The Day Will Come, Fear Will Frighten the Fear-Monger Too!

As this article was being written, Müjdat Gezen was on his way to the Çağlayan Courthouse.

As this article was being written, TİP Chairman Erkan Baş announced that they had initiated a sit-in protest at the Çağlayan Courthouse.

For hours, the judges of the 13th High Criminal Court had been unable to rule for the release of Hatay MP Can Atalay, despite the Constitutional Court's second ruling of rights violation.

As this article was being written, the minimum wage for the entirety of 2024 was set at 17 thousand 2 Turkish Lira, with a 49 percent increase.

As this article was being written, DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu was saying, “While millions struggle with poverty, let those who deem a minimum wage that will remain below the hunger threshold at the beginning of the year worthy of this country, this people, and the working class know that this is not the end of the matter.”

As this article was being written, Turkey was hitting rock bottom in the “World Freedom Index.”

In the Economic Freedom Index, Turkey fell 56 places compared to 2022, ranking 104th out of 180 countries, falling behind Senegal and Namibia.

In the Academic Freedom Index, it ranked 166th out of 179 countries, placed alongside North Korea and Turkmenistan in what is described as the “worst group.” The index aims to measure academic freedom globally and evaluates the level of de facto academic freedom based on key indicators such as “freedom to research and teach,” “freedom of academic exchange and dissemination,” “institutional autonomy,” “campus integrity,” and “freedom of academic and cultural expression.”

As this article was being written, Turkey fell 16 places in the World Press Freedom Index in 2023, dropping to 165th place. In its 2023 Press Freedom report, Reporters Without Borders highlighted the pressure method of “arrests aimed at intimidating journalists.” Turkey regressed from the “problematic” category to the “very serious” category regarding freedom of expression.

As this article was being written, Turkey plummeted to the bottom ranks among OECD countries in reading comprehension, science, and mathematics. In average mathematics scores, Turkey ranked below the OECD average.

Could there be a relationship between poverty, going to school hungry, and not understanding what one reads? This has also been measured. As the rate of a child skipping meals increases, their mathematics score decreases.

The OECD report revealed that one in every 5 students in Turkey skips a meal at least once a week and is unable to eat at least once.

As this article was being written, the fact that 42 percent of children cannot consume daily milk and dairy products, and that children who skip meals due to poverty face problems with bone development, cognitive development, and stunted growth, was not being discussed on the government's news channels.

As this article was being written, it was announced that over 728 thousand students had dropped out of university due to living conditions. According to the Higher Education Quality Board's Indicator Values Report, the number of students who dropped out of their universities exceeded the population of 50 provinces in the country.

As this article was being written, the great master Müjdat Gezen arrived at the Çağlayan Courthouse. Together with TİP (Workers' Party of Turkey) members and hundreds of young people, he joined the sit-in protest by turning his back to the Çağlayan Courthouse.

This support from 80-year-old Müjdat Gezen is a powerful stand against those who disregard the Constitutional Court's decision and those who try to establish the rule of the powerful rather than the rule of law.

As this article was being written, unfortunately, once again, the judges of the 13th High Criminal Court did not issue a release order for Can Atalay.

But seeing Müjdat Gezen side-by-side with the law students who started the justice vigil today gave hope. The psychological upper hand has shifted to those who stand with conscience and the law.

Hope sparks such a flame that Turkey, which is hitting rock bottom in all freedoms today, can emerge from the fear with a single spark and recreate itself.

As Müjdat Gezen, who never compromises his principled stance, said in our documentary Üvey Evlat (Stepchild);

“The day will come, fear will frighten the fear-monger too.”