As the Last “Coup” Season Opens!..

During their 21-year reign, they have step-by-step reversed everything that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of this country and the leader of this nation, did and said.

Instead of a “fully independent Turkey,” they took on the co-presidency of the Greater Middle East Project (BOP) under the guidance of the US and EU...

They either closed down or sold to imperialists everything he established...

They took steps to abandon the unitary and national structure he built...

With the slogan of an “ideology-free constitution,” they advocated for the removal of Atatürk's principles and reforms from the Constitution...

They declared war on secularism by calling it the “February 28 mentality.”

The day came when they erased the names of the Republic of Turkey and Atatürk, and the “How happy is the one who says I am a Turk” inscriptions. They banned the recitation of the Student Oath in schools...

They razed the beautiful Atatürk Airport to the ground...

How many stadiums bearing the name Atatürk are left? Didn't we just learn yesterday that the stadium built to replace the historic May 19 stadium in Ankara was named the “Ankara Stadium,” meaning “May 19” was removed?..

And what was the message behind filing lawsuits against those who called Vahdettin—whom Atatürk himself called a “traitor”—a “traitor,” while naming roads after another traitor, Sheikh Said?..

Didn't Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin shout from the parliamentary podium just two weeks ago that they would continue to hand over schools to sects and religious communities?..

And wasn't the controversy over an Atatürk photograph at a military school presented as a “junta movement”?

While all this was happening, the following also took place:

Those who objected were first imprisoned through the Ergenekon-Balyoz conspiracies... Then, with constitutional amendments, first the judiciary and later all institutions were handed over to “FETÖ,” a tool of the CIA-Mossad disguised as a religious community... When “FETÖ” attempted a coup, a brand-new regime was transitioned into, and every dissenting voice and reaction was labeled “coup plotter, terrorist, traitor.”

When they were cornered, they said, “Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is our country's founding leader and common value.” Just like in the disgrace that occurred in Saudi Arabia the other day!..

THEY STARTED BY CALLING IT A “SCANDAL”

It has been talked about for days; therefore, I will not go into the details of the event, but I would like to draw your attention to these notes shared by my esteemed colleague and friend Atilla Türker:

The first crisis emerged at the meeting held at the stadium one day before the match. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sports official came to the meeting with 190 people, while the Turkish delegation consisted of 29 people. The Saudi official said, “I represent the King here. Everyone will comply with us. This place is ruled by a kingdom. We will not allow you to put on a Republic show.”!..

Let's come to what they wanted to reap from this disgrace.

A media outlet of the government first wrote under the headline “Scandalous move by Saudi police: They are waiting at the door,” stating, “Following the decision on t-shirts and banners taken before the Super Cup match, Saudi police are waiting to intervene if any banner arrives.”

The moment the Presidential Communications Directorate's Center for Combating Disinformation implied that Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray were at fault, government members and their media practically went wild.

Moreover, this happened even though Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya said, “The Founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is our country's common and unifying value,” and AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik thanked “all our citizens who show sensitivity regarding Atatürk.”

THEY LINKED IT TO A “COUP”

A media organ that openly wars against the Republic and Atatürk ran the headline “Vile provocation in Riyadh” and accused FB President Ali Koç and GS Secretary General Eray Yazgan with the phrase “reflecting their opposition to religious people in Saudi Arabia.” In another news piece by the same newspaper, the questions “What is your goal, Ali Koç? Is it to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and Turkey with a British game?” were posed.

The largest campaign, however, was carried out by a newspaper that plays a leading role in the government's policies, from the economy to education.

In the news and columns of the newspaper in question, it was emphasized that Koç was “a lion to the Saudis, a sparrow to the Greeks”... The posts of fugitive “FETÖ” members were placed side-by-side with the statements of CHP members, and it was written that a “call to the streets” was being made... It didn't stop there; it was written that “an operation was being conducted against Turkey.”

As if others were the ones playing with the “nerves of society” through anti-Atatürkism for decades; it was argued that the “Atatürk fault line” was being activated, and interestingly, the topic was linked to “the targeting of Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin,” “the junta-plotting lieutenants at the Tuzla Infantry School,” “the Sheikh Said debates,” and “the February 28 residue series targeting religious people.”

Someone who, while Editor-in-Chief of this newspaper, said of the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, “These two uncontrolled men, who have taken on the role of spreading hostility toward Turkey across the entire geography, are directly responsible for the Jamal Khashoggi incident... They have likely paid large sums of money to Israeli and Egyptian intelligence for this job... These two names, who have made a deal with the US and Israel to sell out Jerusalem and the Palestinians, who have made secret agreements for Mecca and Medina, who have undertaken every kind of provocation for a regional war, and whose hostility toward Turkey and Erdoğan has become a disease, should be accused and tried for supporting terrorism, covert operations, murder, kidnapping, and committing war crimes... Our geography must stop these two people. Because stopping them is stopping the US and Israel... I think their end will not be good at all... The ‘tender to topple Erdoğan’ will cost them very dearly…” also made these posts:

“Another operation was conducted against Turkey this evening.”

“Day 2 of the joint provocation by Ali Koç and Ekrem.. What is it? Just like we did during the Gezi Terror! Are you going to occupy Dolmabahçe again! It won't work. This time you will disappear among the cobblestones.”

Let's look at the state of government members after the media.

