Where do we stand on the balance between economy and democracy?

The Turkish Enterprise and Business Association's (TÜRKONFED) latest report was titled: "Towards a new constitution: The development of institutional reform and democracy culture."

TÜRKONFED had previously prepared reports on critical issues like getting out of the middle income trap or women in the business world.

In its latest report it provided keys to how democracy culture can flourish.

The most important highlight of the report was:

"Democratic institutions are as important as economic institutions in order to get rid of the middle income trap and realize sustainable growth. A good balance between economy and democracy needs to be established."

Let me explain how we are far away from establishing that balance by giving you examples that I have experienced individually or that have been reported by the media.

The other day I tried to take advantage of the good weather and went to the Moda neighborhood in the Kad?köy district on Istanbul's Anatolian side. I came across a demonstration with slogans like "Moda is ours; Kad?köy is ours, our cultural legacy cannot be looted."

The civilian platform Kad?köy Urban Solidarity was demonstrating, arguing that the Moda pier, constructed a hundred years ago by famous architect Vedat Tem, had not been restored according to its original state and was opened illegally for management.

According to claims in the petition read in front of the Moda pier, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (?BB), which is the owner of the pier, started restoration work last year without the proper license.

The decisions by the bureau responsible for the protection of monuments were not abided; the warnings by the chamber of architects were ignored.

The...