Some of our main goals: the democratization of Turkey, freedom so that we don't fall behind in terms of international competition and an increase in the general measure of security and social prosperity. The incentive for all of this: the application for European Union membership. The goal is also to remain connected to the values that make us who we are, to not be distanced from the roots of our souls and to not ignore the importance of strengthening our cultural and trade ties to the general Turkish and Islamic geography around us while doing all of the above.
So what is it that is blocking us, forcing us to lose energy, keeping our hands tied?
1. Division and polarization. The debates being carried out over the republic, the polarization between secular and non-secular factions, the Turkish-Kurdish struggles, the divisions between Sunnis and Alevis, the clashes between the ruling administration and opposition parties and the fact that we don't know how to listen to or try to understand one another.
2. The never-ending power struggle concerning who is to run Turkey. The fact that the military bureaucracy does not actually trust those who have been elected and refuses to cast off its guardian-like stance with regards to the civilian will of the nation. This is coupled with the fact that constitutional institutions in Turkey, with a nod to this sense of guardianship by the military-bureaucracy, also play a role in displaying their lack of belief in democracy. They do this by standing against democratic reforms and by protecting the "state must be protected" mentality in the judicial system.
3. We have fallen behind in science and technology. In our universities, excitement over research has been pushed to the back burner, with a tilt towards a more ideological mindset over which the Higher Education Board (YÖK) rules firmly.
4. A weakness in our culture of democracy. In addition to the fact that citizens are not aware of their duties and responsibilities; they also do not know enough about their rights. This is coupled with the common mistake of not following the rules as being some sort of enviable "alertness."
5. Ignorance and poverty. There is a lack of aim in education, lack of knowledge over procedure and, of course, not being at the desired level of economic prosperity.
So why is it that the AK Party brings Turkey a golden opportunity to solve some of these very basic problems?
Because following the messiness of coalition rule, the AK Party represents political and economic stability.
Because the 54 percent popular vote the party received in Turkey's east and southeast carries the weight of a resolution when it comes to solving some of the Kurdish problems.
And because the AK Party is aware of certain traps that have been set and it won't "join in the game" or allow the "game" to disrupt its stance. There is another very important situation to hand here: There has been a significant change in the stance towards Turkey on these issues by the outside world. Neither the US nor Europe have ever stood so close to us with as much fairness and equity on the subject of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism before.
Thus the ruling AK Party will, and must, of course, take advantage of these opportunities.
But I would like to look for a moment at the talk circulating about the possible enforced closure of the Democratic Society (DTP) Party. The first traps were in the direction of provocations and pushes for Turkey to get involved in a wide spread over the border operation in northern Iraq. The administration however, through the careful direction of this crisis period, did not fall into this trap.
Now, the second trap is the prospective closure of the DTP. This is not only what certain well-known circles want; this is exactly what the PKK would like because it is losing its grassroots support right now. The people of the Southeast, who are now firmly opposed to terrorism as a solution to anything, are now waiting for actual service, employment and assistance from this administration.
The closure of the DTP is a trap to be avoided, even if the DTP insists on referring to a killer (Abdullah Öcalan) as a "leader of the people," even if they continue to provoke a nation of people up in arms at the funerals held for Turkish soldiers, even if they wind up inciting their own banishment from the Turkish parliament. Some people used to tell us "you need to immediately extract that aching, rotten tooth." Tooth extraction used to be a job for a man who would roam villages carrying his pincers with him. But dentists in this age prefer to save the "aching, rotten" teeth, even it means a bit of pain, by performing root canals. Yes, we need to continue on down our path, not guided by our emotions, but by reason and prudence.
