Necip F. Bahadir
When the Chinese curse someone, they say, “May you live in interesting times.” The strange news stories circulating in the media are not limited to just a few. With everything so bizarre in Turkey, can we expect the news to be normal? While commenting on the Narin murder, ErdoÄŸan asked, “Where are we headed as a society?” Yet, he has no right to ask questions; he sits in the position of providing answers!
Isn’t it odd that ErdoÄŸan is also complaining about the current state of society? He isn’t as bold as Bülent Arınç, who referred to these times as the “era of Sodom and Gomorrah” and the “age of ignorance.” If he likened society to the “age of ignorance,” he’d be assigning a role to himself as well. Today, there is only one answer to the question, “Who are the rulers of Mecca?”: The bigwigs of the AKP.
Whether ErdoÄŸan resembles Abu Jahl or Abu Lahab more is open to debate. Perhaps he is like someone else entirely.
I want to draw attention to two pieces of strange news. The first involves Bilal ErdoÄŸan’s statements. After the sons-in-law, now the “prince” has taken the stage. Rather than talking about youth or education, he discussed politics and the economy. He criticized his father’s policies—it’s a real “Kramer vs. Kramer” situation. Bilal ErdoÄŸan has serious objections to what his father has done. You could say Bilal really laid into his father.
Is he being groomed to take his father’s place? One of the sons-in-law, Berat, was tested as a project, but he failed. His failure blocked the path for the other son-in-law. Berat Albayrak was a total disaster. He ruined the economy. Yet, his father-in-law had such dreams for him. He was going to hand over his seat to him. Forget about running the country—he couldn’t even manage a single ministry. He bungled both the economy and politics.
If a palace is playing the lead role in a government, intrigues and family disputes are inevitable. Even from a distance, it’s obvious that Bilal Erdoğan and Berat Albayrak don’t get along. Palace gossip is a topic for another article. But when what’s happening inside the palace starts influencing the country’s governance and political scenarios, it’s legitimate to pay attention.
To return to our “strange news”… Bilal ErdoÄŸan started his speech by saying, “I’m speaking as an economist!” His father also often reminded people that he’s an “economist.” This style must be inherited from his father. Despite being an “economist,” his father spoke of “divine decrees” and “cause and effect,” closed his ears to all objections, and ultimately wrecked the economy. He then brought in Mehmet ÅžimÅŸek from outside as a savior. In the cabinet, ÅžimÅŸek’s role resembles that of an IMF official more than an AKP minister. There’s no difference between him and Kemal DerviÅŸ, except for the name.
Bilal ErdoÄŸan: EYT Was a Major Disaster!
For some time now, ErdoÄŸan Sr. hasn’t used the title of “economist.” How could he, with a collapsed economy staring him in the face? Now it’s Bilal ErdoÄŸan’s turn. As an “economist,” Bilal ErdoÄŸan said, “EYT was a wrong policy, and young people should have been more aware of it. They didn’t speak up; we didn’t see any anti-EYT movement on social media. People aged 42-45 retired. By the way, I also qualified for EYT, even though I’m against it. Who’s going to pay for their pensions? Were we deceived? Yes, we were. EYT was a major disaster…”
Will ErdoÄŸan Sr. have a response to these harsh words? How did he feel when he read those lines? Did he feel proud of his son, thinking, “A new economist-politician is emerging!” or was he angry that his policies were being criticized as a “major disaster”? If you ask me, his first reaction was probably, “What was the point of that?” followed by anger and something along the lines of, “Who gave you the right to speak?”
Had anyone else in the AKP said the same things, they’d have been finished. Erdoğan would’ve made them eat their words and cut ties with them.
Since he’s an “economist,” Bilal ErdoÄŸan is probably only talking about the economic side of EYT. He conveniently ignores the political aspect. EYT won the election for his father. How could he not see that? If EYT hadn’t passed in February, just before the election, would his father have won the May elections? Whether he truly won is still questionable… Somehow, he lost major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir but managed to win the country. No one has figured that one out. I haven’t either.
If Bilal is walking around the palace today, he owes it to EYT. Without EYT, he’d only be able to look at the palace from afar. Is his criticism limited to EYT, or does he have issues with his father’s other policies too? I doubt it, but if he keeps talking, we might find out.
Where’s the strangeness in this news? It lies in the son criticizing the father, calling the EYT decision a “major disaster.” A recent report by the think tank SETA stated that “ErdoÄŸan’s untouchability within the AKP has been lifted,” and party members now see him as responsible for the country’s decline. It wouldn’t be surprising if these criticisms eventually turn into open rebellion. ErdoÄŸan is no longer the “untouchable leader” in the AKP, nor the “untouchable father” within his own family. That’s what this strange news is telling us.
ErdoÄŸan to ÅžimÅŸek: “How Is This Going to Work?”
The other piece of “strange news” comes from Fatih Altaylı’s column. It’s a piece of political gossip. It’s true that gossip journalism in Ankara has come to an end. Headlines and news stories are now mostly based on “official statements.” Behind-the-scenes information is almost non-existent. When it comes to ErdoÄŸan and the AKP, finding a journalist willing to write gossip is tough. Everyone knows ErdoÄŸan doesn’t like confidential information being leaked to the press. His statement, “I’ll put any minister who speaks out on the street,” is still in the archives.
In a cabinet meeting, ErdoÄŸan reportedly turned to Mehmet ÅžimÅŸek and said, “You’re managing the economy strictly by the book, masha’Allah… But politics doesn’t always align with the book. You know the book well, but we know politics. So, how is this going to work?” It’s been a full day since the story broke, and I haven’t seen any denial. The tone and content of the statement seem plausible. Those words match ErdoÄŸan’s style.
When I said Şimşek resembles an IMF official more than an AKP minister, this is exactly what I meant. Erdoğan is unhappy with Şimşek’s policies but feels powerless to do anything about it. For now, he’s just grumbling. But only for now! If he saw the slightest opportunity, his discontent wouldn’t remain just words—he’d send Şimşek packing. But what can he do? He’s stuck. He’s drowning, and Şimşek is the only lifeguard available. Can Şimşek save him? That’s doubtful too.
How Did Mehmet ÅžimÅŸek Swallow Those Words?
If we weren’t living in such “interesting times,” any minister who heard those words would’ve resigned on the spot and slammed the door on their way out. ÅžimÅŸek probably considered it. He doesn’t need the position, but ErdoÄŸan needs him. I’m curious how ÅžimÅŸek swallowed those words. He probably muttered something like, “For the sake of the country, the nation, and the economy…” The fact that ErdoÄŸan had to acknowledge that ÅžimÅŸek knows more about the economy than he does is a development worth noting. There’s now a minister in the cabinet who knows something better than ErdoÄŸan.
How did you fall this far, ErdoÄŸan!
Fortunately for him, he still knows politics better than ÅžimÅŸek or anyone else.
ErdoÄŸan’s understanding of both economics and politics boils down to seeing voters as “customers” and wasting the state’s resources for the sake of elections. “Everyone has a price!” could be ErdoÄŸan’s motto. When he couldn’t use money in the March 31 elections, the results were a disaster.
To recover, Erdoğan desperately needs cash. The treasury is empty, and there’s nothing left to sell. Şimşek returned from abroad empty-handed. This is why Erdoğan is in such a bind. Even money won’t save him now. His base has crumbled. Those who leave, don’t come back.
Times are “interesting,” and the news is “strange”…
Where are we headed?
