While I criticized the fact that we, Turks, don't know when to resign, I actually didn't mean this. Maybe I should have also written that there is something else that we can't comprehend: Generally speaking, like resignation, compromise is also not something shameful.
In fact, compromise is an integral part of a democracy with checks and balances, as American people can appreciate it especially in these days that the Congress is debating the debt limit.
As we see in the United States, a democracy without compromise may be self-destructive. It may even trigger the collapse of the whole system: An Armageddon or an Apocalypse may be given way...
The latest crisis in Turkey, which was triggered when entire top military command resigned yesterday in a row with the government over generals jailed for an alleged coup plot, is also a crisis about compromise.
The Turkish army don't understand that they need to compromise, not to quit, in order to maintain their role in a unique Muslim-majority democracy where they can indeed remain as a part of checks and balances system. I don't believe that it's a good tactical move on their behalf, either.
Neither the Turkish government is for compromise. Claudia Roth, co-leader of the German Green Party, has just witnessed it personally, as she was not allowed by the Turkish government to visit the journalist Ahmet Şık, who is imprisoned for a book that he couldn't publish, for a crime that he is still not indicted, almost exactly like the generals in prison. According to Roth, the scandalous thing was not the denial of her request to visit Şık, but the "show-off" stance of the Turkish government on the issue.
This "show-off" stance is a characteristic of a significant part of the Turkish government. As a matter of fact, you can't have a concessional approach with such a stance. Hence, with such a core quality, you can't be a true democrat.
All in all, Turkey is not moving to right direction with so many autocratic politicians and killjoy military commanders who are mano-a-mano in undermining the democratic checks and balances system. And the EU observers are so misguided as usual. European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten said yesterday that Turkey was getting more democratic day by day. Almost a joke.
So... Autocrats beat killjoys while jokers watch! Perfect scene for a maturing democracy, right?
