I will deposit one million liras into each of your accounts!

You clever people, you... You found some effortless money and clicked right away, didn't you?

I wish I had the money to keep this promise.

But where would I get it...

It is a rule in our profession; a journalist does not get rich.

And someone who is rich cannot be a journalist!

Because unless you are a crony or something, you have to dig a well with your pen just to feed your hungry stomach! Ours is a difficult job...

Now that you have read the rest of the article, you know this was a joke.

At worst, you will be angry with me and never read my column again; that's all!

But what about those who participate in an official aid campaign organized by the state, promising heaps of money, and running advertisements for it... Those who gain reputation through this...

Those who most likely convert this reputation into "money"...

But what about those who do not keep their promises?

*

It is customary; "hope" is distributed in the first articles of the year...

And the old year is always complained about; as if it were to blame for what we experienced...

Did "2023" build the shoddy buildings that collapsed in the earthquake that occurred on February 6 in our eleven provinces?

Did 2023 add sea sand to the concrete?

Did it skim off the iron?

More importantly, is 2023 also to blame for the 30 billion liras that those who participated in the "Turkey One Heart Campaign" organized after the earthquake promised with great fanfare but failed to pay?

*

CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer submitted a parliamentary question a while ago and asked Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya how much of the aid pledges in these campaigns had been realized.

In a period when no minister cares about or brushes off parliamentary questions, Minister Ali Yerlikaya, for some reason, responded immediately:

"Those who participated in the campaign during the joint live broadcast of many TV channels nine days after the earthquake pledged to donate 115 billion 146 million 528 thousand liras. 85 billion 697 million 129 thousand 344 liras of this money has been deposited into the aid accounts."

*

But what about the rest?

Why has approximately 29 billion 440 million Turkish Liras, in other words 1 billion dollars, not been deposited into the accounts for ten and a half months despite being promised?

Who are these cheap heroes?

Will there be no penalty for making a promise on a sensitive issue like an earthquake and not fulfilling it?

Are we just going to laugh it off?

Are we going to let it slide?

Are we going to let these clever people get away with the show they put on during a live broadcast watched by millions?

*

A promise made to the state is a bond. Anyone who does not keep their promise is a "disgrace to the earthquake", just like tax evaders!

They are fake heroes!

Who are these liars?

Who are these shameless people?

Announce them name by name, firm by firm, so we know!

So we know and can cut ties with them!

Let us not do business with liars, opportunists, and earthquake profiteers.

*

Just as tax evaders were once announced in page-long advertisements, it is a debt of those who organized this campaign to our people to announce the "earthquake disgraces" who exploited the public's emotions and committed "theft of honor"!

Come on, Mr. Minister; announce these opportunists who have not paid this 1 billion dollars without delay!

Oh, and...

Announcing them is not enough!

Ensure that the money they promised is collected with legal interest starting from February 15, when the broadcast took place!

Are you only going to send bailiffs to the poor who cannot pay their three-penny electricity, water, telephone, or natural gas bills as a state; send them to these people too!

*

I cannot give you each a million liras, but I wish you many free, happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous years with your loved ones.