The last of the said tapes has Karadayı, born in Çankırı, speaking at a meeting of Encümen-i Danış -- a large group comprising retired political and military leaders as well as diplomats. He says: “They discussed whether this 367 is possible; I mean they discussed its possibility. I said at the end of the session that what we need to recall is that the Democrat Party [DP] came to power on May 14 and changed the call to prayer [in Turkey] from Turkish [back] to [the original version of Arabic] on June 28 [of 1950, following 18 years of the call to prayer being read in Turkish following a reform regulation].”
This shows that some military officers -- even high-ranking ones -- were uncomfortable with the call to prayer being delivered in its original Arabic form. During the inauguration day at the Naval War Academy on Sept. 30, 2006, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Yener Karahanoğlu argued that the abandonment of the call to prayer in Turkish was a compromise made to the anti-reformists (during the republican era). Holders of this mentality see themselves as the elites of the republic along with their supporters in the judiciary, universities, the media and business world. Their belief suggests that a guardianship over this nation is not only their duty, but also their right. They could not accept former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, former Prime Minister and President Turgut Özal and current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan because of this anti-democratic, immoral and illegal belief.
The Encümen-i Danış is an interesting society that represents the unease of these circles. But we have to consider one point here: The retired chief of general staff was complimented and he became extremely happy. I am curious about this psychology. The goal of this compliment is obvious. It is given to those who hold power and can be used against the government elected through a popular vote. But why would Karadayı become happy with this?
Let me ask this in a different way: How is the military related to the actual power holders who want to use Ergenekon as a subcontractor to interfere with democracy and overthrow the government? Let me be clearer on this: The majority of these commanders and high-level military officers are sons of ordinary people. They came from middle-class families with a moderate income. They are sons of civil servants, workers and small business owners. They are sons of ordinary people who sent their kids to military schools to make sure that they would be able to make a living. Think about this: How many of the students at military schools and academies have wealthy fathers and mothers working in the media, the bureaucracy or other privileged sectors? I think such cases constitute only 1 percent of the entire student body at these schools.
So this means that 99 percent are the sons of ordinary people. Is this majority in favor of the recitation of the call to prayer in its original language? Maybe we should carry out a public poll inclusive of hard-line secularists. The call to prayer should be recited in both Turkish and Arabic and this should be broadcast on all TV stations. We should then carry out this poll. Let us agree on the pick of the people. If we make reference to democracy and freedom of expression, we should agree on this result. This is what I am trying to explain. Why is Karadayı from Çankırı uncomfortable while all Çankırı residents are in favor of the call to prayer in Arabic? Let me ask the most crucial question here: Who forced our son from Çankırı to hold different thoughts relying on what impositions and ideologies? And they did not even replace our values with a democratic stance, respect for human rights and freedom of expression.
Alienation with the nation and its values actually explains the unease with democracy and the rule of law as well as an eagerness to present popular choices as illegitimate and dealing with the government instead of performing real duties.