A former AKP deputy, referring to Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray's desire to take the field with a banner bearing Atatürk's words, “Peace at home, peace in the world,” said, “We last heard the phrase ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ during the July 15 betrayal. Again, there is a commotion going on.”

Another former deputy reacted to the post by Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, which we quoted above, with the expressions, “Has the CHP come to power, or what, was there a coup in the middle of the night?”

And this person; in an article 6 months ago; had claimed that Kemalism “used education to put a straitjacket on society,” criticized the Village Institutes, defended “madrasas, Quran courses, imam-hatips, communities, and sects,” and while evaluating what happened at the Tuzla Infantry School, had said that “Kemalism is a FETÖ-like sect.”

As if we don't know that when they say “Kemalism,” they are actually targeting Atatürk's principles and reforms!..

And what do you think an AKP deputy, who was famous for his “Atatürkism” in the past, said? He said the following, believe it or not:

“Why are you turning it into a diplomatic scandal? Why do you want to polarize Turkey over Atatürk while heading to an election? My friend, is there any point in stirring up the people by saying I will wear an Atatürk t-shirt in Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Europe, or at the poles? Wear the Atatürk t-shirt in Turkey.”

Would the palace entourage stay silent? One of the most influential and authorized among them, after blaming the teams and the Federation, made the following statement, which sounded like a threat:

“Let those external and internal circles and enemies of Turkey who try to turn this event into material for the black propaganda that is always carried out against Turkey by using our national identity and national values not get their hopes up. They cannot cause the slightest harm to Turkey. Turkey will emerge from this process by reaching constructive results.”

ERDOĞAN'S REAL MESSAGE

24 hours after the environment was practically “matured” with all this, Erdoğan also spoke. Moreover, at the awards ceremony for Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, who is famous for his anti-Atatürk and anti-Republic stance... After expressing his sadness, as if there were any value left in the country that hadn't been made into “political fodder,” he stated that “it was wrong for sports to be made into fodder for daily political competition” and blamed the opposition again. He noted that “the Republic is the common value of 85 million” and that “Gazi Mustafa Kemal is the founder of this country.” In other words, he still didn't say “Atatürk”!..

He concluded his remarks on the subject with this warning:

“We cannot allow the event to be taken out of its context and used as material for a show and provocation. Especially, we can in no way excuse the immoral disparagement of the nation's faith and sacred values through a regrettable event. We have not hesitated to do whatever needs to be done, whatever step needs to be taken in this regard, and we will not hesitate.”

However, there were things he said before these as well. Touching upon “guardians and coup plotters” through Gaza, Israel, and Hamas, he said, “We spent our last 21 years struggling with the voluntary legionnaires of the West, who, while living here, spoke to us from Paris, London, Washington, and even from Qandil and Pennsylvania. Hopefully, we will emerge victorious from this struggle, just like the others. Turkey's culture and arts climate will definitely reach the levels it deserves.”

SINCE THERE CAN BE NO “EXTERNAL FORCES” IN THIS ELECTION

The slogan of the elections in May was made “external forces.” But immediately after the election, they embraced all the external forces again. They were just about to get along with Israel when the Gaza war broke out. Their opposition to Israel is also well-known. They only talk and hold rallies. Neither was Incirlik or Kürecik closed, nor were defense cooperation agreements suspended, nor are they implementing an official embargo. Results are expected from citizens' Starbucks protests. In short, it seems difficult for the “external forces” season to open for the elections on March 31.

Given the unchecked growth of sects and communities, Minister of National Education Tekin's challenge from the TBMM podium, the presentation of the events at the Tuzla Infantry School as a “junta,” this campaign regarding the Saudi Arabia disgrace, and even the government's “new constitution” goal, I was going to say, “The main carrier of the election campaign will probably be the coup,” when Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan gave the first sign. Özcan said, “I am hearing some rumors!!! I hope a second conspiracy is not set up against the Fenerbahçe community, like the July 3 one, due to Ali Koç's upright and honorable stance.”

Then, Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, who is indispensable to the government despite having been the head coach of conspiracies together with his ex-wife Nagihan Alçı, openly said the following:

“It is clearly stated by officials that the state will carry out a judicial operation against the football executives who committed fraud in yesterday's disgrace. However, it is also stated that this judicial operation will also cover the football commentators who got excited and stirred things up yesterday by saying ‘Go back, don't play the match,’ which I think would be wrong.”

Are we surprised, or would we be surprised?

In the Ergenekon conspiracy, which meant “clearing the path” for the 2010 constitutional amendment, wasn't the plan to target Rahmi Koç as the “number 1 of the organization” and have him arrested?

While the statement by retired admirals to “protect the Montreux Convention and not allow new sect structures in the TSK” was characterized as a “coup” and a “memorandum,” wasn't it written and drawn that “the 8 retired admirals who signed the scandalous declaration were members of the Koç University Maritime Forum”?

Isn't it an open secret that the government does not like Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç at all?!

No, no one would take on the football community, which is the largest party in our country, before the elections. But these things will happen: based on the events that occurred, the rhetoric of “coup, guardianship” will be used abundantly in the elections. Perhaps investigations will be opened and started, and the stick of the judiciary will be dangled over them.

The real sledgehammer, however, will be brought down on all Atatürkists and Republicans, especially if the Istanbul elections are won.

Because this time the target is a “new constitution,” that is, the final destination, that is, establishing their own republic!..