Separatism with a discourse on unity

Of course we have only respect for those who took to the streets to protest terrorism and express their anger and suffering due to terrorist acts. However we have words to say about the political objectives of the organizers of recent rallies, as well as those staged to protest the government.

This is more like a new fashion in which an anti-democratic organized minority sponsors events where it exploits the common concepts, symbols and values of mainstream society for the sake of political gain. They simply try to monopolize our sacred values, including the flag, our homeland and martyrdom. They exploit these values to promote their political goals.

You might remember that those groups organized rallies to protest the government; however, in an effort to attract public attention, they used the slogan "Secularism is at stake!" A superficial inquiry revealed that the rallies were organized by some non-democratic marginal groups which had connections with the renowned retired generals, clandestine enterprises, and so-called civil society organizations affiliated with those enterprises and CHP local organizations.

As part of the process by which the presidential election in Parliament was obstructed, the rallies accomplished their objective so fully that we have not heard discourse pointing to secularism being at stake since the April 27 e-memo and early election decision. But just how did the threats they were referring to disappear all of a sudden? Or was it a psychological operation based on a mere lie and phony threat that never existed?

After all the motto "Secularism is at stake" brought back into the game the CHP, which had been rapidly losing its support base. The organized militant minority succeeded in bringing the masses together, relying on nonexistent threats and national symbols. The process culminated in the polarization of society and a few-point increase in support for the CHP.

Those who tried to save the CHP via secularism rallies are now busy with a discourse on terrorism and martyrs as if they are not the figures promoting all kinds of separatism and discrimination. They first descended so low as to chant political slogans at martyrs' funerals and then they exploited the blood of martyrs to garner political support. Of course people are aware of the contradiction of those groups who developed a discourse based on martyrdom, despite their well-known opposition to religion and religious values.

Those whose pasts go back to Communism, Marxism and Maoism, all of which rule out religion, and who had maintained cooperation with the head of a terrorist organization and acted as executives in terrorists' media organs are now trying to market themselves as the true patriots and exploit a sacred value like martyrdom. This kind of exploitation befits nobody but those who fail to appreciate the salience of martyrdom in our culture.

Of course I am excluding those who participated in those rallies in good faith. But in what way do the sentiments voiced from the stages at those meetings have anything to do with anti-terrorism? One of the speakers said, "We want an ultranationalist government that will promote the homeland, not divide it," as if the current administration does otherwise.

Another speaker -- a merchant journalist who has always promoted his own interest and thus turned into a political charlatan -- tried to present himself as a hero using the pain of martyr families. He says if a single statesman is willing to send his son for military service, to involve firmly with his life and blood into the issue, this issue will be resolved immediately. He also added he is ready to do so.

While recruiting votes for the CHP at the "Rally for Unity against Terrorism," this person called shamelessly for people to "Vote for the ultranationalist parties in this election. Vote for the parties which can appreciate the meaning of martyrdom."