Unless there is merit, justice and science, we will experience earthquakes every hour of every day.
Natural disasters rarely occur. But how often do state disasters occur? We have been experiencing justice, democracy, economy, education, agriculture and social disasters daily for the last eight years in Turkey. Very few people can foresee these disasters and warn the whole society. But is society waking up? Unfortunately, not until push comes to shove.
On April 16, 2017, we now have a new state. As a result, the 94-year-old understanding of the state has changed. The name of our new state will be determined by the actions it will take so far. New name: Unqualified State.
On February 6, 2023, at 04:17, our unqualified state, which did not live in harmony with nature and pushed us all into disaster. It was a natural earthquake. So, does every natural event result in a disaster? Yes, if you have the Unqualified State.
The bureaucracy barrier
Every individual with humanitarian values wants to help people struggling with disaster. With the solidarity of the people, an extraordinary solidarity effort has been exhibited since the first day. But if you have an unqualified state, solidarity is sometimes interrupted. Adıyaman, Maraş and Hatay… During the first three days, the authorised institutions could not reach survivors under the debris in these cities. Anyone who has felt the state’s earthquakes for the last eight years could have guessed that these institutions could not keep up. Therefore, the people mobilised all the means to remove the people under the rubble. But they ran into a snag. The bureaucracy! When the authorised institutions were insufficient in the first three days, no matter which wreckage we put a digging shovel on, there was an AFAD or a law enforcement officer against us. Why? For our safety, we were not supposed to touch it. Would we voluntarily come to the earthquake area if we wanted to feel safe? The unqualified staff of the Unqualified State.
Students, workers, retirees, women, young people, and people from all classes worked devotedly in the earthquake zone. Especially the Crisis Coordination Center established in Hasankoca Village in Maraş-Pazarcık was supporting the earthquake victims in the region with extraordinary solidarity. This selfless work did not go unpunished. But, as it is said, “The one who tells the truth would be expelled,” they also expelled the honest working ones. A trustee was appointed to the earthquake crisis desk established by the people in Pazarcık with their own means. An unqualified governor of our unqualified state despisingly said that he has taken over the management of the crisis desk by sneering at the volunteers. He said that they would now provide the aid from this centre. A week later, he filled the trucks with aid supplies, left the place, and acted according to his title. After all, its employer is our Unqualified State.
Administrative corruption does not happen in one chain link; it occurs in all links. Ministers are as unqualified as the governor. In the face of any crisis or disaster in Japan, they never give up on education, but this is the opposite in Turkey. Initially, education and students are sacrificed in the slightest disaster or crisis. While the world has come of age, electronic devices have become fundamental tools of life, and network services have become essential in every geography, this is not the case in our country. Due to the economic earthquake created by the state itself, many students cannot access the internet; our unqualified state decides on online education, while students do not have the budget to buy electronic devices. Qualified State Wanted!
As a quake survivor, I couldn’t stay in the dorm I paid for
On the day of the earthquake, I registered in Diyarbakır Halid Bin Velid Boys’ Dormitory and paid the security deposit and the month of February. My house was in Diyarbakır and was damaged due to the earthquake. So I was aiming to stay in the dormitory as a precaution. On the evening of the earthquake, I went to Adıyaman and joined the solidarity efforts. After staying there for a week, I came to Diyarbakır to rest for two days. Since my house was damaged, I moved to the dormitory, where I registered and paid the fee. After a night’s stay, they wanted to throw me out. When I asked why, I was told that earthquake victims’ families would be located in the dormitory. They asked for my residency when I said I was also a survivor. When I showed my Diyarbakır residence, the officer told me that I was a student and that he could not accommodate me according to the letter from the general directorate. I am an earthquake victim, a student who has applied courses, and I am a person who pays the dormitory security fee and the dormitory fee for that month. Yes, our ad is still valid. The qualified state wanted!
Despite all the impossibilities in the earthquake zone, the volunteers, who stood by the earthquake victims with a magnificent effort, embodied the slogan “There is no state; we are.” Yes, there was no state. Either it was abroad, on vacation or boycotting its own people. A non-profit organisation provided tents, containers, supplies, and essential living equipment the state should have provided. Anyone who had the means to donate was donating to this non-profit. As a result, tremendous amounts of money were accumulating in the account of this non-profit. The qualified trolls of our unqualified state, who saw these numbers, had already started drooling. Political leaders joined this greedy hyena group, coveting the people’s money. The state couldn’t help but craves the helper’s accounts. Yes, reach the public for contacts, Qualified State Wanted.
As we said, earthquakes do not come only from nature, but humans also create earthquakes. Our biggest earthquake is our creation of an unqualified state. Unless there is merit, justice and science, we will experience earthquakes every hour of every day. Our Qualified State Wanted advertisement is still up to date. The application deadline is May 14, 2023.
DICLE UNIVERSITY
