Political civility

It is a fact as well that candidates of the ruling party enter the local elections race more advantageous than other candidates because the electorate tends to support candidates of the ruling party in anticipation that their district might receive a higher level of central administration support if a mayor from the ruling party is brought to office. This is often the most well-kept secret. Everyone knows it, but very few talk about it. It could be argued that this is one ailment of democratic governance, but unfortunately we do not have a better alternative at hand.

Though this is a fact that most people are aware of, often because of political civility, particularly executives of the ruling party, try to stay away from "vote for our candidate, get better services" propaganda. Perhaps avoiding such talk is as well a requirement of the notion of fair election. Furthermore, voicing the "vote for our candidate, get support of the central administration" understanding might mean as well blackmailing the electorate as reading the same sentence the other way round will mean "If you do not vote for the candidate of our ruling party you will not receive support of the central government for local projects." That will be sheer blackmail, is it not?

Unfortunate for the justice minister

Recently, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin was participating at the opening of the election bureau of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, at Antalya’s Varsak district. Şahin is not a tall man. Resources of the election bureau were limited. The minister was compelled to climb a chair to address the AKP supporters attending the opening.

On the top of the chair, for some time, Şahin explained the "great accomplishments" of the AKP governance in the country and tried to answer some local questions such as what will happen to the title deeds that were cancelled or their validity were challenged at a local court on grounds that they were illegally distributed in the first place. Şahin pledged that the AKP government will legislate a new law to overcome such problems.

Then, time came to answer the questions of the local people for who they should vote in the mayoral polls? Of course local people asking such a question to an AKP minister was itself awkward, but the answer was a bizarre one which one may take on the one hand as a confession, while on the other as a reaffirmation of the non-existence of political civility in Turkish politics.

Şahin, one of the AKP ministers many people feel high respect for, was carried away with emotions. Perhaps, climbing on a chair produces complications in people suffering from high blood pressure. Whatever the reason was, Şahin started to talk out of the back of his head. "I climbed on this chair, because I wanted to see you better," he said first, then continued, "You are asking me who I advise you to vote for. It is a fact that local administrations who are on good terms with the central administration are providing far better services than those who go against us. Unfortunately, it is Turkey’s reality that local administrations who quarrel with the central administrations cannot receive support for all their projects. Thus, I would advise you to vote for candidates who are getting along well with the central government, who are getting along well with the local population, who are loyal to their state. It is a fact that resolution of most local problems require financing from the central administration. The present mayor is in very cordial dialogue with the prime minister and the prime minister is personally interested in the resolution of local problems here É"

Was what the minister said less serious than trying to buy votes through distributing coal sacks, foodstuff boxes, household appliances? Vote buying through distributing alms or through blackmailing people that if they vote for candidates who were not in allegiance to the government they would receive less support from central government must be equally criminal and must be deplored.