Will Hangmen of Dignity Blush?

Turkey has been unsettled for days because of a scandal generated by Önder Sav, the secretary-general of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The negative words he uttered against the Prophet of Muslims and the Muslim pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, were his own fault. Those who jumped at the transcript of the voice recording published by the Vakit newspaper have become collaborators in this crime. Sav speaks to Ali Serindag, a former governor of Bolu, as if he was the head of the CHP branch in his town. I can't even imagine what would have happened if any Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy had done this. All this aside, the voice recording of the conversation in question having been obtained by a newspaper has fulfilled the function of a litmus test.

CHP leader Deniz Baykal has gotten himself into a very difficult situation — like a wrestler whose rival got the better of him. He, of course, had the right to question how Sav's meeting with Serindag was leaked to the press. However, instead of questioning this, Baykal chose to voice the words whispered into his ear by some people. He accused the ruling party, the government and the police. OK, although it is wrong to accuse any of these powers — they can pretend to be politically struggling with them — but the CHP tried to pin the crime on Fethullah Gülen, a person who was completely unaware of this incident. Secretary-general Sav caused Baykal to make the gravest mistake of his life. Baykal's move to cover up Sav's insult to religious values knocked himself out instead of serving to save face. Baykal has fallen into a situation worse than that of Constitutional Court Deputy President Osman Paksüt, who was forced to backtrack on his claims after being carried away by his wife's excitement. Only time will show whether Baykal will have Sav "take a rest" or whether they'll both take a rest together.

Another segment unmasked by this incident is journalists. Some of them were fueled by some groups and are categorized as "J" type journalists. Now that the incident has been exposed, we will be watching the maneuvering ability of these "Jumpers who blindly jump headlong into unproven claims." The "G" type journalists, that is, the "Gunmen" have gone too far. These are people who shoot at others' ankles in return for $5. Those who have no feeling of shame whatsoever will backtrack one step and pretend to be "J" type journalists. And those who have completely shut down their conscience will feel the excitement of being promoted to the category of "H" type journalists, that is, the "Hangmen." And those "commanders" who already rank in the H category will get bonuses.

We keep complaining that "the politicians and bureaucrats we have never resign even after the gravest of mistakes; no one resorts to this most dignified way of behaving after committing humiliating errors." Have you ever seen any columnist who gave up his pen after executing one of his friends by acting like a "hangman of dignity"? Have you seen any one lackey of interim regimes who turns red with shame? I wonder if Mehmet Y. Yilmaz, after his column was published on Friday, felt it impossible to mix with people again. Will he prove to be virtuous enough to write in his column for today, "Woe unto all the years I have spent in the journalism profession. If I had applied the most basic professional principles, I wouldn't have gotten myself into such a humiliating situation"? I'm not curious about Serdar Akinan even in the slightest. I'm sure he has not and will not blush.

And for a change, I want to mention real journalists like Elmadag correspondent Murat Kaya, a very young journalist. I wonder what Murat would say to the "great" journalists who would execute him without a moment's hesitation. Vakit, too, deserves to be congratulated for a headline piece that has sparked resounding feedback from the media.