BY TUNCAY OZKAN
AKSAM- Columnist Tuncay Ozkan comments on the desires of the Turkish people and what should be done to address them. A summary of his column is as follows:
Revising Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law is of course a good move. Turkey should have tackled this problem before. But it hasn’t happened yet, since those who support amending the article for the sake of the EU had previously wanted the article kept as is. The problem always stems from the double standards of Turkey’s administration. Turkey wants to enjoy the rule of law and get rid of double standards. Today those who are fighting against terrorism might oppose amending this law. Isn’t it a mistake not to come to an agreement with them and take measures to address their concerns? These mistakes help nobody.
There are so many things that Turkey should change, and we do want to change. However, won’t we discuss how we will replace whatever we do away with? Of course we should. Everybody living in Turkey wants democracy and the reconstruction and transformation of politics. But we failed to understand or trust those who favored change, so we treated them shabbily, because one can’t explain radical changes to established systems before the nation is ready.
Do we really have as many people in our country who favor the modern world as we think? Or are we seeing only the demands and needs of a well-educated elite? In other words, in a country where the average education level is just over three years, has everybody forgotten their empty stomachs and come to favor the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) adopting EU standards?
Please don’t misunderstand me. The Turkish people deserve better. But what are we going to do in practice? We haven’t even been able to decide whether our mandatory education will last five years or eight. In the midst of such chaos, certain people might spoil the existing order. History is full of nations which committed such errors. Turkey shouldn’t present these criteria as a fait accompli. Taking drastic steps on the TSK without first thinking would cast a shadow over the future of our country.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION