This time Interior Minister Şahin blundered big time
Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin has a unique style of speech. He has a very kind, gentle personality but when he starts explaining things, each time he utters ambiguous words that can be interpreted differently. His reasoning in the “Kurdish issue” is also very different, probably because of his extensive knowledge of the region.
He talked about not underestimating the fact that the deceased in the Uludere incident were in fact smugglers, that they lost their lives while trying to smuggle goods into the country, that it was the terror organization that was collecting the money from smuggling, that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was using these people as if they were horses turning a water wheel. He also said the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was also a part of the incident, that the BDP should be held accountable for “the disgusting pieces of cloth that the BDP had the coffins covered with,” that the nature of the incident did not require an apology, that arms smuggled through these routes were used to kill our soldiers and that these young people should not have been there.
When I read this speech, my hairs stood on end. From whatever angle you view it, it falls apart. What kind of a mentality is this; what kind of an approach is this? What does it mean, “They died and were somehow saved from being prosecuted for smuggling?”
With this kind of mentality, we will never be able to solve the “Kurdish issue” nor will we be able to fight terror within democratic parameters. It is a huge misfortune that Şahin occupies that seat.
Şahin falls into his own trap as he talks
In the same speech, Şahin also had a media section, and that was also full of blunders. He said they were all conspiracies that his speeches were accompanied by criticisms and mockeries. He, moreover, said some journalists were getting together and making decisions on the matter. In other words, some of our colleagues have selected Mr. Şahin as the weakest link in the Cabinet, are acting together and have decided, “Let’s bite this minister.”
I have listened to many a conspiracy theory but I have never heard anything of this dimension.
Our dear minister is mistaken. He is giving too much credit to journalists who are unable to act together on any topic. Moreover, there is no need to plan a conspiracy against Mr. Şahin. If he can review what he has said with an objective eye, then he would be able to understand more quickly what I’m saying. Really, he is falling into the trap of his own words.
AK Party seriously annoyed as well
He should be extremely thankful to the prime minister: Şahin has his full support. The prime minister does not let anyone speak negatively about Şahin. However, the situation is a little different this time.
I spoke to some Cabinet ministers and each of them told me how unfortunate this speech was.
What has annoyed government circles is that Şahin has pointed to the Air Force as a target. At a time when the prime minister is trying to repair relations with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the interior minister’s taking of the central stage has raised eyebrows. I guess Şahin has gone too far this time. We will see in a short time to what extent the disturbance within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) affect the prime minister.
I can only say that the interior minister, with this stance of his, no matter what he achieves, even if he hides behind conspiracy theories stemming from the media, will not be able to free himself of criticism.
