Only those unable to digest human rights
A military coup is one of the worst calamities that could happen to a country or people; even the worst democracy is better than a coup. A coup is a damned thing.
We know this and most of us have been arguing this for many years anyway, not just today. However, standing against coups does not mean accepting unlawful practices.
Leaving aside the coup supporters (because I have nothing to do with them), I want to ask the others…
What comes to your mind when you see the photos and videos of the soldiers who were severely beaten on the Bosphorus Bridge or piled up half-naked in barns?
Do you take a lot of pleasure? Or are you uncomfortable?
Let me narrow the question a bit: Because those in the picture are soldiers, are you uncomfortable because you are a person who respects and values the Turkish soldier?
In other words, even if what the uniform seen in those images represents does not mean a thing to you - for instance, those in the images are your arch enemies - will you approach the matter with total sentimentally and excuse the maltreatment and the torture?
Will you not be uncomfortable?
Those who take pleasure from these images or those who are uncomfortable only because those in the images are soldiers are not too far away from each other.
And this is concerning in the name of civilization. It is the indication that law and universal human rights norms have not been truly adopted.
In a lawful country, nobody can punish as they like; police cannot maltreat anybody arbitrarily. Particularly if that country is a signatory of international treaties. Especially while these international treaties emphasize human rights many times…
Exclusively if that country has been tried in human rights court many times for similar causes, been convicted and paid fines…
Regardless of whether you like it or not, law and human rights are not subjective or personal. They have universal meanings and nobody can bend them or distort them as they like.
Democracy, together with many other things, is the acceptance of this.
They are asking, “What if a tank drove over your loved ones? Would you be able to stay so calm?”
Is that possible? I would absolutely not stay calm. I would want to torch the whole world. I totally sympathize with the sentimental reactions of these people; I can understand them…
But I do not understand the others.
Everybody in this country was equally hurt that night, but despite this, it is apparent that these people who were fervently defending lynches instead of law and chanting “death penalty” were enslaved by their feelings.
It is out of the question that empathy turns into violence. This is not empathy; this is the feeling of revenge. Yes, the perpetrators should be tried and get the maximum sentences, but no to capital punishment, torture and maltreatment.
Because certain people think today that certain people are going to be hanged for justified reasons, because they feel like taking their lives... Well, how can you be sure that tomorrow, certain people won’t be sentenced to death for unjustified reasons?
