First they came...

Have you ever heard of the poem "First they came…?" There are several versions of it, all for obvious reasons dealing with themes of persecution, guilt and collective responsibility in building a common future.

It was written by a German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller (1892-1984), who despite being a Nazi sympathizer for some time, returned to his senses much earlier than most of his countrymen and became an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler. He spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.

The poem is about the cowardice of German intellectuals - no different than what we have been experiencing nowadays - following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Just close your eyes, remember what happened to the Turkish military, academia, media, lower and higher judiciary, bureaucracy and let someone read you the poem "First they came…"
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."

Of course, while I would say Turkey has not yet become a horrendous place like Nazi Germany, some people would object. Still, this country is a pseudo-democracy and not so cowardly all the time to sit back with the understanding of "let the snake that did not touch me live a thousand years." Though the population of conscience which is dedicated to pluralistic democratic society is small and shrinking, the norms and values of democratic governance just refuse to give up....

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