The politics of 'gritting teeth' and the will of the Republic

Turkey is under the siege of a climate of systemic corruption that has spread to every field, from politics to law, from the economy to social ethics.

On one hand, the public is being transformed into a passive mass through an intense bombardment of perception management, while on the other, their national will is being usurped through the appointment of trustees, political transfers, and administrative decisions.

In this order, where the independence and impartiality of the judiciary have been turned into a shield for the ruling power, millions of citizens are being pushed into the arms of severe economic destruction, human rights violations, and deep despair, right before our eyes.

Favoritism in the Judiciary, a Shield for Rent-Seeking; A Regime of Censorship in the Media

While Turkey is discussing the fund scandal and the usurpation of will, the confession by Gökhan Ağdemir, head of the Ankara Bar Association No. 2, that “In our two-year term, we have made 70 of our lawyer members judges and prosecutors” has laid bare the point the country has reached regarding judicial independence and impartiality.

It seems that the decay in the judiciary has become so normalized that instead of being considered a disgrace, the irregularity can be displayed almost as an "achievement," and references from the Ministry of Justice can be openly discussed; this situation clearly proves that incompetence and tutelage are being legitimized by their very practitioners.

In this order, where the judiciary is instrumentalized, there is an attempt to hide, through unimaginable methods, a fund scandal of a magnitude that will burden the country's economy for years. The effort to cover up the truth continues with trustees, house arrests, detentions, and access bans. So much so that even the "right to not be stigmatized," which was shelved yesterday, is being used today like a shield to try and erase the list of 214 people involved in the scandal from the public memory.

The Cost of the Politics of 'Gritting Teeth'

In this environment where oppression, rent-seeking, and favoritism are openly displayed, the words of main opposition leader Özgür Özel, "We will grit our teeth, we will be patient until the ballot box, we will fight against the evils. Eventually, we will bring that ballot box," reflect a passive political stance that postpones the struggle to an indefinite date.

Like everyone who saw the truth and warned during the Kılıçdaroğlu era, we too were criticized; we were told "now is not the time" and attempts were made to silence us. Today, we see that the same mentality is in effect under the leadership of Özgür Özel. Yet, the place where yesterday's silence has brought the country is clear. That is why, no matter the cost, we are compelled to write what we see and to turn our criticisms toward the opposition just as we do toward the government.

The 'Lifeblood' Deadlock

Now I want to ask: In this freak system where even the salt has gone bad, can an opposition mentality that expects a decision for elections from the mercy of a structure that controls all the capillaries of the state—from the election law to the Supreme Election Council (YSK)—and thinks that the government can change through that election, solve the problems?

Is telling a society that has been exhausted for a quarter-century and left in need of a drop of water to "grit your teeth" not promising a mirage that does not exist?

One must ask: Is suggesting patience to a public directed toward indefinite waiting not actually giving lifeblood to a government that is running out of steam?

At this point, the opposition's determined pursuit of the list of 214 people mentioned in the fund scandal should undoubtedly be considered a concrete example of effective opposition. However, why overshadow this stance by offering the public a passive prescription of 'gritting teeth'?

At this point, to remind that the struggle cannot be passivized with the rhetoric of "patience," I find it useful to share an event from history as a "lesson to be learned":

Lesson to be Learned: History is Written Not by Those Who 'Grit Their Teeth,' But by Those Who Assert Their Will

Date: After midnight on July 7-8, 1919…

Place: Erzurum.

Mustafa Kemal Pasha, following long and tense telegraph negotiations with the palace, had been dismissed from his post, and upon this, he had informed the palace that he had resigned from his military duty as well. In other words, he was not wearing his uniform and his ranks had been removed… Mazhar Müfit (Kansu) and Süreyya (Yiğit) were with him. The night was dark and long. Near dawn, Mustafa Kemal asked for a coffee and turned to Mazhar Müfit:

— Is your notebook with you, Mazhar?

— No, sir.

— Please, go get it.

A short while later, Mazhar Müfit arrived with his notebook. Mustafa Kemal took a promise from him and Süreyya Bey that what he was about to write would remain a secret for now. He said to Mazhar Müfit:

— Write: After the victory, the form of government will be a republic. When the time comes, the necessary action will be taken regarding the Sultan and the dynasty. The veil will be abolished. The fez will be abolished, and hats will be worn like civilized nations. Latin letters will be adopted.

Mazhar Müfit dropped his pen from his hand. He bent down to pick up his pen, and at that moment, his eyes met with Mustafa Kemal's, and with a bewildered expression, he said:

— Excuse me, Pasha, but you are dreaming of very big things, you are practically having a dream.

Mustafa Kemal was calm and gave his historic response:

— We shall see when the time comes.

We know that time very well from history.

The national salvation achieved through a relentless struggle and the proclamation of the republic… Today, that Republic, founded with blood and wisdom, has had its hands and feet tied, its wings broken; the process has been carried to the stage of granting status to the terrorist leader in order to dismantle it with one final move.

Those who write history are not those who retreat to their corners and "grit their teeth" even when all their powers have been taken away, nor are they those who try to save the day by the rules of the existing decrepit structure.

Those who change history are certainly not those who write prescriptions of surrender in a besieged order.

Those who build history are those who, even in the darkest night, can fearlessly write "republic" in their notebooks with their strong will.