Four deputies who quit DYP

A very unfortunate incident took place at last weekend's True Path Party (DYP) congress. It should make our politicians think about what they stand for.

Four deputies who had recently resigned from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to join the DYP (Dursun Akdemir, Reyhan Balandı, Ümmet Kandoğan, İbrahim Özdoğan) quit the party when they failed to see their names on DYP leader Mehmet Ağar's list of candidates for party executives.

The statement they released was full of contradictions.

“The DYP had promised it would make us party executives, but they failed to stand by their word. ... We don't want anything for ourselves.”

Who would believe these statements?

These four deputies obviously joined the DYP to get re-elected, and when they failed to get what they wanted, they resigned.

Is this within the bounds of political ethics?

Can the nation respect politicians who behave this way? Can they trust them?

Serious politicians need to condemn such behavior and should isolate such individuals. They should realize the fact that if they fail to do so, Turkish society will never trust their politicians.

Appointment of chief negotiator postponed to June:

No matter how many times Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says, “I'm the chief negotiator,” the person who will supervise Turkey's European Union membership negotiations, which start on Oct. 3, has yet to be appointed. No one knows why the post hasn't yet been filled. No one has any idea what's going on, apart from Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül.

In recent weeks, both the prime minister and the foreign minister began saying: “We should lay low until after the referendum in France. This is what was asked of us.” This means the appointment for the chief negotiator is automatically postponed until June.

The referendum on the EU Constitution will be held on May 29. In order not to increase anti-EU sentiments before the referendum, Turkey has been asked to stay on the sidelines.

Everything is good and nice, but such delays carry a price. We are not wondering who will become the chief negotiator just because of curiosity. Any delay in the appointment also delays the legal preparations for the negotiations. The laws that need to be passed are delayed as are other appointments. Apart from the Agriculture Ministry and a few other state institutions, no one is preparing for the negotiations.

It doesn't matter how much Erdoğan says he's the chief negotiator.

Appointing the chief negotiator is just the beginning.

We are to blame for Fuat's extra-judicial punishment:

A 13-year-old shoeshine boy, Fuat Nalkıran, who was taken into custody after businessman Üzeyr Garih was murdered in Eyüp Cemetery, faces extra-judicial punishment from both the police and the media. It later became obvious that he was innocent and he was released after 48 hours.

The police, after taking Nalkıran into custody, branded him as a “glue-sniffing murderer,” and Interior Minister Rüştü Kazım Yücelen said, “We have the guilty person in custody.”

This soon made the headlines, and the 13-year-old child was condemned by the entire nation. The interesting fact was that when Nalkıran was released 48 hours later, the media fell silent and no one asked the Interior Ministry to explain.

Everyone, apart from Nalkıran's family, forgot the issue. They filed charges and won the case. They have won YTL 25,000 plus four years' interest as compensation.

The media is also guilty, but when I look around, I see no remorse. Only those who have been victims of extra-judicial justice know what it's like. Those who are cuffed and try to hide their faces from the cameras are tainted, even though later they were proven innocent.

However, beware. The new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) severely punishes such treatment of citizens.

Starting education at seven is too late:

Starting a child's education when he or she turns seven is too late. This is the idea behind a campaign started by the Mother-Child Education Foundation (AÇEV). Preparations for this campaign started 22 years ago. The first steps were taken in 1982. Mothers and children chosen from among the families living in shantytowns around Istanbul were educated for a period of time, and the differences between them and other children were investigated. It was found that the children whose education started earlier were more successful; they left school much later and eventually found better jobs.

Seven is too late, because two-thirds of the human brain is developed by age four. Seven is too late, but 89 percent of Turkish children do not receive pre-school education. Only 11 percent of the 7 million six-year-olds in Turkey are receiving education. This figure is 27 percent in Jordan, 34 percent in Morocco, 70 percent in Mexico and around 100 percent in the EU.

AÇEV is calling on everyone to support their campaign.