They made Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu turn in his grave

I visited Miss Ümran Menderes recently and told her how much I had missed Aydin Menderes. It just made me feel so sad. I attended a Ramadan dinner in Cebeci, over in Ankara. After that, I went to visit Muhsin Yazicioglu"s grave. I saw a woman crying at his gravestone. A young girl was taking a picture. Being drowned in this picture, I felt how much I had missed Yazicioglu. Both Aydin Menderes and Muhsin Yazicioglu were political figures who used to bore a mission beyond the political powers. In the misty weather of Ankara, they were like the candles of the stormy political hub. I had agreed on a book project with Mr. Menderes. In fact, I had a deep agape with Mr. Menderes based on affection and respect. Finally, he became quite sick in his last days. Thus, I couldn"t push him more, so I gave up the project. He passed away then. May he rest in peace.

As for Muhsin Yazicioglu, I met him when he took his place in the Parliament through the coalition of IDP, MÇP and Party of Felicity.

Our acquaintance turned into a friendship during the distressing days of February 28. He was the one who had the clearest picture in his mind concerning what was going on. He used to say, "Turkey won"t be like Iran or Algeria, and we won"t let it become a Syria." This statement got Çevik Bir on pins and needles. He challenged him by saying, "I won"t applaud a tank which targets his own people". Muhsin Yazicioglu was the courageous voice in times of need. He told me one of the tortures he went under in Mamak.

He said, "They put my arms on a heavy timber board. Nothing made me suffer other than my embarrassment". When the tormenters asked him to take his clothes off before the torture, he felt embarrassed in the world of shameless people.

Towards the end of his life, he was going through a series of accidents. This made me suspicious. His wife Lady Gülefer also went through an accident. I always told him my concerns about him, but all he did was console me. I was not convinced, so I sat and wrote about it.

I went to the parliament. I found him talking with journalists who circulated him. He said to me, "Hey you brought all this trouble to me. Come over and answer all these questions." We laughed.

Mr. Prime Minister had great esteem for Mr. Yazicioglu. He wanted him to be in AKP after its establishment; however, Muhsin Yazicioglu had another ideal. The Prime Minister respected him. He invited him to the Balkan trip. Yazicioglu was given the Kosova Friendship Group presidency as a nice gesture. It was really a good decision. He deserved everything good.

He was not indulged in a position or office. He stood firmly on February 28. He gave the strongest support to the Refah-Yol coalition government. He took a part in the government and turned down offers to appoint him as the Deputy Prime Minister.

Yazicioglu was a man of principles. When Yalim Erez took up the task of establishing the government, he came to the discussion. He asked Erez as the TOBB President, "Are you behind the southeast report you have prepared? Upon his "yes" answer, he said, "In that case, it is impossible for us to support you".

When founding the Great Union Party, he made large-scale consultations and decided that Turkey needed a great change and that in order for the change to be maintained in healthy conditions, it must be based on national and spiritual fundamentals.

These opinions were molded in the Great Union Party and started off with the Alperen sort of heroic spirit.

The Great Union Party, which carried the torch that Yazicioglu had ignited, has been going through trouble.

Yazicioglu"s party, his own political struggle and his contribution of giving values to the struggle of Turkish politics are giving an exam.

Yazicioglu"s Party, which successfully struggled against every kind of tutelage regime, unfortunately could not give a successful exam on the December 17 coup because it took the side of coupists rather than the legitimate politics.

There is no doubt that if Mr. Yazicioglu had been alive, he would have sided with Mr. Erdogan. Just as he stood firmly in backing Erbakan on February 28, he would have firmly stood for Erdogan on the December 17 coup.

Without any interest-agenda, he would have supported Erdogan for spreading the word of God – e"laa kalemaatollah

By God, it was Mr. Erdogan who felt a great pain when Mr. Yazicioglu passed away. After that, he always communicated with Mr. Yazicioglu"s wife and kids, who Yazicioglu entrusted to him, whenever they wanted. Despite the convention in the parliament, he gave the order twice to establish a commission. Mustafa Destici is the closest eyewitness of this.

Having said this all, Yazicioglu"s case has not been clarified yet. The Pennsylvania gang, whose whole lives have been spanned with plots, was almost going to slander the Prime Minister for setting a plot against Yazicioglu.

On the other hand, Destici has turned Yazicioglu"s party into the backyard of the Gülen community. Yazicioglu resigned when MÇP decided to set up a coalition government with SHP. Destici turned Yazicioglu"s party into the driving car of the CHP train. If Yazicioglu were in his place, he would have gone against being in the stream of CHP, let alone being under its roof.

The Journal of the Turkish Left"s (Türk Solu Dergisi) readers, of whom some are insolent enough to consider Yazicioglu"s death worthy of insult, made the decision to support Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. Finally, all those people made Muhsin Yazicioglu turn over in his grave.