Recently this country's president and prime minister reportedly met one night like a couple of criminals and spoke for hours, and no efforts were made to inform the public afterwards.

- 06 / 08 / 2008 11:40

Turker Alkan

I have two questions about this.

First, why did they hold a meeting secretly, instead of meeting in their offices, like normal? Were they afraid of being watched or listened to? If yes, then this should make us ashamed!

Second, the people governing the country made no attempt to inform the public after they talked for hours. As far as I know, we have a democratic government. If the nation doesn't know what's going on, how can it control those ruling the country?

On the one hand, there is the Constitutional Court, and on the other, there is the Ergenekon probe. So we're moving swiftly towards unknown outcomes. We see news stories and articles asking, 'What will become of Turkey?,' or 'We're sinking,' or, 'Talk about sinking is useless, because actually we'll get through. The period of the republic (meaning Ataturk's era) caused our ruin, but now, thank God, things are getting better.' They have an incomprehensible hatred and enmity towards Ataturk's era, as if he has been governing the country for the last 50 years.

But we shouldn't let this chaos make us pessimistic. The Turkish people have a great power to change and evolve. No matter how they show their various faces, long for Islamic law, or become separatist, nationalist or liberal, we have the potential to overcome all these problems.

 In a recent report, US international investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted that in 42 years, we will have the world's ninth-largest economy and our gross national product will grow nine or tenfold. The report also stated that at that time China will be have the world's largest economy, followed by the US, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, Great Britain and Turkey, and our per capital income will reach as high as $65,000.

Of course this is a forecast, and it may or may not true. A possible war in the Middle East, which Turkey might get involved in, or the continuation of domestic conflict and terrorist attacks would hinder this growth. But these goals might be reached, and a nation which reaches them would also solve a great many problems very easily. When I hear people ask what will become of Turkey, I tell them don't worry, it will be fine. Ataturk laid its foundations very well, so it can't collapse that easily. If you don't believe me, I'll see you in 40 years!"