Books, crime… My brother Murat and Lawyer Ersan!

I was just 19 years old on September 12, 1980, a date that darkened the lives of my generation and those that followed, with the primary goal of corrupting, radicalizing, and seizing control of Turkey.

It wasn't even dawn yet when we were roused from our beds by my retired teacher father calling out, “Wake up children, there has been a coup.”

The weather was hot. Despite this, my father was trying to light the stove. Without taking his eyes off the stove, he muttered to me and my older brother, who was attending Istanbul University Faculty of Law at the time:

“Bring your books, children, we are going to burn them…”

Both of us were stunned, not knowing what had hit us.

At that moment, my eyes drifted out the window. On this hot summer day, smoke was rising from almost every chimney.

***

We resisted, saying “No” and such. But we did as we were told under my father's authoritative voice:

“Your safety is much more important than these books!”

Both my brother and I had wooden trunks, and they were filled with our own books. About a hundred books each, all bought with our pocket money.

I was so integrated with them that I could still name them one by one today!

***

When we went to our room to bring the books to my father, my brother whispered in my ear:

“Don't give them all… Give me the novels and the poetry books.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I'm going down to the woodshed, I'll dig under the wood and hide them there. Even if they come to search, they won't find them!”

***

September 12 had many heavy costs for the country. Dozens of young people were executed, subjected to torture, and thrown into dungeons for decades for no reason. Strikes were banned, unions were shut down, and we became unable to even utter the word 'boycott'.

This was our share of the burden:

Burning our books!

Or burying them in the foundations of our apartment buildings!

***

44 years have passed…

The mentality that fears books is still alive.

You may have heard what happened to my dear brother Murat Ağırel, one of the most fearless journalists of recent years who is most committed to professional ethics:

A criminal complaint was filed regarding his book titled Havala, in which he describes the drug trade and money laundering traffic in Turkey, and its collection from shelves was requested…

In other words, the concepts of “book” and “crime” have been brought together once again…

The person who filed the complaint about the book is Ahmed Ben Khadra, the brother of Alaa Ben Khadra, in whose container 258 kilograms of cocaine were seized during an operation at Mersin Port in 2022…

This individual was also tried for meat smuggling in the recent past…

***

If you have an objection to what is written, you state the truth and have it corrected; why have it banned?

Even more interestingly, do you know who brother Khadra's lawyer is?

Ersan Şen, who gives speeches on freedom and law on screens almost every evening…

Although the lawsuit was filed by Lawyer Ahmet Ekin rather than Şen, the actual lawyer of the complainant is Ersan Şen!

He must have been ashamed to file such a lawsuit himself; he used a “subcontractor”!

***

The only program I watch regularly on Halk TV is “Kayda Geçsin…”, hosted by Şule Aydın, where Murat Ağırel, Timur Soykan, and Barış Pehlivan share several files every week.

They report such news that I wouldn't be surprised if Uğur Mumcu rose from his grave one day to kiss them on the forehead!

They expose the owners of dirty money, those who give and take bribes, those who abuse their positions, and most importantly, those who engage in drug and arms trafficking, one by one.

While everyone else is pretending, this young team is fearlessly going after the darkness.

Those whose names are associated with dirty business, on the other hand, shower them with lawsuits, threats, and insults.

***

So, who is Ersan Şen, who acts as a lawyer for these dark forces but puts on an Atatürkist show on screen?

He is the lawyer for those who hide millions of dollars in shoeboxes…

For the crime machine Galip Öztürk…

For Serbian-origin drug barons…

For landlords who caused the deaths of 35 people in the earthquake…

He gives an “Atatürk” speech once in a blue moon; he is just pulling the wool over people's eyes!

If I asked you now, whether it's Murat, Şule, Barış, Timur, or Ersan Şen… Rest assured, there will be those among you who would say Ersan Şen.

Yet, our salvation from this dark order depends on the increase in the number and strength of Şules, Murats, Barışes, and Timurs who continue to cry out… against the Ersan Şens who are the lawyers for those trying to silence voices!

***

I don't know what my existence means to you, but I am with you, children…

If this country is to emerge into the light, despite these “Grand Club” heroes and defenders of dirty money…

Believe me; it will be thanks to the fight you are waging today.

I kiss your eyes!

***

Yes; there are no chimneys in homes today… That is why books are not being burned!

But a relentless war is being waged every day against those who write books and news…

Unfortunately, in this war, commanding the enemy armies falls to the “Ersans” who appear to be one of us!