AKP’s resistance to apologize

In a similar vein, the AKP could not argue that the tragic bombing “accident” and killing of 35 citizens on the Iraqi border is not the fault of the AKP but of the generals. If we live in a democracy, then, it follows that the civilian authorities are responsible for the successes and failures of the generals. Is this not what we have been advocating for decades in this country?

We are not saying that the state bombed its citizens on purpose. We are also not sure if some rogue elements that are connected with Ergenekon framed the army. However, at the end of the day the army made a mistake which resulted in the bombing of innocent civilians who did not carry any weapons and who did not rise against the state. In normal countries and societies individuals, institutions and states apologize for their mistakes. Yet, it seems that our good old AKP thinks that one must only apologize when one intentionally commits a crime. That is really sad. As none of the AKP leaders are criminals, it means that they have never made an apology in their entire lives! What a life? If the government acknowledged responsibility when the accident took place and properly apologized for the mistake, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) could not win this battle in the psychological war. I sincerely congratulate the government which, with its refusal to apologize, paved the way for the PKK to benefit from the deaths of people who fought against the PKK throughout their entire lives!

It is hard to understand why the AKP is making such obvious mistakes and, instead of apologizing, attacking newspapers, journalists and columnists. The mere fact that the current oligarchy’s Hürriyet daily and its frontrunner, Ertuğrul Özkök, are supporting the AKP on this must be eye-opening. The AKP should relax and ponder over why all those people who have both supported the AKP until now and who will also choose the AKP over the anti-democratic Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in any forthcoming election are harshly criticizing the AKP’s present mistakes. These people, including myself, who are not natural born AKP enemies and who continue to support its many policies, are now treated with suspicion, to say the least. The AKP believes in the sincerity of Aydın Doğan, Ertuğrul Özkök, the Hürriyet daily, now-saluting-generals, and so on, but does not believe that its supporter-critics have bona fide intentions. That is also very sad.

Therapy is needed not only to learn that apology is a great human virtue and should be exercised on an almost regular basis, even when we make simple mistakes and break hearts, but also to learn not to be suspicious of everyone around you.