Fair election or fairytale

For months, the opposition parties and critics in the media have been stressing that in the name of fulfilling "social state" responsibilities ordered by the Constitution, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government has been nourishing a culture of begging in the country. Whereas, while a social state does distribute social assistance to the needy, for the fulfillment of social state order of the Constitution administrations are required to administer the country economically and politically well, generate jobs and enable the citizens of the country lead a decent living they finance with their earnings rather than trying to make the end of the day with donations from the municipalities, the Prime Ministry or the Fak-Fuk Fon.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his AKP, however, intensified the "convert the nation into a beggar society" program as the municipal elections came closer; brushed aside the criticism of the opposition and the media as "politically motivated" and "reflect their failure to understand that it is one of the orders of our religion to take care of the needy and to distribute alms."

Initially, it was claimed that the "state-sponsored alms" Ñ or to put it better, a nationwide coal, foodstuffs and food coupons distribution funded by our tax money to buy some votes in the upcoming elections Ñ would be distributed twice a year, before the two religious holidays. Later, it became clear that although the religious holiday period was over distribution of the state-sponsored alms continued in full speed with trucks carrying coal and foodstuff packages playing hide and seek in the streets of the cities with the newsmen. The teams distributing alms were apparently told to avoid journalists and if required to undertake their holy task in the middle of the night.

When criticisms mounted, in line with his established "head on collision" style of leadership, Prime Minister Erdoğan appeared in front of cameras, defended the coal and foodstuff package distribution campaign saying the Turkish state was a social state, would take care of its needy people and if in these winter days there was need to distribute stoves to the needy to burn and heat themselves up with the donated coal, the government would do that as well.

Coal is not enough, let’s distribute stoves as well
The message of the premier was clear despite the laws of the country prohibiting election bribery: We have the majority in Parliament, we are the government, and we set the rules! If the opposition complains that we are buying votes by distributing coal, we may as well distribute stoves! It was like a bad joke. The self-catering democrat prime minister of the country was brushing aside all the "you are nourishing a beggar society. No one is opposed to distribution of social assistance to the needy, but social assistance cannot and should not turn into a massive vote buying program."

But, apparently, apart from coal, foodstuff packages and stoves, the government will increase the stakes in its bid to woo the electorate as the election date comes closer. Interesting enough, the new and extended alms distribution campaign of the government started from the Nazimiye town in the southeastern Tunceli province, the hometown of main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, Istanbul mayoral candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. First teams of the local administration established the needs of the local population, then filed the order with the Fak-Fuk Fon, then came trucks loaded with (don’t be surprised, this is Turkey and it is election time) computers, refrigerators, ovens and such household appliances. To be more precise, within the "campaign" 120 ovens, 216 washing machines, 100 desktop computers, 108 dishwasher machines, coaches, chairs and you name what else. Six trailer trucks of household appliances. Naturally, opposition parties started shouting "unprecedented election bribery" while the Tunceli governor appeared in front of cameras and said he was proud of providing such a service to his townsfolk. And, Turkey is going to have fair elections.