Life goes on with or without elections

Another election is over in Turkey. I congratulate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and all Justice and Development Party (AKP) members. 

Of course, I don’t feel like it, but not giving credit where it is due makes me uncomfortable.  

I do not think I like them; my view of life is completely different; I was absolutely dreaming of another Turkey. 

But it didn’t happen. 

This is their victory. This is truly a huge victory. It is such a victory that says “in your face” to the 50 percent of the country. 

What does 50 percent mean? It means single-party rule, a very strong government. It almost means, “Now, I can do whatever I want to do.”

None of the disasters affected the people 

This is a sad reality but none of what occurred here affected this people. 

None. No Dec. 17 unlawfulness, the threat of war, no deaths of people, no bombs, none of the attacks on newspaper buildings and journalists, no lack of freedom of expression, none of what the international press said… None of this affected them. These people cast this vote. 

There is no cheating or rigging. They gained nearly 5 million more votes than the previous elections. 

Five million people have changed their minds. Erdoğan made them believe himself. 

Votes of fear and taking shelter under power 

Fear is the most logical explanation for me. Maybe I am trying to find a justification but these are votes of fear.

Massacres that came one after the other, the suicide bombers wondering in our midst, the martyr stories that arrive every day from the southeast, the government which was never able to be formed…

Because of this environment of fear, half of Turkey took shelter in power. They did not care, at all, whether or not there was democracy, whether this was a rule of law or a banana republic. They totally neglected personal rights and freedoms; they did not care a bit about them. They said, “Full speed, AKP” for the thing they define as “stability.”

Wow. 

Erdoğan knows politics better than everybody else  

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has proved that he knows politics better than everybody else in this country. I believe this is entirely his success. 

I think a difficult period is waiting for Turkey. Life will become more difficult. 

It was on television yesterday, that Ahmet İnsel, academic, economist and journalist, said that in the past year, 1,300 people were taken to court on grounds that they had insulted Erdoğan.

Now, it will become even more impossible to say anything to him. It will not be possible to criticize him. I don’t know what it is. Can this be called, “But, we totally deserved this.” Or is it, “What is it to you, look; people are living happily and content?” 

Both of them are true. However, there is a 50 percent that thinks like me; they should not be disregarded. Of course, everybody will develop their own solution. Mine is going back to my own world and continuing…

I will go back to my loved ones, to my routine, to improving myself and to trying to do some things for others, in other words, social responsibility. I will focus on the “Interrupted Lives” (Yarım Kalan Hayatlar) project more than ever. 

Later this week, for instance, I will meet children who came from several provinces of Turkey to repair an animal shelter. They want to spread goodness to everywhere in the city; you know, favor and kindness are infectious. They, too, are trying to explain to us the good state of cities and people. 

One should not focus only on politics; because when one does so, nothing happens. 

Time is the time to be more productive, to work more and to be more energetic.