Reminders from the Bahçeli-Demirtaş call: Politics, justice, humanity...

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli has mentioned the name of former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is in prison, in almost every group meeting or rally.

But what a mention it was!..

He always described him as a "terrorist sentenced to 42 years" and reminded everyone that Demirtaş had spoken of "erecting a statue of the Imralı monster."

I wonder, does the statement made by the terrorist leader on February 27, following his so-called call for the PKK to lay down arms, also amount to "erecting a statue of the Imralı monster"? What did Demirtaş say? The following:

"Erdoğan, Bahçeli, and Öcalan... May God grant them all long and healthy lives, but I will do more than my best to ensure the success of these three leaders who have taken the initiative for Middle Eastern peace and historic Kurdish-Turkish peace in the final chapter of their lives.”

With this, Demirtaş not only put Erdoğan and Bahçeli in the same category as the terrorist leader, but also equated the Turkish soldier (Mehmetçik) with the terrorist by saying, "I do not want my soldier brother on guard in Gabar or my own brother in Kandil to die."!..

Bahçeli's anger and reaction toward Demirtaş did not end even when he called on the terrorist leader in Imralı to come to Parliament and speak. So much so that he emphasized that Demirtaş could not be an interlocutor in the new process, saying, "Neither Kandil nor Edirne; let the address extend from Imralı to the DEM Party."

Of course, the Imralı messengers did not listen to Bahçeli and went to Edirne prison to get Demirtaş's views, but that is another matter!..

Then, a few days after the terrorist leader's call, it was announced that Bahçeli had a phone conversation with Demirtaş.

Even if it were Devlet Bahçeli, legally, no one could call someone in prison by phone. The matter was understood later.

It turns out Demirtaş's wife, Başak Demirtaş, had surgery in Istanbul. Beforehand, Selahattin Demirtaş had applied to the Ministry of Justice, requesting permission to be by his wife's side during the surgery. The matter was conveyed to Erdoğan, and with his approval, Demirtaş came from Edirne to Istanbul and stood by his wife during the operation. It was during this process that Bahçeli called and said, "Get well soon."

The conversation in question was first confirmed by DEM spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, who said, "Dialogue between parties, dialogue between leaders, are things we have defended until today. Therefore, this dialogue and contact is a pleasing thing."

IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY

Subsequently, one of the Imralı envoys, Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Sırrı Süreyya Önder, explained that the Bahçeli-Demirtaş conversation took place via his own phone and recounted the following:

"Ms. Başak had an ailment; it was a serious ailment. In a sense, it was life-threatening. The doctors decided on a major operation. It is a right granted to all prisoners. In this framework, Mr. Demirtaş's lawyers applied to the Ministry of Justice on behalf of our chairman. Pervin and I intervened to speed up the process. It was presented to the President. He showed sensitivity. On the morning of that night, around 09:00, they had Mr. Demirtaş ready at the hospital where the surgery would take place. He gave morale to his wife, the lady, until the surgery. Pervin and I also gave them both morale. We sent her off to surgery with high spirits. I thank all the doctors. The physicians and all the staff on that floor mobilized. The accompanying security officers acted very gracefully and sensitively... At that moment, Mr. Bahçeli called me. He had heard that Mr. Demirtaş had been brought to his wife's side. When he himself had surgery earlier, Mr. Demirtaş had conveyed a get-well message to him through me. We had conveyed both his own get-well wishes and President Selahattin's wishes to him. He was very happy, he thanked us very much. When he heard, he called, a very sincere short conversation took place, Mr. Bahçeli wished for healing. We put my phone on speakerphone. He wished Ms. Başak healing, and showed the nobility to ask if Mr. Selahattin needed anything - medically or hospital-related. He said, ‘I hope good days and beautiful days come, take care of your health.’ Mr. Selahattin wished for the same things... Around 10:00 in the evening, we sent Mr. Selahattin back to prison."

What a beautiful picture in human terms... But what about in terms of law and equality?

Those who are given reports stating they "can remain in prison" despite their severe illnesses... The rejection of requests from prisoners who want to see their dying relatives one last time... Or even not being allowed to attend their funeral, or being taken there in handcuffs... Those who are punished with the cancellation of open visits because an uncle or aunt who happened to be there called out from a distance, "How are you?" while they were talking to a relative they were permitted to call from prison...

What things have happened, are happening, and will likely continue to happen, right?!

NOT POSSIBLE EVEN IF IN THE HOSPITAL

Since our topic is hospital visits, let's give two examples.

You remember retired Lieutenant General Vural Avar, who lost his life in Sincan Prison 2 years ago, right? He had been sentenced to life imprisonment in the February 28 conspiracy case; he was 85 years old.

Shortly before his death, he fell in prison and broke his ribs. When he was taken to the hospital, his wife, retired Colonel Tuna Avar, and their lawyers, Ümit Kara, rushed to the hospital. Tuna Avar wanted to see her husband. The Prison Prosecutor said, "It is not within my authority. Talk to the Chief Physician." The Chief Physician's office did not give permission. Only Attorney Ümit Kara entered the section where Vural Avar was to leave his belongings. A prison guard was waiting at Avar's bedside. Attorney Kara left after dropping off the items without having any contact with Avar. Meanwhile, Tuna Avar wanted to wave to her husband from a distance as the automatic door opened and closed, but she could not manage that either. Afterward, Vural Avar was sent back to prison with a report stating he "could remain in prison." A short time later, he lost his life there.

Tuna Avar still laments, "They didn't even allow me to wave."

Çetin Doğan, one of the defendants in the February 28 conspiracy case, also struggled with severe illnesses in prison. Eventually, he was taken to the hospital. His wife, Nilgül Doğan, waited at his bedside for exactly 55 days. How, you ask?

Nilgül Doğan was strictly forbidden from bringing a phone inside. Prison guards waited with them 24 hours a day, and gendarmes waited outside. The prison guards who came for shifts also left their phones outside. In other words, every precaution was taken to ensure Çetin Doğan did not speak with anyone from the outside. So much so that the gendarmes even wanted to enter Doğan's surgery. However, upon the reaction of Nilgül Doğan and the doctors, it was deemed sufficient to just keep a record.

What we are saying is; back then, even if Bahçeli had called, he could not have spoken with the late Vural Avar or Çetin Doğan.

But it seems that either the practice has changed, or due to the meaning and importance of the process, it was overlooked that the DEM members entered Selahattin Demirtaş's side with their phones, and when Bahçeli called, the speakerphone was turned on and they chatted!..

SİNAN ATEŞ AND ÜMİT ÖZDAĞ

Since the Bahçeli-Demirtaş conversation was heard, almost everyone has thought about the fact that neither Bahçeli nor anyone from the MHP has offered condolences to the family of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sinan Ateş, the former President of the Idealist Hearths (Ülkü Ocakları), who was murdered in the middle of Ankara.

Let us remind you of something else. Ümit Özdağ, who engaged in politics in the MHP for years, has been detained for 46 days. Let's assume Özdağ is now seen as an "enemy"; but has the memory of his father, Muzaffer Özdağ, who engaged in politics with Alparslan Türkeş for years, really faded so much that no one called Özdağ's 90-year-old mother, Gönül Özdağ, or his siblings, who went to Silivri Prison, to say, "Get well soon"?!

Müyesser YILDIZ

March 7, 2025