2 November 2009 / BUGÜN GÜLAY GÖKTÜRK,
It seems our minister of health, Recep Akdağ, is the first among many in the world who have received extensive criticism because of an overemphasis on an epidemic disease.
Let me underline that those who criticize Minister Akdağ because he informed the public about the dangers of the disease are those who do not favor an open society. Such information may be kept secret only in closed societies experiencing the darkness of totalitarianism. Those who argue that the actual dimensions of the epidemic should be kept secret are gravely hypocritical, considering how the same circles have long been asking for a transparent state. Did they refer to transparency in tenders when they were talking about a transparent state? To hell with the tenders; it is not of crucial importance for me to learn who embezzled how much, but I cannot be comfortable with a “transparent state” seeking to keep an imminent epidemic secret.
