Back to their factory settings

Back to their factory settings

Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz said it was normal that questions not relevant to evaluating the level of knowledge or competence of teachers are posted to them in their job interviews. 

Let us remember the questions first, if you’d like. “Who is ‘the chief?’ What is your opinion about him? Which papers and which columnists do you read? Who comes to mind when ‘the chief’ is mentioned? Which preparatory course did you attend?” 

The reason for these interviews seems to be to eliminate Gülenists, but the real aim is nothing more than partisanship. At the same time, they should, of course, be assuming that the Gülenists are “idiots.” 

For this group, as a matter of fact, it should be easier than anybody else to deceive the interview panel. What we have experienced until today and what we have seen up until now make us think so. 

If you seem like you like the chief, tell them you read pro-government newspapers and insert some religious discourse now and then if you find the opportunity, then you get the job. 

The education minister said these questions were not in the “question pool.”

He added, “Such questions are not included in our pool of questions. Well, let’s assume somebody asked your opinion of the chief? Where is the harm in this? … These were brought up to create the image that justice is not being served.”  

How these absurd questions do not harm the interview is best known only to the education minister.  
I would like to remind him that unless they change this mindset of theirs, they will hand over the state, as they did yesterday to the Gülenists, to who knows whom tomorrow. 

Tens of thousands of people are being fired from government institutions; this figure is growing every day. If the factor that caused this was not the former opinion of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) toward the communities, then what is it? 

After the coup attempt, it was said that promotions in government institutions would from now on be based on competence. Obviously, these words were uttered with the fear and panic of that day. 

The government is going back to its factory settings. In the past, in an effort to favor partisans, they sold the title deed of the country to a community. 

Now, let us see who they will facilitate to call the shots? 

Five is larger than the world   

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have decided that former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Guterres will replace U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon when his term ends on Dec. 31. While “the bigger than the world” five permanent members were reaching this decision, they consulted with other non-permanent members of the council. We know that they are countries such as Germany, India, Brazil and Japan. 

The next phase is that the U.N. General Assembly will convene, hands will go up and down and Guterres will be the U.N. secretary-general.  

Meanwhile, the argument that “the world is bigger than five,” which our pro-government media was praising to the skies, will once more be the cause of laughter.

I’m not sure if you remember, but for a certain time, one of the most popular topics in the pro-government media was this U.N. secretary-general position issue. 

In those days when Erdoğan was to replace Abdullah Gül as president of Turkey, this was the illusion that was cooked up and served. Of course, the aim, in those days, was to prevent Gül from losing his temper but you will remember that they seriously discussed this subject of Gül running for the top U.N. position.

What happened? Gül failed to even become a candidate for nomination. 

Why did this happen? There are many reasons but the biggest reason is that Turkey and its representatives are not taken seriously anymore in other places in the world. 

The expectation of an “advanced democracy in a Muslim country” has crashed. In terms of democratic standards, Turkey is going through the worst period in its history. 

With their speeches full of empty boastings, Turkey’s political leaders have succeeded in making everybody an enemy.