711 Senior bureaucrats will be discharged if Erdogan loses

In an article he wrote for Sozcu, Saygi Ozturk summarized the reasons why 711 senior bureaucrats will be discharged if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan loses the upcoming elections. According to Ozturk, with decrees, the tasks and descriptions of the bureaucrats were changed, making them involved with pro-government politics. He adds that the upcoming elections will also decide the fate of governors of 81 provinces, 155 ambassadors, 216 general managers, and 63 deputy ministers.

He notes that even though there is no obstacle for the opposition to work with the 711 senior bureaucrats, they basically act as if they are members of the AKP and this is why the opposition repeatedly says that they will not work with these senior bureaucrats. The full article is as follows:

The Presidential Government System will also be the election of 711 people who hold high-level positions in the bureaucracy. Because, if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan loses the election, from deputy ministers to governors, from governors to permanent representatives, ambassadors, general managers, from the head of the Revenue Administration to the head of the Social Security Institution, to the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), their duties end as per the decree. As you can see, the governors ban festivals and concerts at the request of provincial and district administrators, associations, or unions known for their closeness to the AKP. They attend the political meetings of the ruling party and they applaud the speeches against the opposition. Yesterday in our newspaper, there was news about the Kahramanmaras Governor Omer Faruk Coskun titled “AKP MP called the opposition ‘vagrants’ and the governor applauded.”

 NOT THE “GOVERNOR OF THE STATE”

There are dozens of examples that show that governors are connected to politics. Merit and seniority have disappeared in the state. In order to be appointed to the top positions, five years of working on their own behalf or in the private sector are considered sufficient to come to those positions. If the governor is so involved in politics, they know that if the current government loses the election, their governorship will end. In Article 9 of the Law for Provincial Administration, “The Governor is defined as the representative of the State and the government in the province.” With a Decree-Law, this definition was changed to “The Governor is the representative of the President in the province and the executive instrument for administration.” The purpose of the district governor was also changed. While the district governor represented the government and the state on national holidays, they were abolished. With the new regulation, its task became to “implement the decree and legislation.”

WILL THEY STAY, WILL THEY GO?

The senior public officials whose terms of office are limited to the term of office of the President obviously do not want the current government to change. Because, if there is a change (in government), their term of office ends. Therefore, the upcoming election means whether not only the President, but also the 711 senior bureaucrats including governors of 81 provinces, 155 ambassadors, 216 general managers, and 63 deputy ministers, will stay or leave. This is why one of the important reasons why the bureaucracy is involved in politics is to maintain its position. Of course, even if there are bureaucrats whose terms of office expire according to the election results, there is no obstacle for the future government to work with whomever they want. However, it is also stated at every opportunity that the opposition will not come together with people who work as if they are members of the ruling party.

“ALTHOUGH I AM A KING”

Previously, when a draft law was to be prepared, the ministries would work together, and each ministry would determine the issues related to them and notify the provisions that should be included in the draft. There is almost no such practice today. This messiness in the bureaucracy also has painful consequences. Prof. Dr. Murat Sezginer wrote "The Presidential Government System and its Results for the Turkish Administration.'' On the cover of his book, a quote from Ferdinand II was included: “I am a King, there is no doubt about it; but I cannot do everything that comes to my mind." Those who are wondering why the bureaucrats are so involved in politics should know that the next election will be their election as well...