Please speak clearly instead of being cross with us
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a joint Star-NTV television interview, answered Mehmet Barlas’s question, “When you say something, it is debated for days. Do you do this on purpose?” with visible joy, explaining how happy he was in changing the agenda and how he controlled the agenda. If he was not able to set the agenda, he said he “would not be considered a prime minister.”
I remembered the debates on separation of powers, building a mosque at Çamlıca Hill and the TV serial Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century). Look carefully; each time, the prime minister says a few sentences and then keeps quiet. Then we start discussing those sentences. After a while, when the debates reach a certain consistency, the prime minister emerges once again to say, “Friends, I did not mean that. You are falling short when you are interpreting my words… For example, I am not saying that the system of separation of powers should be demolished completely; I want it to be fine tuned…” and he criticizes us. Moreover, sometimes he takes it further and scolds us.
Then, don’t we have the right to tell him this? “Dear Prime Minister, instead of getting cross at us, explain your words fully so that we do not fall short in our interpretations.”
Or, can it be that the prime minister acts as such just to trap us and, after that, scold us?
Even if they do not have bad intentions, all of our politicians suffer from not explaining or not being able to explain their views openly and clearly. What they like the most is to come back later and blame the media and complain about us, saying, “You only take one side of the speech and twist it.”
My reply is this: Gentlemen, if so, then why don’t you take care in the sentences you form? Wouldn’t it be more correct if you spoke in such a way that would not accommodate misunderstandings?
If you don’t do this or cannot do this, then do not unjustly become cross with us.
I apologize to Trabzonspor
I was in the Black Sea town of Trabzon on Dec. 23. I went to the match, which was extremely dull and without excitement. Galatasaray was happy to get away with a draw.
Anyway, let’s leave that aside. What actually affected me was that friends from Trabzon came up to me whenever they saw me and explained how offended they were, how angry they were because of the two sentences I uttered on Beyaz TV.
I had expressed the following two views during the interview: “I don’t believe Aziz Yıldırım distributed match-fixing money around from a bag,” and “For Galatasaray, the competition with Fenerbahçe is very important. I mean, if FB is relegated, then are we going to play Trabzon for leadership?”
The reason I said these things was to explain that GS fans would want Fenerbahçe to stay in the league. I did not have anything even close to an intention of scorning Trabzonspor in my mind. My intention was to explain that for a GS fan, beating Fenerbahçe was more important than winning the league.
The same goes for FB fans. For them also, beating GS is important. The rest is not that important. I could have said Beşiktaş instead of Trabzon.
Unfortunately, these words of mine have created a major reaction among Trabzonspor fans. They have continuously told me, “We like you a lot. If it were somebody else, then we wouldn’t have paid so much attention, but we are offended by this coming from you.” As I listened to those who said this in full sincerity, I was sad.
I apologize to my Trabzonspor friends and fans.
