Duran Bülbül writes: Corruption and a clean society

The search brought about by the process of corruption experienced in Turkey has set many mechanisms in motion. The large-scale corruption and bribery incidents that have occurred over the last 25 years have negatively affected Turkish society and led to significant changes in its value judgments.

Income distribution in society has been severely distorted, and vast wealth has been transferred to certain individuals and groups at the expense of the welfare of the broad masses. On the other hand, the negative effects of persistent inflation, combined with the adverse impacts caused by the system of corruption, profiteering, and plunder, have opened deep wounds in society.

Legal regulations that are slow to adapt (or are made to adapt) to rapidly changing conditions have led to legislative gaps and created environments conducive to abuse. The inability to rescue the justice mechanism from sluggishness has also caused delays in the hearing of cases. This has led to a erosion of trust in the judicial system.

In our country, which consumes more than it produces, finding a job, opening a business, benefiting from hospital services, or obtaining zoning permits, etc., has mostly become a matter of cronyism and favoritism. So much so that because necessary tasks are not performed and rules are not applied equally to everyone, people have begun to greet services with great gratitude.

In recent years, there has been frequent talk in our country of a moral collapse in political life, political culture, and political structures and institutions. Unfortunately, this moral collapse is also reflected in other structures and institutions of social life and in social culture. To put it more clearly, as a result of the pollution and corruption experienced in politics, it is observed that moral value judgments are gradually deteriorating in the economy, media, scientific world, and the institution of the family.

Our proverbs, "The fish rots from the head" and "One rotten onion can spoil the whole pot," in our opinion, express what we want to convey in the most concise way. The moral values, behaviors, and actions of those who govern the state undoubtedly have an impact on other social structures and institutions. Above all, the fact that the economic power and authority of those who govern the state are "unlimited," and the resulting use of economic policies for the purpose of being re-elected, completely destroys the economic order and structure.

In my opinion, the primary culprits for the chronic inflation, budget deficits, debt trap, and other economic problems we live in today are the political powers (central and local). Unfortunately, for politicians, the best economic policies are the prescriptions that will win them the election. The election economy strategies of political powers and parties make economic problems and corruption more chronic with each passing day.

The efforts of political powers (central and local) to gain support by providing benefits to segments of society other than the electorate bring new types of corruption to the agenda. Political powers can corrupt institutions such as the business world, the media, and the scientific world by promising or providing them with benefits.

In my opinion, the primary culprits for the deterioration and corruption of business ethics, media ethics, and scientific ethics today are the political powers. There is no longer any possibility for the members of political powers and parties, who never let concepts like "national interests," "societal benefits," and "public interest" off their tongues at every opportunity, to convince society that they are not pursuing their own private interests.

Especially in today's societies, which are experiencing the information age, the knowledge society, and media democracy, there is truly no possibility for this. No matter how uninterested citizens may be in politics, they are not as uninformed (ignorant) as they were in periods when mass media tools were inadequate.

Resource transfers made from state budgets through various methods over the last 25 years have disrupted the balance to the detriment of other expenditures (current, investment, etc.). Investment expenditures have lagged behind current and transfer expenditures. Public transfer expenditures, which are very normal to use in fulfilling the state's principle of being a "social state," have been used in Turkey since 1980 to create "nouveau riche" or a "capitalist group."

The erosion caused by inflation across all layers of society has also brought about a system of theft, plunder, bribery, abuse, and corruption. Today, a phenomenon of "pollution" of unbelievable proportions is being experienced in our country. Unfortunately, the judicial system cannot be accelerated, the economy cannot function effectively due to legal loopholes, and legislation remains insufficient in regulating market activities.

In Turkey, the "rent-seeking" system that causes pollution, profiteering, abuse, corruption, bribery, theft, and plunder must be dismantled. The Clean Society Campaign is an important opportunity for this. There is no "dirty society" in Turkey as there is in Italy. On the contrary, society is being tried to be polluted by certain forces.

This is an important observation that needs to be thought about. Because mechanisms such as corruption, profiteering, and bribery prevent society's attention from being drawn to other directions. In such a system, it is easier to produce policy, manage the economy, or influence the masses. Because the social structure that will form in this environment will also give rise to an arabesque culture.

In other words, it will create a fatalistic, long-suffering, weary, "it has always been this way, it will always be this way," socio-cultural environment that does not trust reason and logic. For example, the most important reason why the AKP has a significant majority in our country today is a result of the distrust people feel toward the existing order. People no longer trust the parties of the existing order, and some turn to a party that promises them the peaceful environment of Islam against the system. This point needs to be examined in a healthy way by other parties.

Today, Turkey's administrative structure exhibits extreme inadequacies in terms of country management.

To rescue the corrupted areas in Turkey from this, political cadres who will carry out the mentioned administrative, legal, and economic reforms; who are determined and prioritize the goal of serving humanity over electoral gain; and who are consistent, decisive, and visionary must come to power. For this, it is inevitable to recreate positions and the rules attached to them in parallel with the changes in the world and in our country.

There is great dynamism and desire for this in our society. It is important for politicians and administrative cadres to see these and to shake themselves off and desire this change. The fate of this society should no longer be poverty, lack of education, poor health, and being looked down upon. To protect our social values, we must first take ownership of our society.

As in social life, there is a need for social cooperation and consensus above all else to determine common values in political life. We need to try to determine what is "good" and what is "bad" in politics, or in philosophical terms, what is the "highest good." This is a restructuring project in politics. Such a project is inevitable for a Clean Society and Clean Politics.

In my opinion, this is what needs to be done in our country, which is in search of a Clean Society and Clean Politics. A Restructuring Reform in Politics or Public Administration is absolutely necessary. This, undoubtedly, should not be handled only as a Legal Reform.

To establish political ethics and eliminate political corruption, it is necessary to handle legal reform at two levels and in a way that complements each other. The first is Constitutional Reform, and the second is Legal-Institutional Reform.

However, we know the seriousness of the matter, and the established, institutionalized, traditionalized, and furthermore, legitimized foundation has come to the brink of an open confrontation between illegitimate forces and the forces of the people. This situation, without exaggeration, necessitates a new revolution, a new opening.

Solution: The Third Way.