Sure, let’s unite, but how?

We can easily recite the usual things that we expect to hear and see following terror attacks. Officials will say terror would be destroyed, smashed from its source, terrorists would be drowned in the blood they shed, we would not back away and we would not surrender. So let us get ready to live with this.

The same officials are also telling us what we should be doing. “They are against our unity; let us not disrupt our unity. Let us stay calm, let us be united, let us not pave the way for those who want to set us against each other,” the usual words.

But, somehow, we can never be “united.” The constitution of the country and the administrative system are changing. Shouldn’t we be united while this is being done? No, there is no need, two parties have agreed, the subject has not even been debated properly in parliament. They have silenced those deputies who were there to talk, some of which are already in jail. One half of the country feels excluded and pushed aside but our big wigs are saying how unified we are.

They do so because what they understand from “unity” is obeying whatever they say. If you do not accept what they tell you, then it is you who has disrupted the unity, not them.

Until New Year’s Eve arrived, from schools to the message of the last Friday sermon sent to mosques from the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), there was a spree of banning all kinds of New Year’s entertainments.

Some have put a gun to the head of a man dressed as Santa Claus; others drew pictures of Santa while he was being punched. The Diyanet warned pious segments of the country from mosques, never to participate in celebrations.

Not even one official came out and said, “Who cares, this is a free country. Whoever wants to, can celebrate the New Year, nobody can interfere into that.”

Have you seen the Twitter messages sent by certain human-looking creatures after the massacre? Where is our security and judiciary, the one that monitors every social media account and sends the owner of the slightest opposing post to the prosecutor’s office or even jail, accusing them of insulting our statesmen?

Have you heard that they have apprehended those who posted messages supporting the massacre, who say they are happy that so many people died because they were celebrating the New Year?

Yes, the terrorists are attacking our lifestyles. We should be united to fight this, we need to defend each other. Well, are we going to do this by feeling so isolated and alone in this country, in our own country? Is this a duty that falls on us only? Don’t the rulers of this state, this country have any responsibility in this?

Attack could have been prevented

We know that the attack on Reina was not a surprise and it was expected. As a matter of fact, for the past two weeks, serious security measures were taken in Ortaköy and Beşiktaş. It was impossible not to notice that vehicles were checked, not only uniformed but also plain-clothed policemen were on duty. In the nearby neighborhood Bebek, armored police vehicles called “scorpion” and special teams equipped with arms were patrolling. But again, it was not possible to prevent the attack.

Well, could it have been prevented?

Yes, it could have been, at least the casualties could have been lower.

 According to statements, the very young police officer at the entrance of Reina and security guards of the club were shot even before the terrorist entered the venue. Well, on a day when such an attack was expected, is it right to deploy only one police officer at the entrance who would not even find the opportunity to defend himself?

The entrance of Reina was protected by the club’s own teams anyway. Why was a team not situated at the other side of the road on the pavement at an angle where it could see the entrance? If this had been done, then would the attacker be given the opportunity to go in after the first shots at the door?

No, he wouldn’t have been. The observing team would have shot the terrorist right away, and the incident would have ended there.

I would that why this attack was not able to be prevented should be scrutinized and conclusions should be drawn. But can a country’s parliament that has not been able to properly investigate the coup attempt will be able to do that?