Apparently CHP Demigod Sav is Only Human
A member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) made the most interesting statement in regards to last week's scandal: "He was the chairman of the Turkish Bar Association [TBB], he was the secretary-general whose legitimacy was undisputable. Önder Sav, who enjoyed absolute irreproachability and remained exempt from criticism within our party when all but him were freely criticized, will this time become unforgettable in politics."
The same figure noted before the July 22 elections that CHP Secretary-General Sav was not a good phone user. Despite our calling him numerous times, on behalf of Today's Zaman, Sav never picked up. One time I thought he had answered, but only in error. When I told a friend before the elections that I couldn't reach Sav, he replied that he is known as a demigod-like figure, and for this reason never responds to phone calls. When I reminded him of this conversation more recently, my friend said: "He was known as a demigod, apparently he was a human being. If Sav, until now undisputed [in his authority], quits politics because of this recent failure, political history will witness an interesting development."
Sav came to the fore after his offensive remarks to a CHP supporter who expressed his eagerness to perform the obligatory hajj (pilgrimage). Sav, who recommended that the supporter not spend money on the Arabs, made more offensive remarks regarding Islam and the Prophet, making himself the focus of a great deal of protest.
Another CHP figure, who underlined that intra-party unrest has been more severe than perceived from the outside, said: "An initial apology might have alleviated the social reaction. But unfortunately, neither he nor [CHP leader Deniz] Baykal resorted to this option. The wiretapping scandal exacerbated the situation. The party's reliability and credibility have been severely undermined by this incident. Sav will not make it through this scandal. If he resists, both he and the party will lose." Commenting on the attitude of the media, the same figure added: "In the first scandal, the group opposed to the CHP forced the CHP to make an apology, while our supporters remained indifferent to the incident. They did not see it as a scandal. On the contrary, they extended support to the party in the second scandal as an attempt to ensure that the first scandal would be forgotten. Regrettably the media groups that support us have also lost prestige and image in this new scandal."
Indeed, media actors are now demanding Sav's resignation, considering his unforgivable failure and mistakes. The Akşam daily, which accused Fethullah Gülen of having conspired against the CHP via illegal networks within the police department, sought to reinforce its position by means of a sarcastic headline when it became clear the entire scandal was based on Sav's carelessness. Stressing that the awaited report from Sav's GSM operator is the last hope, Akşam ran the headline: "He will be either exonerated or unreachable."
A leading figure from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) noted: "We have the responsibility to ensure the maintenance of peace, stability and serenity in the country. If we had been focused on daily matters like the opposition, we would take advantage of this situation. We will not, but of course we will not forget this scandal that reinforces our correct position."
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