Ertugrul Ozkok: Why we still can't accustom ourselves to this death
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Two nights ago, we didn't actually finish getting the paper ready for the next day until two in the morning. We were racing against time, with the enormous stress of being late hanging over us. I went up to my office at the newspaper, turned off the lights, and began to think.
Why was I so sad at the news of the death of Bulent Ecevit, most of whose ideas over the past 15 years I did not actually agree with? It was a death we were all expecting. Our feelings should have been calmer, we should have been prepared. But as we all see now, even a death which made itself clear six months ago (which is when Ecevit entered the hospital gravely ill from a stroke) is one we are still not at peace with. I wonder why?
*
The first time I ever visited the Ecevit home in Oran was the day after they announced they were forming the new party, the DSP, or the Democratic Left Party. I received news of the party's formation while I was staying on the campus at Eskisehir Anadolu University. I was a professor there at that time, and the news was broadcast on the front headlines of the Hurriyet newspaper edition which was slipped under my door. That same day, Ahmet Taner Kislali called me. He told me that Ecevit was expecting us at his home the next day. Anyway, we did go the next day, and I can still remember how closely I inspected every inch of his home. It was the home of a typical Ankara intellectual. The walls were covered with bookshelves crammed with books. Rahsan Hanim, Bulent's wife, was serving tea. Bulent apologized to us for not telling us beforehand about the formation of this new party, but explained that he had felt the need to keep it secret until the last moment. He asked me, and Kislali, if we would write up the social and cultural sections of the party's program. And so we did.
*
But I never worked for the DSP. As it was, after awhile, I parted paths with Ecevit. I began working as a journalist. And shortly after that, we lost Ahmet Taner Kislali after he was attacked and killed.
When I turned the lights back on in my office, my eyes caught the report sitting on my desk. It was an outline of the EU's progress report. I examined the section on Turkey. On the 48th page, something in the fourth paragraph struck me. The paragraph was addressing the topic of "Corruption." Here is what it said: "There is only limited headway being made in Turkey on the topic of corruption. Corruption continues in a widespread manner. Politicians are weak against corruption. They need to strengthen their authority against corruption."
*
My mind flashed to the "Yimpas" news which has been dominating headlines for the past weeks. I also thought of the energy spent by certain members of the current administration in trying to sway public attention from this matter. And then I thought: Is fighting corruption just the job of the government? What about other organizations and forums in society? If corruption is actually a special section in a report on our country, isn't this embarassing for us all in Turkey?
*
And then, I began to understand. That house in Oran flashed before my eyes again. I remembered how it was that Ecevit would refuse every sort of VIP treatment and opportunity he was offered. That is what we have lost with Ecevit. That is why we are not yet used to this death, which in fact announced itself back in May. Because Turkey has lost one more honest person who was trying to wipe the stains of corruption from our society. In recent years, I have encountered people who have pondered whether honesty is in itself a merit, or whether it needs to be paired with something. Well, the empty spot left in the wall by Ecevit supplies us with the answer to that question......yes, it is.