Something truly surprising has happened in the US, and today a black man resides in the White House. Three hundred and ninety years after 1619, which is regarded by some as the start of the slave trade, the sins of the father have been recompensed. But what can be said of the name Barack Hussein? He is a Christian, but his fathers, his uncles and his relatives in Kenya are all Muslims.
This places us in a delicate position. We cannot conclude that Obama is Muslim or will act like one; however, it certainly implies that the US will develop a positive perception of Muslims after a Bush era that was dominated by neocons, who believed that only chaos would bring order to the world and who accordingly created much bloodshed in many parts of the world.
How will Obama’s arrival cause problems for our “Ergenekon types”? Before answering this question, I must clarify what I mean when I say “Ergenekon types.” I do not refer to those who are on trial or those who were detained or released under the Ergenekon investigation. Ergenekon is a subcontracting organization. Even if someone declared someone as “the number one,” the essence of the matter would not be clarified any more. “Ergenekon types” are pro-İttihat-i Terakki (Committee of Union and Progress). They are pro-status quo people. They are those who scorn the national will and have established a bureaucratic system of guardianship. They are those who are foreign to and enemies of the nation’s values. Even if moderate Muslims assert that they just want to enjoy their religious beliefs, they are regarded as potentially dangerous by these types all the same.
Even though Obama took his oath by placing his hand on the Bible held by the head of the US Supreme Court, even though he went to church and prayed before the ceremony, secularism was not violated. But if our president, thinking that 99 percent of the public is Muslim, goes to the mosque and prays before taking an oath on the Quran, it tears our secularism to pieces and “reactionaryism” reawakens. Even if Mehmet the Conqueror and Osman Gazi had done so, such actions would be countered with, “Come on, what century is it?” Christianity is tolerated, but when it comes to Islam, they say: “Islam is not like Christianity. It comprises every inch of life. If you keep the door ajar, it will rush inside in its entirety. It will come and will not let you live.” This is not what I say, but if you read the reasoned opinions of the decisions of the Constitutional Court concerning the headscarf, this is exactly what they say.
“Ergenekonism” is a mentality. It means living in the protected neighborhood of the elites. Those who live in that neighborhood are untouchables. They cannot be touched, questioned or held accountable. Who will be held accountable by whom? Ergenekonism is the mentality of those who claim to be the real rulers even if they are in the minority. Democracy, the rule of law and freedom are all trivial matters in their eyes. For this reason, there is no organization called Ergenekon. The real children of the republic cannot be taken into custody by the stepchildren of the republic. The republic cannot be left undefended. These detentions, indictments and weapons are unimportant. The owners of the weapons are not known. Even if the corpses of the victims of the unsolved murders are discovered in the future, this, too, will be unimportant. Can the dead be left unburied? Humanity requires that they be buried. They must have been buried somewhere. That’s why there are cemeteries for the unclaimed. The Ergenekon types are innocent.
The Ergenekon types have been telling us these lies shamelessly for months. But Bush is no longer at the helm in the US. The neocons have gone. They were getting massive support from the neocons. They acted as if they were anti-American, but they cooperated with the US. The Bush administration was encouraging them. Now, Obama has come.
In his first speech, Obama referred to the rebirth of freedom. “Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake,” he said.
In other words, the proponents of democracy will face no obstacles in the world. This will also apply to Turkey. The totalitarian mindset of the single-party mentality will disperse. This will also pave the way for Turkey’s EU membership. You will see, things will change in the media.
