The essentials of this nation are clear: the indivisible integrity of its country,
An unwavering commitment to the principles and reforms of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
Social peace and prosperity, justice, competence and merit...
Is it enough?
Even more.
When these values are in place, the economy, politics, education and trade will improve...
Because order can only be built on a solid foundation of morality and principle. Why are so many companies on the brink of bankruptcy today? Because they have abandoned the business philosophy of their founding leaders! Because they see the trust not as an inheritance, but as a booty!
However, well-established holdings such as Koç, Sabancı and Eczacıbaşı have survived for generations. The reason is principle before capital, discipline before profit! Character comes before profit. Loyalty to the founding will is the cornerstone of these structures.
States are like that...
A state cannot survive by ignoring its founding philosophy. Those who deny their past cannot build their future. He who rejects his legacy will end up settling for his wreckage.
There are some buildings that are crowded, showy and deceptive, like a hazelnut forest. From above it looks fertile, but its roots are weak, it cannot hold on to the soil, and it will topple over in a gust of wind.
But is oak like that? It grows slowly, takes deep root, is resistant to storms, and even if it is destroyed, it sprouts again. Because it gives the soil its due.
This is how political parties should be organized!
Criticism is a right. Silence is not a virtue. However, criticism also has a morality, a decorum, a measure. The harshness of the successor against the predecessor is not only a personal weakness; it inflicts a heavy wound on the national memory. Society records this. It will not forget. It does not forgive.
And the undecided voter will eventually ask the question: “What would he do to his former leader, what would he do to us?”
This is the question that has brought about the end of many political movements.
Because a structure that loses its institutional memory loses its way.
A structure that loses its way will eventually fall apart.
What endures is principle molded by loyalty, strength nourished by morality, and will governed by conscience.
The rest is temporary. You can't get through winter with the glow of a straw flame, my friends! Especially in a country like Turkey where the political winds are blowing...
“The fondest of the dignitaries wears white in winter!”