BY HINCAL ULUC
HURRIYET- I'm addressing our democrat friends: the foundations of the basic principles of democracy were laid in our country through the May 27 Revolution.
Liberty... Equality... Justice... Fraternity...
These were key words of the French Revolution, which changed the whole world's way of life.
Four of these came to Turkey through the May 27, 1960 Revolution.
The Republic of Turkey's most free, most advanced Constitution vis-a-vis human and society rights was written on May 27... But later, they curtailed it, never mind...
The fairest elections in our republic's history were carried out under the May 27 laws. The system, which didn't waste even a single vote, was brought about those favoring May 27. For instance: The Turkish Labor Party, for the first and last time, got into Parliament through the elections held under real democratic law.
The safety of prosecutors was ensured through the laws of that period. The Constitutional Court, which prevents the arbitrary rule of leaders or their passing whatever laws they want, was also established back then.
Labor, for the first time, had the right to establish free labor unions, and had the right to strike.
Freedom of the press was ensured by advanced laws. Through Law 212, white-collar workers got better living standards and guarantees, in place of slavery.
The media got the right to prove `libelous' allegations after May 27. The country's most popular and esteemed journalists were in jail before May 27, as they were not servants of the government.
The Turkish Radio and Television Institution (TRT) was arranged to be autonomous. Autonomous... Not so-called free, like today.
Universities became autonomous.
The State Planning Organization (DPT) was established through May 27. Planning of the economy began through May 27. Previously, the ruling Democrat Party (DP) spokesmen had kidded, "What's planning? Isn't it a kind of pilaf?
It's like a joke: before, there was no real freedom to travel. If you weren't from the Democrat Party or Homeland Front (Vatan Cephesi), you couldn't travel abroad. May 27 provided that freedom to everybody.
Holding gatherings and organizing rallies had been prohibited... May 27 lifted the need for permission, as informing officials sufficed.
On that date Turkey stopped being a police state. It became a state of right, rule and justice. Human rights were included in the Constitution. Turkey saw its fullest expression of freedom in the realms of politics, social life, individuals and institutions through the May 27 Constitution. The Turkish people understood and saw what being a person under that Constitution was.
But others, coming later, began to curtail these freedoms by arguing, "The people don't deserve that much freedom." And this is how we got where we are today.
Now those who either don't know or don't want to remember the days before May 27 are trying to criticize it. Their efforts are in vain... They cannot change history or reality.
Those who attack the Republican Army by saying `fascist' at every turn ignore the fact that from the outset that army has acted only democratically, and intervened only when the country was in a deadlock, and after they put everything in order, they handed the government back to civilians as soon as possible and returned to their barracks...
It doesn't matter.
The important thing is that the military is still our country's most honorable and trustworthy institution, far and away retaining the lead in all surveys.
If the people of this country sleep peacefully at night, it's thanks to their trust in the military...
As long as the secular, progressive and revolutionary republican military exists, ever loyal to Ataturk's principles, the Republic of Turkey will also exist.
Of that there should be no doubt!