What would happen if someone were to simply say, ‘It is our fault’?
by
MAZHAR BAĞLI*

Why is it that in this country people do not possess the virtue of speaking the truth? Hasn't it, in fact, been a tradition in these lands that speaking the truth was the greatest virtue possible? Isn't our society one that moves according to traditional values? Weren't values supposed to be more important than anything? How can it be that the followers of a prophet that spoke of the critical value of speaking the truth are now shirking away from the very truth itself? Outside of a few opposition voices, is there no one who will say that the first authority that should answer for this disaster is the elected government and the second is the local administration? Do we need to ignore this truth for the sake of all the correct things that have been done up until now? Will there be no mention of the possibility of the removal from office of various government ministers, governors and even mayors? Will there be no move toward perhaps the trial of those who neglected their duties during this disaster? Are the lives of those who died in this flood really that cheap? In many ways, this disaster was one of the best signs we have of just what sort of value we place on human life.

A person may do their job well, flawlessly even, but from the moment that person makes a mistake that costs others their lives, there is no justification for allowing that person to continue their job. This is simply the way it is everywhere in the world, and this is the only fair and just way that exists.

An even greater punishment than forcing those who commit infractions of justice to distance themselves from the ruling party is when those same names are remembered as being inhumane or heartless. In order not to be remembered this way, everything must be in order, must be fair. The prime minister knows İstanbul better than almost anyone. He also know best who is responsible for these sorts of affairs. While the prime minister may not have it in his heart to take the necessary action against these figures, he could at least force them to be removed from administrative positions, and he should also be able to see that the real damage done by these people is beginning to touch him. The excuses created by these people should not be swallowed. Could someone who tells a prime minister to use a phrase like “rivers will take their revenge” after a real disaster be a true ally of that prime minister?

These days, people's lives are threatened all over the world by natural disasters, and more often than not, people succumb to most of these disasters. Of course, in the struggle between humans and nature, the most indispensable tool for humans is the human mind. And, of course, our minds learn both from actual data, as well as from experience. There are certain situations, though, where the mind does not control everything. In order for a shepherd tending his flock up in the mountains not to be struck and killed by lightening, the most radical step you could take would be to prevent the shepherd from going outside. But if the shepherd is already up in the mountains, there is really nothing you can do about it. I think it should be quite clear, at this point, that I am not suggesting trying to prevent rainfall itself.

Development and construction

We have seen once more with these floods that there needs to be some immediate attention paid to what is one of this country's biggest problems: development and construction. Legal regulations based on universal norms need to be applied without exception to building and development through Turkey, not only in urban areas, but also in provincial areas. The people of Turkey have wholesale convictions to which they stick when it comes to certain subjects and certain people. What conscience is able to handle seeing the city administrations of the ministries concerned as irresponsible? Who would be able to handle such unfairness? Every aspect of a person cannot be good; this is an impossible proposal, one which goes against human nature. By the same token, every aspect of a person cannot be bad. People have both good and bad sides to them. But when it comes to leadership units, the question is not whether they are “good” or “bad,” but instead whether or not they are able to act in a timely and appropriate manner.

No doubt there is a group of people within the prime minister's central management organization who have worked hard for many years and to whom the prime minister is accustomed. In fact, when this group makes mistakes, perhaps the prime minister does not consider it, from his perspective, a big problem. But on the level of the people of the nation, this is not the case. There are certain phrases that remain alive and well in the minds and memories of the people of this nation. These are phrases that may not be exactly responsible for a certain stance yet, but which people are taking note of, one by one, as they are uttered. Our recent history is full of examples and information on this, and thus it is not difficult to predict the results when one day these remembered phrases and words coalesce to form their own dialogue and stance.

Unfortunately, the stance shown by the media known to be close to the current administration only tends to deepen certain societal fears. In fact, while no one expected post-flood analyses from this faction of the media to be filled with slogans such as “the government should resign,” the fact is that outside of the Taraf newspaper's Ahmet Altan and Zaman's Ahmet Turan Alkan (we also have to give the great poet Bejan Matur her due), there was almost no one who underscored the responsibilities of the administration in their writing. This is despite the fact that the first degree of responsibility in connection with this case lies with ministers, bureaucrats, governors and mayors. And the body that put the abovementioned people into their offices is, of course, the government of Turkey.

Had the prime minister only called for the resignation of the government ministers connected to this event rather than inviting them on a helicopter fly-over of the disaster scene, he would have done something much more significant for his own future as well as the future of his nation. At the very least, this action would have served as a warning to others in positions of responsibility regarding what could happen to them if they neglected their duties again.

In short, I am asking why it is that people are not speaking and writing about the very things that they are thinking these days. Or are we missing certain information? Even if the direct position of responsibility for the floods is not the Ankara administration, is the Ankara administration not the entity to be addressed in all this? Of course, whoever is at the helm is the one to whom concerns should be addressed.

You know, there is that famous old story, in which an old royal advisor is retiring and leans over to whisper something into the ear of the new, younger advisor who is taking his place after ceremonies marking the change. The old advisor says to the younger one: “Look son, I have lots of experience stored up from many years in this office. You did not want to listen to what I have to tell you, and you never created the right atmosphere for me to pass on this information, so instead I have left three envelopes filled with my experience and advice for you in a drawer. Whenever you are in trouble, you can go to that drawer and pull out the envelopes, and the information inside will help you.”

Despite these whispered words, the young advisor does not take much heed. In fact, he interprets these words from the old advisor as the last pleading words of someone about to lose their status and position. Still though, he decides not to stray from courtesy, and doesn't say anything negative to the older advisor.

Years and years later, the young advisor takes very good care of his work and responsibilities. But after a certain amount of time, troubles start to pester him. He spends a great deal of time and energy trying to find solutions to these troubles. But he is simply not able to come up with any answers. Finally, the young advisor remembers the envelopes mentioned by his predecessor. He goes to the drawer and opens the first of the envelopes. In the envelope is written the words “malign the past.” And so the young castle advisor begins to malign the past, talking of how he “inherited a disaster,” how the previous leadership had already destroyed the foundations, etc. With this, the advisor sees that things seem to be going a bit better for him for a while. But then, suddenly, problems start occurring again, and again he starts worrying about finding a solution when suddenly the existence of the second envelope in the drawer comes to his mind. He goes to the drawer and pulls out the second envelope, and in this one is written the words “malign your close circles.” Again, the young advisor takes this advice to heart, and again, his work appears to get easier, and the problems plaguing him seem to disappear as he tells the public that while he wished to do well, those surrounding him were constantly preventing him from doing so. In any case, the relief provided by the second envelope is only temporary, and so he heads back to the drawer to find what advice the third envelope has to offer him. He pulls it out and sees these words written in it: “Time for you to prepare your own three envelopes.”

*Professor Mazhar Bağlı is an instructor at Dicle University.