In Pursuit of Rights and Justice: From Erbakan to the Present

Translation

In Pursuit of Rights and Justice: From Erbakan to the Present

A man named Erbakan once passed through this country. Erbakan was not only a politician but also a visionary. He promised a renewed, great Turkey and a new world; an epic figure left our country who pledged to multiply and return prosperity to his peasants, workers, civil servants, and retirees. Alas! See how, while he stood by his citizens, the citizens did not stand by him.

Could the economic hardships, lawlessness, and injustices we face today be the result of our failure to stand by Erbakan back then? Until his soul departed to eternity, he tirelessly continued to explain, warn, and speak to us.

You did not want to believe, and in many cases you did not believe. You did not want to understand. You did not want to hear or see the truths. Unlike other politicians, he did not talk about gross national product; he spoke of spreading prosperity to the base. Because he knew that gross national product was flowing into the coffers of a handful of elites. He spoke of Zionism, he warned us about Iraq and Syria. He said the AKP was a project, but he could not convince anyone. The public, enchanted by the media, would not wake up.

For a full 22 years you consistently voted for the wrong side and have not tired of paying the price; you made us pay it too. You followed the government’s policies and did not fulfill your duty to warn. Yet overseeing those you elect should have been your/our fundamental duty.

Despite everything, you know very well that the only address of salvation is the Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi). But you do not come. You wait for the wind to blow; you prefer to stand with the powerful rather than with the just. Is this not voluntary servitude?

We are living in a kind of dead wakefulness. Our eyes are open and we run about on our feet, yet we remain indifferent as if dead. It seems a shock is needed to wake us. The İmamoğlu case, by delivering a shock doctrine to society, helped awaken the public. Our people, who had been in a deep sleep for 22 years, apparently needed a shock to wake up. The İmamoğlu case caused the public to rediscover the concepts of justice, rights, and law; the matter has evolved from being an İmamoğlu issue into a search for rights and justice.

The concepts of rights, justice, and law are as indispensable to humans as air and food. These concepts are the cornerstones of society, and their absence can lead to the collapse of a community. However, for this awakening to turn into a lasting change, it will be possible only through the conscious efforts of individuals and society.

Erbakan said: “No matter how perfect laws and regulations may be, if the person who will implement them does not have a love of rights and justice within, the result will be the opposite; injustice will prevail instead of justice, social exploitation instead of social justice.”

This statement by Necmettin Erbakan emphasizes that justice cannot be achieved by rules and laws alone; it gains meaning through human values, especially conscience and a love of justice. Erbakan highlights the importance of the human factor in the application of justice, arguing that however perfectly systems are designed, the values of the people who implement them are decisive.

From this remark we can understand: true justice depends on individuals’ moral values, sense of responsibility, and conscience. Justice is not merely a theoretical concept or a set of written rules; it is a life philosophy that guarantees social peace and individual rights.

One of Erbakan’s meaningful sayings about rights is also: “We would rather be a speck in a just cause than be at the summit in an unjust case.” This saying underscores his understanding of rights and justice, the importance of defending what is right, and the value of a humble stance in that pursuit.

Erbakan was a leader who always put the supremacy of rights and justice first. These words reflect his sensitivity regarding social responsibility and moral values.