The past is a time whose memory is worth the world

When people navigate the events they encounter using past experiences and lessons, they are more likely to make accurate decisions. With this thought in mind, it is useful to read the expression in the title as: “The past is a time whose lessons are worth the world.”

The year is 1959, and towards the middle of the year, an extraordinary rise in social incidents is being observed in our country. Despite all the social uprisings, the Democrat Party government is not willing to hold elections and transfer power. Instead of elections, politicians are trying to govern society by putting pressure on universities and public institutions through extraordinary methods such as the Investigation Commission; in short, political tension is steadily rising. On April 28, a student uprising takes place at Istanbul University, police enter the university, the rector Ord. Prof. Dr. Sıddık Sami Onar falls to the ground in the scuffle, his glasses are broken, some students are taken by the police, and the university is closed. Martial law is declared in the country, but at the same time, a covert social uprising continues internally. As a university student, I grasp the situation and watch the developments with sadness and suspicion. The general consensus was that things were dragging toward the bottom, and the only way out of this situation was not martial law and increasingly violent repressive methods, but on the contrary, to resort to the will and judgment of the people through a general election. Because the nails had been pulled out, the columns had been worn down, and the building was shaking!

It did not happen; the government was resisting the course of events with an incredible and incomprehensible stubbornness. The hoped-for decision for a general election was not taken, and unfortunately, the May 27 coup arrived! Just as it was then, my common conviction today—and I believe that of all citizens with common sense—is that if the decision for an election had been taken, our democracy would not have been interrupted, nor would the party and the deputies of that period have faced the well-known and ominous event that we will never forget. As I remember the past and what was experienced, I still cannot believe what we went through for the sake of those events. Political ambitions often deal very heavy and irreparable blows to the politicians themselves, the structures they are affiliated with, and most importantly, to the country and its democratic institutions.

Politicians must deeply perceive that the philosophical structure of the oath they take when assuming power includes a promise of dedication to democracy and the exaltation of the country, and they must integrate this into the deepest tissues of their veins. The esoteric meaning of the oath of office is that the politician's duty is to strip away personal ambition and interests and, for a temporary period, to be in the service of the nation in accordance with the procedures under the umbrella of the state, which is built in line with existing constitutional principles. In this duty, there is no room for major personal and/or organizational transformations that would lead to damaging the spirit of the existing constitution, nor is it possible to turn toward initiatives contrary to the spirit of the constitution. The constitution is so binding that in the USA, it was once recorded as a constitutional provision that the budget deficit be zeroed out or kept within certain limits within a certain period to limit public debt. Such being the case, what is important is not to recite the oath of office by heart or by adhering to the art of oratory, but to grasp and internalize its spirit.

Politics is not a profession, it is not a source of income, and it is certainly not a guarantee that provides a secured payment in retirement, and it should not be. A politician should not enter politics for self-interest; politics is not conducted for self-interest at the expense of the national interest. The politician's duty, as an art of social management, is to protect the money and management rights of third parties, and to defend and protect the interests of the third persons and/or groups they represent, not the politician's own. As a more subtle and sensitive point, while the politician is primarily obligated to protect the interests of the segment they represent, they must also take care not to perform this duty in a way that harms social and national interests. From this job description, which can be further detailed, it is understood that the politician should see themselves as a personality structure in which the national interest is embodied.

Marx, when describing capital in the capitalist fabric, treats it as an organic structure that pursues a goal of permanent growth by exploiting labor and the consumer. So much so that for capital to exploit labor and the supplier, it must be the sole buyer, i.e., an oligopsony, and to exploit the consumer, it must be the sole seller, i.e., an oligopoly, or in the language the public understands, a monopoly. For this reason, the only enemy of capital is opposing capital. It is also for this reason that the theory of competition, which capitalist economists put forward at every opportunity, is a theory that serves capital itself in the medium and long term, not the consumer. The reason is this: in competition, capital struggles to the death to wipe opposing capital from the market. As a result, the capital that dominates the market exploits both the supplier and labor to the death, and also exploits the consumer to the bone.

While the capitalist system primarily supports capital, it also applies anti-trust laws, albeit not very effectively, with the appearance of partially protecting the consumer and the labor front. The political counterpart to such token laws applied in markets is the renewal of elections at certain intervals to resort to the public vote. The most obvious example of this is the ability of the CHP, as the founding party, to transfer power through elections, which has gone down in our political history as a source of pride. Although not as clear, almost all political parties until the AKP era have passed this test with a certain degree of maturity. The fact that the AKP has remained in power for over twenty years does not constitute a political crime. However, irregularities that led the public to suspicion in some general and local elections have left a stain on our political life. If we look at today's events and conditions, an early election is seen as necessary both for the sake of politicians, the AKP itself, and more importantly, to prevent damage to the country and its democratic structure. Let us hope that in line with common sense, the view of absolute party and individual dominance will be eliminated and we will achieve a peaceful social structure in the most appropriate environment.

Let us hope that the actors on the political stage will play the leading role in our attainment of a peaceful social structure and bring peace to society. The attainment of peace by society and the putting of the economy on track is in the interest of the politicians themselves as much as it is for society. In societies described as democratic, a politician cannot be at odds with society; such a situation is contrary to the structure of society as well as the style of conducting politics. A style of politics that is contrary to the views that have manifested and become widespread in society cannot be described as democratic in any way. Such pressures can lead to social unrest and, just as experienced in the one-man regime, also lead to suspicions regarding the dominance of imperialist pressures on the politician. In such a structure and amidst the intense unrest being experienced, one should not embark on the creation of a constitution, which is a kind of social contract. Such a possible attempt would not only be flawed in terms of legality but would also lack political ethics in the context of respect for society.

I want to believe that the current politicians will make the most appropriate decision for themselves, their organizations, and the benefit of the country!