Elections, journalists, and Havala

One day before the election, a friend of mine who owns a public opinion research company, whom I trust very much, called and said, “Both İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş are losing. In fact, the CHP is even losing Sarıyer and Kartal in Istanbul.” My friend, whose predictions have been correct for years and whom I trusted because he said “No, Erdoğan can win” for the last presidential election when everyone else was saying “Erdoğan will lose,” was wrong this time; Erdoğan and his party suffered a heavy defeat.

The most gratifying aspect of the election results was that it showed democracy is functioning in Turkey. Over the past 20 years, we have experienced so many events that eroded democracy that we had lost hope, but it turns out we shouldn't have; the election showed this. It was well known that the government's policies over the last 20 years did not lead Turkey to good places, and the election results show that there is no one left who does not understand this now.

However, there is a reality before us: even if the government suffered a defeat in this election, it will remain in power for another 4 years, and if they continue with what they have done until today, Turkey could experience much more severe losses.

We hope they do not.

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In fact, the smartest move the government could make is to ensure genuine freedom of the press.

When you silence the media, darkness falls, and democracy dies in the dark.

Someone needs to explain this to the ruling party.

If those who govern the country make the media free, they will have the chance to see every mistake they make in advance and correct their errors; seeing and realizing this is in their own interest.

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Look, I am going to tell you about a book; our young colleague Murat Ağırel wrote it, and thankfully, he signed and sent it to me, saying “In the name of the honor of the pen.”

The name of the book: Havala (Kırmızı Kedi Publishing).

Havala is an informal money transfer method we know very well: You want to send money abroad, but you don't want to send it through legal channels; you give it to someone in Turkey, and their connections deliver the money to your connections abroad in exchange for a commission. We know this method very well because, before September 12, when it was forbidden to take money out of the country, Havala was a very commonly used method.

Nowadays, drug traffickers have started using it, so much so that it has even entered the literature.
In Murat Ağırel’s book 'Havala', the Havala schemes of drug traffickers are explained point by point:

• Police officers caught with drugs who are immediately released, and prosecutors who are drug traffickers.

• The Mersin Free Zone, which is completely mired in drugs and has turned into a revolving door.

• Syrians who become citizens in Turkey and establish legal companies but engage in drug trafficking.

• Those who have turned Turkey into a drug base due to the ever-increasing drug trade.

• Sacks of money paid to crony companies that bought x-ray devices instead of installing them at customs.

• Inspectors who became paid employees of cocaine traffickers while they were supposed to be conducting drug inspections at customs.

• High-profile lawyers who defend drug cartels for money while stomping around on screen talking about the law.

• And of course, the decent police officers, customs officials, civil servants, lawyers, and journalists who do their jobs with honor to expose all these disgraces, at the cost of being exiled, fired, or even their lives.

Murat Ağırel is the most hardworking journalist of recent times; he has written about all these events, file by file.

Do not forget that Murat Ağırel is the journalist who exposed the allegations regarding hundreds of apartments belonging to the AKP's Ankara Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate; perhaps this was one of the reasons why the CHP received twice as many votes as the AKP in Ankara. Remember, it was revealed through this discussion that the children of a mayoral candidate, whose fathers are as rich as Croesus, were made civil servants in the state by bypassing the KPSS exam.

It is up to those who govern the ruling party to read the book HAVALA line by line and do what is necessary for each file, to perform surgery on the drug scandals that have grown due to their own negligence until today; and after doing all this, to thank Murat Ağırel.

However, of course, the problem is not just drugs; there are major problems in every field.

That is why the media must be the guardian of democracy in all areas, and this happens first and foremost by clearing the way for real media organizations.

If the government clears the way for an honorable and honest media, all the wrongs that have accumulated over the last 22 years will be brought to light, and they will have a chance to correct them before the next election.

If they do not, they may not even be able to get the votes they have now in the first election to be held.