The rhetoric of Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya concerning the fight against terrorism is drawing attention for its repetitiveness and intensity. His consistent use of terms like "determination," "perseverance," and "continuity" appear to transcend their ordinary usage, suggesting an underlying message directed at an undefined audience.

Official statements are often characterized by opacity, laden with bureaucratic terms that can be difficult to decipher. Yet, the rhetoric adopted by Yerlikaya following a recent terrorist attack in Ankara seems peculiar. The minister's persistent use of the term "treacherous terrorist attack" is redundant, given the inherently treacherous nature of such acts.

Beyond linguistic peculiarities, a pattern is emerging in Yerlikaya's communications. The messages delivered after various visits and meetings with officials, including the Justice Minister and the head of the National Intelligence Organization, reveal a thematic consistency. These repetitious affirmations of anti-terrorism resolve raise questions about their intended audience and unspoken implications.

Yerlikaya is tasked by the Constitution and other legal frameworks to combat terrorism with determination and continuity. However, the emphatic repetition of this commitment seems excessive from a common-sense perspective. It resembles a scenario where a military officer repeatedly asserts the armed forces' resolve to defend the nation, leading to speculations about underlying motives or unspoken messages.

This unusual emphasis on obvious responsibilities is reminiscent of a renowned mathematics professor redundantly stating elementary mathematical facts. Such persistent reiteration prompts observers to question the underlying reasons for this excessive emphasis on what is ostensibly unequivocal.

In the aftermath of a terrorist attack, Yerlikaya's specific emphasis on the determined fight against "poison dealers" raises eyebrows. Given the opaque nature of the illicit drug trade and the black money market in Turkey, such explicit statements ignite speculations about internal conflicts and power dynamics within the state apparatus.

The mystery of a significant cocaine shipment from Colombia three years ago and the unaccounted $25 billion under the net errors and omissions item in international monetary relations in 2022 further amplifies these speculations.

As a nation, we are traversing politically and socially complex terrains. The overt emphasis on anti-terrorism resolve, combined with explicit mentions of fighting drug trafficking in the wake of terrorist attacks, incites intrigue. It prompts us to delve deeper, seeking to understand the nuanced, unspoken narratives woven into the fabric of official rhetoric and their implications for the nation's socio-political landscape.

*Eser Karakas: A graduate of Kadikoy Saint Joseph High School. He graduated from Bogazici (Bosphorus) University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in 1978. He received his Ph.D. from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics in 1985. He has been a professor at Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Finance since 1996. He worked as Dean at Bahcesehir University, Faculty of Economics. In 2016, he was dismissed with the Decree Law No. 675. Since 2008, he has been a guest lecturer at Strasbourg University Science Po.