8 March 2010 / MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE ZAMAN,
There is no excuse left for anybody. The thing that we will not only speak about but also comply with and implement is democracy. It is not an ideal that floats in the skies but a series of principles that need to be implemented in our political life.
Every idea must be able to be freely expressed in a society. The owner of an idea can only notice its absurdity or scariness when that idea is out in the open, in which case they can’t help but see the weariness in your face. The only way to deal with the nonsense created by marginal imaginations is to let that nonsense be revealed. In this sense, we need to understand democracy as patience and tolerance. By complying with the principles of democracy, peace and welfare will dominate. What is wrong with living in a more civilized country with freedom and welfare? The only remedy for ideological blindness and bigotry is openness. Blind ideologies exist not to change life but to serve the solidarity of small groups. That is the reason that marginal groups always have supporters. Every marginal idea gets divided to form a tighter web of solidarity.
