The conscience you have dialed cannot be reached now

The actors in commercials on TV represent a brand. They are supposed to be sweet, sympathetic, fun, full of love and respectful. They save cute animals trapped in a tree; they are the hope of old people who are alone during holidays; they carry the flag on national days, pumping pride into our veins. 

They inspire confidence; they help overcome difficulties. 

They extend a loving hand; they collect love; they give back love. 

They are handsome; they are beautiful; the product they are promoting is pure, clear and bright, just like the brand and company they are representing. “Call me whenever you are in trouble,” they say. “We will take care of it.” 

It is like they are saying: “We aren’t marketing a product, we’re actually marketing love, dear brothers and sisters and beloved children.” 

Of course, this is the normal. These are the rules of the game. No company is going to admit: “In fact, our actual aim is to sell this product to you. That is why we’re working so hard here.” 

But where commercials end, real life begins. That is when things change. 

Take the example of specialist sergeant Mehmet Çiftçi, who was killed in 2012 in Hakkari’s Çukurca district. Çiftçi was killed when explosives that were placed under the road were detonated by terrorists. His body was found one week later in the Zab River. 

What his family had to experience with his GSM operator was not even close to the sympathy demonstrated in commercials. There were no moving, epic and heroic tones. 

His family, who live in İzmir’s Karabağlar district, were left alone with their sorrow. They started paying their son’s remaining bills so he could rest in peace, free of debts. 

The learned that he had 300 Turkish Liras in outstanding bills to his GSM operator. They applied to pay it and received the reply that his debts were wiped off because he had been martyred. 

Very nice. All this is as it should be. 


The conscience you have dialed cannot be reached now  

However, five years after his son’s passing, father Satılmış Çiftçi received an SMS. Then he received a call from the law firm running the legal affairs of the GSM operator. 

The lawyer demanded he pay 2,300 liras for the debt and the overdue interest to the same company that had said the late Mehmet Çiftçi’s debts had been wiped off. 

The lawyer said that if he did not pay the debts, domestic repossession proceedings will start at your registered residence. 

 “Debt is debt. We wanted to pay it five years ago but they did not allow us to pay. Now they want it with interest. Our debt is of course a debt. We want our son to rest in peace but paying the interest for the years since is deeply offensive.

Where is that sympathetic company? Where is the friendly brand? Where is the product that only gives peace? 

Where is respect? Where is conscience? Where are your high values and supreme sentiments? 

Eventually, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies stepped in and the debt was wiped off. The repossession order was lifted.

I don’t know if this is the proper solution, but at least the ministry has corrected one shame and a path of conscience has been found in one example.