Does the law still have any meaning?

How can you trust the law in a place where almost all institutions have collapsed? In societies where corruption rots the core of institutions, trusting the law can seem impossible. Corruption weakens the foundation of justice, leaving citizens cynical and hopeless. Moreover, lawlessness and corruption become the accepted currency. The criminal turns into a hero. Both good and evil are expected from outside the law.

            Seeking the Antidote to Lawlessness in the Enemies of the Law

            Is this not depicted even in literature and cinema? Was the fictional character Zorro not created as a result of the collapse of morality and law in the feudal order? Or, due to a corrupt police force and the criminal underworld, did Bruce Wayne, the heir to Gotham's wealthiest family, not turn into Batman? Did Alexandre Dumas not entrust the entire French monarchy to the skills of three musketeers against the ambitious and corrupt figures surrounding the French King? What about Robin Hood? He was the remedy against the King's regent who robbed the British peasantry in the absence of the 'Lionheart' Richard, an army of thieves who went on crusades to plunder Jerusalem.

            Çakırcalı Efe against the Ottoman Empire, which crushed the people with taxes... Centuries before him, the Anatolian Beyliks, led by the Osmanoğlu Beylik, against the Byzantine Emperor who crushed the people with taxes and refused to share his authority... Those who fall into the sea cling to a snake. The more they cling to the snake, the larger the sea becomes.

            Remember the unforgettable film by the Wachowski sisters, V for Vendetta.The Hitler-esque Adam Sutler regime was defeated by a mutant hero hiding behind the mask of Guy Fawkes, who in British history had resorted to reactionary terror against Parliament. It is even in the Torah: against the monster Goliath (Jalut), it was not the wisest, the most virtuous, or the most spiritual person who was chosen; it was the most brazen, the most reckless, the most independent  David (Davut) who was chosen. Harsh measures are necessary against an extra-legal element. But responding to lawlessness with lawlessness makes it difficult to re-establish the rule of law.

            Law Despite Everything

            Despite widespread corruption, decay, and lawless power, insisting on the law remains important for several reasons.

            First, laws provide a framework for order and stability. Even in corrupt systems, they establish a foundation for what is acceptable and what is not. This framework provides order by preventing the disintegration of the social structure. Trusting in the law is not about ignoring corruption, but about recognizing principles that remain valid despite the abuse of laws. When belief in such principles is socially abandoned, the ground upon which the legitimacy of the struggle rests begins to crack. Insisting on that ground is essential. The struggle we are trying to win is not between us and them. The struggle is between law and lawlessness; between the welfare and peace of society and the wealth of a handful of people. Otherwise, it is not just a seesaw going up and down. Fighting for a false scale is futile. One must fight for leveling and rising. Equality, but at the highest levels!

            Second, honest individuals still exist within broken institutions. Whistleblowers, reformers, and conscientious public officials work to defend justice in corrupt systems. They keep files, protect records; they are the conscience of an unscrupulous order, the upright pillars of the fortress of humanity. Supporting them and believing in the possibility of reform is crucial. Without the participation of citizens who believe in justice, corruption spreads unchecked.

            The Task: Insisting on Ideals!

            Finally, the law represents ideals that transcend temporary corruption. It is a structure in which social values such as freedom, equality, and justice are embodied. Institutions may fail, but the fundamental principles of law are still worth trusting. Citizens must be vigilant against corruption, participate in civil processes, demand accountability, and support legal reforms to restore integrity to institutions. Trusting in the law in the face of corruption means advocating for reform and believing that, even if flawed, justice is still worth fighting for.

            But most importantly, one must grasp that the law, principles, and justice cannot be established without hearts and weapons to defend them. Without eyes looking to the skies, swords drawn from their scabbards, and hearts that do not fall silent despite threats of arrest or death, law and justice are just empty words!