Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird novel Atticus Finch’s story. He works as a lawyer in a small town. At a time when racism and discrimination are considered commonplace, he takes on the defense of a black man who was initially considered guilty, even though he knows he will lose. Because for him, right is not something that changes according to the circumstances. She risks the gossip of the town, being alone, and being pushed around by her children.
There are some people who do what they think is right without calculating. Others think of winning first. They choose power. They stand with the crowd. But in every period, there are those who risk losing and stand on the right side. I wish this were more common.
I look at politics today. There are many people who stand for what is wrong for the sake of winning. Ethics, morality, righteousness take a back seat. What matters is the result. But the day you abandon your principles for the sake of winning, you are not doing politics. You are only calculating power. Let me tell you frankly, we Turks really don't know who to choose.
I no longer look at the winners; I look at the stance. Value shows itself in stance. And for me, the name of this correct and principled stance in politics is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
There were lynch attempts, physical attacks, threats. The worst was the systematic assassination of his reputation. He was betrayed by some of the people he thought were closest to him. But none of this stopped him in his tracks. Kılıçdaroğlu did not do anything he did not think was right to win. He did not engage in politics of fight. He went after corruption. He stood on the side of rule, not power. He spoke not with identities but with rights. He did not give up his principles and stance.
Atticus Finch is not alone. Mandela spent years in prison. Vaclav Havel went to prison for writing. Saharov was exiled. Ugur Mumcu was murdered for pursuing the truth. What they all had in common was this: they did not remain silent in the face of wrong. They were able to resist without burning the place down. They did not walk with lies. They did not gain power through short cuts. They defended the truth without provoking the crowd. But they were often underappreciated in their own time.
Because the one who raises his voice is heard, the tough is considered strong, the one who seems to have won is considered right. Quiet determination goes unnoticed; principle and character are often invisible. That is why people like Kılıçdaroğlu do not garner applause. But when time passes, one looks back and remembers who stood their ground.
Perhaps what we need most today is a correct and principled stance.
Vanity successes are temporary. Respect and trust can only be earned through a correct and principled stance. Those who do the right thing quietly and at great cost leave a lasting mark and transform societies.