For them a negative outcome is more important than a coup. They need a negative outcome to be able to weaken the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer cases.Previously, military officers staged coups to strengthen the tutelage regime. That is what was meant by the term “fine-tuning” which was used to describe the Feb. 28 process.
But for the past three years the system has been out of tune. The Ergenekon and Sledgehammer cases have blocked the tutelage system. Roles are changing. The pro-tutelage media has lost its effect and credibility. Universities and semiofficial nongovernmental organizations are being put to the side. Subversive bar associations, seemingly reformist pro-tutelage unions and tutelage-supporting parties that claim to have inherited the Democrat Party’s (DP) heritage are now out in the cold.
Nothing like this has happened before. The junta has never been in such a difficult position before. People who support and encourage a coup have never been so desperate. First there was confusion and desperation and then panic. A lot of commotion has been happening. The General Staff headquarters has been making the most mistakes. One example is enough to explain this: After the chief of General Staff called a document featuring Col. Dursun Çiçek’s signature a “piece of paper” the General Staff Prosecutor’s Office said the document was authentic and the signature belong to Çiçek. It also noted that Çiçek had prepared the document because he was not promoted to the rank of admiral. This contradiction alone calls for the chief of General Staff’s resignation. But this is Turkey.
That’s why everyone needs to understand the importance of the referendum. We are not just voting on a constitutional amendment package. We are for the first time opposing an essential part of the constitution prepared during coups. Voting yes means saying no to coups.
We are voting on whether civilians or military officers should govern Turkey. We are going to say “yes” on Sept. 12 to dissuade coup and junta supporters. By voting yes we are going to make everyone accountable in this country.
By voting yes we are going to demand that the murderers of Uğur Mumcu, Abdi İpekçi, Doğan Öz, Gün Sazak and Hrant Dink’s be found and we are going to demand that the 17,000 unsolved murder cases in the Southeast be solved.
For the first time in the last 80 years Turkey has found a crucial opportunity to democratize. Just as the referendum is a matter of life and death for those who want to maintain the tutelage regime, it is also a matter of life and death for those who want equal citizenship, freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of religion and conscience.
It’s not enough to just vote yes. We also have to prevent the advocates of “no” from confusing people’s minds. We have to fight tooth and nail to explain the seriousness of the issue.
We do not need to engage in arguments with those who are focused on saying “no” and are only concerned with removing the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and nothing else. Instead, we need to explain that the referendum is not about parties or about winning power and that if people are upset with the AK Party then they can do what’s necessary in the elections.
Voting yes in the referendum will give democrats and people who want to serve this country a break. It will dissuade those who would consider intervening in democracy.
No one should say, “I am saying yes, so that is enough.” Given that the referendum is a crucial turning point in our history of democracy and a major opportunity for our nation’s revival, we need to reach the millions of people who minimize the importance of the matter, who don’t know exactly what it’s about or are simply not interested but have the ability to think sensibly. We need to start from the people closest to us. We need to reach everyone that we can influence. We need to be as keen on reaching all of our friends, family members and acquaintances as we are when we’re inviting people to a wedding. We should look at the holiday as an opportunity. Like busy bees making honey, we need to go from town to town and village to village. Taking it slow will cause failure. Sept. 12 is a threshold. We need to work with enthusiasm, love and excitement for people to vote yes in the referendum so that an adverse wind does not blow and the revival of this nation is not hindered. Today is the day to take action.
