At the beginning of the week, my flight to Italy landed at Catania Airport, I turned on my phone, and messages started pouring in. All the conversations and discussions revolved around the same theme: the rerun of the Istanbul elections. Then I browsed social media. There was a similar atmosphere there. Most of the comments were strongly critical of the current situation. Some acquaintances even took the situation further, posting very harsh and critical messages like the following:
“I am severing all ties with my friends who still haven’t expressed their support for democracy (civil servants are legally restricted) on such a day.
I don’t want anyone without principles or a backbone to be my friend anyway! Of course, they’re all dissidents when they’re around us! But you can’t be dissident without a second thought, without taking the slightest risk, in such an environment. If you do, you’re being selfish, unprincipled, and devoid of character!”
Even Italians are curious.
The next morning, after a technical meeting, we sat down for lunch with the executives of the relevant foreign company. Before I could even say, “Hello, how’s it going?”, one of the two Italian executives we’d just met asked, “The Istanbul elections are being rerun. What’s happening in Turkey?”
I left this meeting and read in one of the messages I received that the dollar had jumped to 6.10, and that the economic crisis was now making itself felt even more acutely. I immediately checked the exchange rate on the mobile app of the bank I work for, and indeed, the dollar had jumped to 6.10.
With all this in mind, I decided to write this article on my way back from Italy.
I don’t normally write about politics on my blog. I won’t comment on politics here either. Of course, I have a political view, but because of my work (renewable energy) and the NGO I founded, I must maintain my public neutrality. I will continue to benefit my country by maintaining my public neutrality.
What should we do?
You can criticize the decision to rerun the elections in any way. For instance, “In the last election, we cast four votes. How come three of them were valid and one was invalid?” You can question the fairness and legality of the decision by asking, “What happened?” That’s your right. However, my purpose in this article is different. My purpose is to provide guidance.
First and foremost, maintain your composure. Comments written with great tension and anger are often misplaced and, instead of improving the situation, exacerbate the problem by creating even greater tension. Therefore, avoid losing your temper and commenting on social media and other platforms to vent your frustration. Such negative actions can cause unnecessary stress, affect your health, offend some people around you, and hinder your potential accomplishments.
Instead, consider being helpful.
Below are my thoughts on how you can contribute:
- Vote
Regardless of your party affiliation, always fulfill your civic duty. If you have planned a vacation, cancel it immediately. Vote no matter what. If you want to contribute, this is the first thing you must do.
- Encourage your circle to vote, and if necessary, help.
Talk to your circle and encourage everyone to vote. Also, personally assist your elderly or disabled loved ones who may have difficulty voting.
As a personal example, I always have my grandmother vote in every election, as a tradition. I cast my own vote early in the morning, then pick up my grandmother and take her to the school where she’ll be voting to help her. I’ll do the same for this election. My grandmother has become so accustomed to this that, while she normally starts her day around 11:00 a.m., she calls me early on election morning and asks, “Son, are you coming?” I take great pleasure in helping her vote. Seeing her joy after each vote gives me special joy. Encourage your close circle to vote and, if necessary, personally accompany and assist.
- Get involved in elections
If you have a political party preference, you can serve as an observer for your party, or if you prefer to remain neutral, like me, you can work for organizations like “Oy ve Ötesi” (Vote and Beyond). I haven’t been involved with Oy ve Ötesi in the last few elections due to my busy schedule. I’ve decided to participate again this election. I’m currently discussing with Oy ve Ötesi what role I can take on as a volunteer. On this occasion, I would like to underline the importance of protecting the ballot boxes for all Istanbulites.
4. Encourage participation in elections.
Encourage everyone around you to not only vote but also to participate in polling stations. I’ve done my part in this regard, informing company employees that we will allow those working at polling stations the following day off. Of course, as an entrepreneur, I’ll be working both on election day and returning to work the following Monday.
Many companies, like us, are implementing initiatives to encourage voting. For example, Turkish Airlines and Atlasjet announced to the public that they will cancel ticket reservations for election dates at no cost. Some have gone even further. For example, some hotels on the southern coast have declared that they will not be accepting customers during those dates, effectively saying, “Don’t come here for a vacation; stay in Istanbul and fulfill your civic duty.” Municipalities in the southern region have also shared humorous posts in this vein. Finally, Adım Adım, a group I’m proud to be a part of, was scheduled to participate in the Ultimate Cunda event, organized in Cunda on June 22nd. Adım Adım announced that its triathlon, consisting of running, swimming, and cycling, has been postponed until July 6th. I congratulate the organizers for their sensitivity.
As TİDER, I would like to announce here that we will implement our “Waste Prevention” vision at this event, just as we did in Bozcaada. As a reminder, I’d also like to share the video of our Bozcaada event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5cOP9FgF4Y
Poll Watch on 23 June
My routine for Sunday, 23 June is set. I’ll go to my assigned location early in the morning, organize the work, and then go to vote. Immediately afterward, I’ll help my grandmother vote and return to my assigned area. That day, I’ll probably work until midnight, taking care of the ballot boxes as much as I can.
The next day, no matter what time we go to bed, I’ll be back to work early in the morning, as usual. This is the fate of an entrepreneur. No matter what the circumstances, we must take care of our business. Of course, I will personally congratulate and thank our colleagues who worked the polls on Sunday when they return to work on Tuesday. In short, I’d like to send this message to all our readers: No matter what the circumstances, stay calm and contribute by protecting the funds. Eventually, everything will fall into place.
Stay well.
Tag: special days
