Cracking Olives...

If someone were to ask me how I know autumn has arrived? If green olives have hit the market stalls, and if cracked olives are being offered for sale on trays and in jars at delicatessens, it means autumn has arrived. Especially once you reach the middle of September, there is no end to the enjoyment of nature and the nights. You get to enjoy the relief of being done with air conditioners..

My grandchild is nearing the age of 2. They love olives so much that I watch them for minutes on end. I think to myself, 'they love olives just like their grandfather.' It is claimed that a Mediterranean diet, especially one rich in olives and olive oil, extends life by 5 years. It strengthens the immune system. Cracked olives are the first to reach the table and are never missing from tables in the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Marmara regions.

After cracking the large, green olives, the water is changed every day for 15 days to remove their bitterness. It is impossible to eat them without removing the bitterness. After 15 days, salt and lemon should be added, and they should be left to rest for another 15 days. Then, they take their place as the most delicious and healthy food on the table.

I have been involved in politics. Whether I want to or not, I continue to take an interest. They asked the late Kars Senator Sırrı Atalay when he would retire from politics and withdraw into his shell. Atalay replied, "One does not retire from politics; one passes away."

I served as a Member of Parliament for Muğla for three terms. I worked hard, I traveled a lot. I served on many committees in Parliament. Due to my membership in the European Union Harmonization Committee, I also visited many countries. The beauty, accumulation, and wealth of my country are endless. But look, what we have experienced in recent years, and even in recent months, is beyond surprising; it is deeply saddening. The public is worried. They wonder, "What will happen, my deputy?" Pessimism is growing day by day due to those who apply the law for their own interests, the increasing economic difficulties, the hardships endured under taxes, and the struggle to make a living.

We are also experiencing pain in politics. The government is doing everything in its power to obstruct. It uses its legal means and security forces. On September 12, the Ekrem İmamoğlu diploma case was heard. I cannot wrap my head around it. The YÖK (Council of Higher Education) administration of that day made an official statement regarding horizontal or vertical transfers between universities, which is still applied today. Like many other university students, İmamoğlu applied and received his diploma with his head held high after 5 years of university education. How could a student of that day exert influence or pressure on YÖK? How could he gain an advantage for himself? It is impossible not to be astonished. One wonders, 'do those who want to invalidate a 29-30-year-old diploma today also want to invalidate the Republic, which has a 102-year history?' This curiosity creates anxiety.

I liken the appointment made to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency, the hearing of the case to ban the September 15 Ankara CHP 38th Congress, and other anti-democratic practices to the ripening of cracked olives. Just like the bitterness of the olive, the troubles will decrease day by day, and we will realize our dream of a Turkey with the democracy we desire. As CHP Chairman Özgür Özel says, he keeps repeating the statements, "We have the psychological superiority, we have the moral superiority, we have the social superiority, we have the energy superiority." I agree. Millions agree as well.

Yes, the pain will end, the nation's face will smile, and we will reach true democracy. There is no giving up; we will surely succeed.

Prof. Dr. Nurettin DEMİR