People who try to entertain the public by performing “slapstick comedy”—that is, by falling, getting up, doing somersaults, and making faces—are called “jesters.”
Then there are the court jesters:
The duty of these fellows is not to entertain the public, but to entertain guests or the monarch in royal palaces!
They are “members of the court.”
They earn money at the palace, eat and drink there, and run to please the king whenever he wishes!
In Latin, these are called “balatro.” Their only difference from common jesters is that they do this professionally, meaning they receive a salary.
King Henry VIII of England hired a jester named Will Sommers. His daughter Mary, meanwhile, had a balatro named Jane Foole.
***
Jesters and balatros usually wore brightly colored clothes and hats with strange patterns and shapes during the post-classical period.
They had many different talents.
They would sing, dance, tell stories, and perform acrobatic shows.
Some of them would even pull rabbits out of hats, just like some of our politicians today.
Today, they dress quite seriously, and even wear ties!
While common jesters made a living on the few coins given by the public, balatros entertained their audiences for high fees and earned bags of gold at the lavish parties they attended with the palace's permission…
***
In our case, that is, in the Ottoman Empire, court jesters never became an institution.
Instead, “sycophancy” (dalkavukluk) developed.
Sycophancy was an official title in the Ottoman Empire…
Every palace official, including the Sultan, would certainly have a sycophant.
Their only duty was to praise the person they served, even if they were wrong, and to heap endless praise upon them!
***
You have likely guessed the reason why I have listed these encyclopedic facts at such length:
MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, referring to Halk TV presenters Şule Aydın, Timur Soykan, Barış Pehlivan, and Murat Ağırel, who continue to ask questions about the Sinan Ateş murder during his party's group meeting yesterday, said exactly the following:
“We will not let owls hoot at our door, and we will pluck the wings of the vultures flapping their wings. I am calling out from here to Halk TV and the Republican People's Party: Watch your step. You cannot question the MHP with four jester reporters, and we will not let you.”
***
All of these young people are lion-hearted, precious as diamonds, and journalists who possess professional integrity…
Jesters make the public laugh, while court jesters—that is, balatros—entertain those in the palace!
These young people, however, do not make the public laugh; on the contrary, they break our hearts every Tuesday evening with the files they publish.
Furthermore, they have no business or relationship with the Palace!
They do not do somersaults, and they do not perform acrobatics.
In my opinion, this word suits Devlet Bey best.
Because in his most difficult moments, he runs to the Palace like Khidr to Erdoğan's rescue, sending him soaring with happiness.
As for acrobatics, he puts everyone to shame…
He has been doing such somersaults for the last eight years that the kids on our national gymnastics team would look like interns next to him…
***
That is why I do not think the word “jester” used by Bahçeli fits our journalist friends very well.
Besides, let us not underestimate being a jester or a balatro; it is a very difficult and arduous job.
And Bahçeli knows this best!
Most Read
Striking picture for Özgür Özel's 'New Party'
Özgür Özel gives a dated response regarding the number of resignations
Forest fire in Antalya brought under control
Houthis strike Saudi-owned tanker
4 drones shot down near US Consulate General in Erbil
Özel’s new party move in the world press
The new rule of the field: Attrition
Zeydan Karalar's decision on the New Party
Key figure in Epstein files found dead at home
Famous director Ezel Akay and his brother have been detained