BY ERGUN BABAHAN
SABAH- When retired generals speak out, the value of discussing a variety of views becomes clearer. First retired Gen. Aytac Yalman said that they had made a mistake by calling Kurds `mountain Turks.' Then Kenan Evren, who led the 1980 coup, said that they made a big mistake in its aftermath by forbidding the speaking of Kurdish in speeches, public gatherings, etc. and giving education in Kurdish at schools. Evren now argues that a public official serving in the southeastern region should be able to speak Kurdish.
But after the coup, people who condemned the ban and defended the right to speak in Kurdish were arrested and sent to prisons notorious for torture and cruelty. Of course, the people who raised their voices to protest were doing the right thing. The wrong thing was to muzzle opinions through pressure and prison time. If people had listened to those who raised their voices three decades ago, Turkey wouldn't have gone through such difficult times in the years since.
Today, people who think that the only solution is violence are trying to silence and repress those who express different views and opinions. When there's no atmosphere of free discussion, sound solutions cannot be developed. Even those who imposed bans during that period now accept that they were mistaken. If we buckle under the stentorian voices, 30 years from now we might have to see another period of self-criticism. Smart societies are able to learn lessons from their mistakes.
But just accepting a mistake isn't enough. It's also important to learn your lesson and not repeat your error. Towards this end, everybody's views should be respected, within legal limits. The importance of democracy comes from this. That's why democracy is the best system among those available.