Sacrificing a legend for a shoebox*


Date posted: January 8, 2014

AHMET HAKAN

The most important action of the AK Party’s eleven-year rule is ending the military tutelage system.

The AK Party accomplished jobs once thought to be impossible:

– Ending the armed bureaucracy’s [army] domination of the selected government.

– Ensuring the elected government’s ability and power.

– Ending the “coup” threats directed against the society and the government.

– Making the question “Are the lights on tonight in the general staff building?” irrelevant.

– Teaching all of us the shamefulness of begging for a military coup.

– Ending the period of adjusting/designing society through military edicts.

In short, what the AK Party has managed to accomplish is legendary.

What should we say [about this graft probe and the efforts to cover it up]?

Should we say “Well done, AK Party?”

No!

No, we should not! Not anymore.

Because for the last few days the AK Party has been saying, “We swear that we did not do this. Someone else did.” Just look at the statement of Yalcin Erdogan, key advisor to the prime minister, about the Gulen Movement : “They manufactured a plot against the national army…”

The sentence “They manufactured a plot against the national army” has two meanings:

– First: We had no idea what was going on. We did not do it; they did it.

– Second: What was done was wrong. It was a trap, a plot, and a dirty trick.

Conclusion

The conclusion is this:

Just to prevent the graft probe…

They declined the honor of ending the military tutelage system and also declared the procedures used to achieve this triumph to be “unlawful.”

Since they sacrificed the most important victory of their eleven-year rule, we can easily say the following:

My friends, this must be one hell of a shoebox!

Muddling around while trying to tidy up!

To tidy up they said, “What did the movement ask that we did not give them?”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

They nailed into society’s memory the questions of “What did they ask for, and what did you give?”

To tidy up they said, “They manufactured a conspiracy against the the national army.”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

The question of “What were you doing as the ruling power while a plot was being launched against the army?” collapsed on them with all of its weight.

To tidy up they said, “The American ambassador planned this.”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

They had to pretend not to have heard calls like “If so, then why don’t you deport the American ambassador?”

To tidy up they said, “The movement has an undercover leader/representative in the Supreme Court, and we knew who he was.”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

They did not consider the question of “You knew it all along and only now you are coming to your senses?” By this statement they cast doubt upon all of the cases before the Supreme Court.

To tidy up they said, “Who bought dollars, infiltrated every organization, wiretapped everyone?”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

They missed the case of “Well, since you are the ruling power you should not ask questions and complain. If you have evidence, produce it and do what is necessary… instead of just moaning.”

To tidy up they said, “They have infiltrated the judiciary and the police.”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

Their answer led to the question of “You have been in power for the last 11 years. How did they manage to infiltrate these bodies? Were you fishing while they were infiltrating?” Thus they risked bringing up the issue of “Can such careless people really govern the country?”

To tidy up they said, “The Sledgehammer and Ergenekon [military attempt] cases were the work of this ring.”

But instead of tidying up, they ended up muddling around some more.

Because…

After these statements were made, these huge cases had to be reconsidered… and that shook society’s sense of justice in a very fundamental – and perhaps fatal – way from top to bottom…

In short…

For the sake of getting rid of the graft probe’s negative effects and to tidy up…

they risked smashing the gearbox.

[Original article is in Turkish] 

* “Shoebox” refers to the shoebox full of money ($4.5 million) found in home of Halkbank’s CEO. The term became the humorous symbol of graft probe launched on December 17, 2013. Four ministers had to resign or be removed from the cabinet as a result of the ongoing investigation into the probe.

Source: Hurriyet , December 31, 2013


Related News

Gülen’s lawyer: a civilian structure demonized by fictitious slurs

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen, rejected the Sabah daily’s headline story on Monday titled “Parallel Council,” saying pro-government outlets aim to distract attention from anti-government corruption assertions by making false claims about the Hizmet movement.

Ministerial bureaucrats being purged over their alleged affiliations with Hizmet

Radikal said the only criteria in these purges is the “parallel state,” a term the government uses to define those bureaucrats known to favor the Hizmet movement, which is a grassroots movement based on voluntary participation to spread interfaith dialogue and tolerance with a particular emphasis on education.

Turkey seeks three consecutive life sentences for Zaman journalists on coup charges

An indictment prepared by an İstanbul prosecutor seeks three consecutive life sentences for 30 individuals who include journalists and executives from the now-closed Zaman daily on coup charges. The daily, which was affiliated with the Gülen movement, was first seized by the Turkish government in March 2016 and the closed down in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Why does the West love the Gülen movement so much?

One of the ways with which the Gülen movement is firmly pegged to the wider western world is its ability to connect with the western norms of liberal global governance. The movement has always been keen to adapt the western-liberal cooperative problem-solving mechanisms such as the EU norms.

A Turkish couple spent their wedding day feeding 4,000 Syrian refugees

Hatice Avci, a spokesperson for aid organisation Kimse Yok Mu, told i100.co.uk that last Thursday the newlyweds donated the savings their families had put together for a party to share their wedding celebrations with the refugees living in and around the town of Kilis.

GYV organized peace conference at United Nation

Speaking at the conference, GYV Secretary-General Hüseyin Hurmalı said that the GYV has been working voluntarily both in the US and across the globe to establish peace and dialogue. “We have tried to eliminate prejudices and wrong ideas about Turkey, we know that it is important for Turkey to enter into a process of peace and development,” Hurmalı added.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

U.S. would look weak, and be weak, if they sent Muslim cleric back to Turkey

Fethullah Gulen: Erdogan is not Fit to be President

Is There ‘The Cemaat’ Under Every Stone?

Did you say extradition?

Turks are not cows

African firms signal increased trade at TUSKON meeting

Reactions snowball after PM likens Hizmet members to Hashishin

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News