The man who owes money to the CHP leader
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), renewed the list of his possessions and posted it on the CHP’s website… he wanted to put into a difficult situation those who could not explain their wealth.
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But then this is what happened to Feridun...
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He was exposed to everybody, to the whole world. Kılıçdaroğlu has a house, he has a car, he has paintings. And he has 7,000 liras that Feridun owes to him.
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If you are to ask who Feridun is?
He has been Kemal’s friend for 40 years.
Ten years ago his business starts doing badly; he is in dire straits; he would need urgent money.
Kemal tells him, “Don’t worry.” He would go to a back and get a credit of 7,000 liras and give it to Feridun.
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Obviously; this is Turkey... They applaud those who plunder the country. But they send out detectives behind innocent people. That’s why Kemal will be obliged to register this amount as debt to be claimed in the list of his possessions in order to show that the credit he took from the bank was given as a debt, that it has not evaporated. So that no one would come out one day asking him, “Where is this money, dear Kemal?”
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Unfortunately Feridun’s business won’t improve; he would not be able to pay it back. Kemal would say, “It is ok; don’t worry.” But the amount is registered. So he would continue to keep “Feridun” in the list. If not, he can be in trouble... In order for that amount to be taken off that list, Feridun needs to put 7,000 liras in the bank account of Kemal. There is no other way... You just cannot say, “Doesn’t the money belong to me? I happened to just scrap it.” That’s what the law dictates.
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Because in this country...
It is a crime to expose a thief.
It is a crime not to expose Feridun.
It is forbidden to write the name of the thief.
It is forbidden not to write Feridun.
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You can fail on returning the debts you owe to the state as much as you can; they will just erase it. In the name of tax amnesty, get the money in a luggage or put it in a truck, bring it over, they won’t ask you “where did you get it?” You can carry unregistered gold with a plane; no problem if you get caught. You are screwed if you catch them.
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Shoe boxes, money counting machines in the bedroom... a 700,000-lira watch to be put on the wrist of a minister... that’s no problem. But the 7,000 liras of Feridun need to be monitored.
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You can call your son and tell him to get rid of the money. You can instruct the minister of justice asking him to arrange the court so that Aydın Doğan is convicted. All this is fine. But if you are Feridun... that is not fine at all.
Yılmaz Özdil is a columnist for daily Hürriyet in which this piece was published on March 6. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.
