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


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