Justice and corruption

“Every person who has committed injustice, even if everything on earth were theirs, would sacrifice it to escape (that day). When they see the punishment, they will hide their remorse within themselves.” (Yunus-54)

I do not know if Muslims are truly living out the meaning and message of this verse. However, what I see is that there is an absolute emphasis on rights here, and this emphasis leads us to be fair, to observe rights, and to keep justice alive. So, is justice being experienced in Turkey today?

Before moving on to the answer to the question, let us talk a little about justice, if you like.

Justice is a word derived from the Arabic root 'adl'. It is related to the words 'equal' and 'measure'; therefore, the values we should observe in the context of justice should be equality, proportionality, and fairness. And, of course, the actions that will shed light on our path. What if we are in a position to pass judgment? Then we should not separate these values from us, and we should approach everyone before us with the same measure of values we hold for ourselves.

Moreover, we must uphold this principle of life in every situation and condition, and we must not forget that the way of life we lead, whether religious or secular, tells us this. Indeed, the opposite is unthinkable. A person cannot attribute any other state to the faith or thought to which they are committed. Therefore, one of the primary principles we must preserve is justice.

Let us continue with a question: Where does the absence of justice lead us?

As we stated above, justice is the principle that expresses conformity with rights and law, and the observance of rights. Now, imagine for a moment that this principle has disappeared, that rights and laws are trampled upon on both a personal and public level, and that people's most fundamental rights are being violated. At such a stage, those we face will be people who act arbitrarily or with tyranny, who exert pressure on those they deal with, and who, because they have no principle or law to which they are bound, do not observe rights and therefore carry out their actions through terrorizing methods. Now the question is: can crime and criminals be fought in such an environment, and can a fair and free life be built?

The importance of the question is obvious, I think. Indeed, if we are faced with such a question in the reality of the life we live, we can say that we are at an important breaking point. Because this question leads us to a more structural and deeper thought, questioning, and subsequently to a conclusion. The place we have arrived at is total chaos. That is to say; where there is no justice, not all criminals but only certain people are tried; where there is no justice, some criminals receive rewards instead of punishment; where there is no justice, those who stand by the powerful, not those who defend rights, are protected and shielded. This is no longer even a minimal state of law; courts specific to individuals or parties are established, judges are appointed; it is not judges but politicians who pass judgment.

At such a point, the struggle for justice takes precedence over all other struggles, and all remaining struggles can only be addressed in the light of this reality. Now we can return to the question we included at the beginning of our article. There, we asked, “Is justice being experienced in Turkey?” If we look at the current developments reflected in the public eye, it is clear that we cannot give a positive answer to this question. From the Gezi trial to the appointed trustees, from the arrests created by criticisms directed at the government to the “corruption” investigations currently being conducted, we can easily see that rights and laws are not being observed, and that what is intended is not justice but political fortune. Moreover, we are not the only ones saying this. Important names of the AKP, such as Bülent Arınç and Hüseyin Çelik, also voice this situation from time to time. For example, Arınç says, “There should be no such thing as political imprisonment.” Just as he cannot accept the cancellation of İmamoğlu’s diploma, he expresses his opinion by saying, “The Constitutional Court’s decision regarding Can Atalay has been read in parliament, and the necessary action must be taken.” Furthermore, he reminds us that Erdoğan, Erbakan, and he himself were tried without arrest even during the February 28 period.

What Hüseyin Çelik, one of the former ministers of the AKP, says about the process is quite striking. These words belong to Çelik: “Currently, the party has become the state, and the state has become the party. Unfortunately, we have also created our own militant judiciary.”

The weight and intensity of these words are obvious, I think. If I may say so, even these words alone are assessments that should create an earthquake effect in themselves. If a name who once served as a minister in a country makes such criticisms of their own party and accuses the judiciary of militancy, all remaining discussions there lose their meaning, and eyes turn only to the regime, the government, and justice.

On the other hand, we should also share this data to serve as an example of the situation the country is in: According to the 2024 World Rule of Law Index report, Turkey ranks 117th out of 142 countries. This data we mentioned is quite important. Specifically, the Rule of Law Index is calculated based on a series of scales, from whether fundamental rights in the country are under guarantee to the abuse of public office by government officials. For example, in the light of these measurements, the following facts are looked at:

“Government officials are effectively constrained by the legislature.

Government officials are effectively constrained by the judiciary.

Government officials are effectively constrained by independent auditing and review.

State officials are punished for misconduct.”

These facts we have expressed question the state of the government in a country; apart from that, the rule of law index is created by approaching many more facts from this perspective. As a result of these questionings, Turkey ranks 117th out of 142 countries. Based on this measurement, we can say that justice in Turkey is, so to speak, fighting a life-or-death battle; there is a deep collapse and crisis. As a society, we are at a level where we cannot breathe, at least on the plane of justice.

So, how will we get rid of this collapse?

Before moving on to the answer to the question, I want to continue with the phenomenon of corruption, which also forms the title of our article.

Undoubtedly, there is no acceptable side to corruption as a phenomenon obtained through unfair methods and causing harm on a social scale; it is a crime and must be condemned. However, as we have stated throughout our article, in a place where justice has disappeared, no crime, including corruption, can be investigated as it deserves. In such an order, not only corruption but no crime can be punished to the extent required. Because if courts are established not for everyone but for certain people, what is operating there is not justice, but a power struggle. It is not laws but decrees that are read from the podiums there. It is not laws but orders that are kept alive.

At the point we have reached, we can say that the absence of justice is the greatest corruption. If we want to live in a country that is accountable, transparent, where the same legal rules apply to everyone, where no one is protected, and where privileges are abolished, if our concern is to solve the problem rather than just complain, we must address corruption through justice and state that corruption will not end in its absence. The way to get rid of the collapse we are in will undoubtedly be to face ourselves, the truth, and history.

According to a narration, the Prophet of Islam says: “To rule with justice for one hour (or one day) is better than one year (or sixty years) of supererogatory worship.” Therefore, at the very least, Muslims should look at whether people rule with justice long before they look at worship. They should also listen to the 8th verse of Surah Al-Ma'idah. I think this is necessary both to evaluate the agenda we are living through healthily and to remember the importance of justice. Because the need we are experiencing is obvious.