The Turkey of the rulers and the Turkey of the ruled

In the first week of 2024, nothing has changed again.

The rulers and the ruled, we entered 2024 in two separate Turkeys.

The agenda of the rulers: Sharia and the caliphate,

The agenda of the ruled: Price hikes and making ends meet!

On the day a worker who cannot put cheese on the table is asked by their children, “Father, is cheese angry with us?”

ENAG announced its inflation data;

Monthly inflation 4.12%, annual inflation 127.21%!

The rulers' institution, TÜİK, also announced its inflation data on the same day.

Monthly inflation 2.93%, annual inflation 64.77%!

The Turkey of the rulers and the Turkey of the ruled are completely different.

The rulers follow TÜİK, the public follows ENAG data.

The Turkey of the rulers is libertarian, the Turkey of the ruled is oppressive!

Those who unfurl a caliphate flag during a protest march and call for Sharia are told they are “exercising freedom of expression,” and the police do not even see a need to intervene against the protesters.

While those who demand Sharia on social media are left “free” under the scope of freedom of expression, those who respond to those demanding Sharia are summoned to the prosecutor's office to give statements.

While the young person who punched a protester who unfurled a caliphate flag and called for the caliphate is hastily detained and arrested, the protester calling for the caliphate is not touched under the scope of “freedom of expression.”

Yet, in the Republic of Turkey, calling for the caliphate is a crime under the law.

But in this Turkey of the current government, it is no longer a crime.

We see day by day that the introductory articles of the Constitution, which are unchangeable, are being suspended.

The Court of Cassation can even say that a decision of the Constitutional Court has “no legal value.” Under pressure from Sharia supporters, penalty after penalty can be rained down on the producer of a series that reveals the wrongs of both the secular and conservative worlds, and on the TV channel that broadcasts the series.

While the ruled struggle in a spiral of inflation, price hikes, and unemployment,

The rulers are step by step approaching their goals of consolidating the regime of their ideals.

In our parliament, where the national will is not represented, the salaries of members of parliament are rising to 110 thousand TL.

In the first days of 2024, the rule of the superior is prevailing over the rule of law.

“Do not darken your spirits,” Çetin Altan used to say.

There is still one more chance.

The upcoming local elections!

Voters must know this;

There is a more serious issue at hand than “I will vote for whoever does better municipal work.”

Either reactionism or secularism…