations, and that is for the leader to select his ministers from among those who know how to speak.

Memorandum from the prosecutor
Rasim Ozan wrote in his column at daily Takvim that he was astonished. I read the indictment he mentioned, and I completey agree with Ozan.

In the third indictment in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) investigation, there is an accusation, which, if the other indictments are like this one, then God save us.

The indictment claims that Ahmet Hakan (a journalist) and Cüneyt Zapsu (a businessman and former advisor to the prime minister) were frequently meeting up with KCK Executive Committee head Murat Karayılan and making proposals. This is based on a statement given by a defendant named Nurettin Fırat. However, except for Fırat’s word, there is no evidence, no witness or and no phone transcription that proves this situation ever occurred. Moreover, Fırat does not even testify that he witnessed the alleged meetings.

In short, this is a completely empty accusation. It is included in an indictment and it is circulating among the public as if it were true. How incredible is that? How is it that a speculation that is no more than a rumor can find its way into an indictment? This should actually be called a “justice memorandum.” This brings up reason for doubt ,also. Are all of the other KCK indictments full of such empty accusations?

Letter from a deputy under arrest
The Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) elected deputy from Şanlıurfa, İbrahim Ayhan, who is under arrest, has sent a letter. He says he has done exactly the same as other members of his political party have done, but his actions have been associated with terrorism. The court will rule on May 31. He will either be released and join the Parliament, or he will be kept in jail.