ÇETİN AY SAYS, "IF THE OPPOSITION IS HUNGRY WHILE THE SUPPORTERS ARE FULL, UNITY BECOMES CANCER."

An election is held.

Ballot boxes are set up.

Votes are cast.

The winner becomes the ruling party.

Power is seized.

Authority is acquired.

The resources of the state are managed.

That's exactly where leadership begins.

Because winning power is an achievement.

But using power fairly is leadership.

State administration is like a feast.

A table is set.

The appetizer arrives; appointments are made, positions are distributed.

Then the main course comes; large tenders are awarded, large projects are distributed.

Then dessert comes; wealth is consolidated, power grows.

Those sitting at the table eat.

Then tea is drunk.

But tea is not just a beverage.

Tea is a pause.

A break.

A moment of reflection.

Tea means remembering this:

Only those who voted for us don't live in this country.

There are also those who didn't vote for us.

There are also those who are in opposition.

There is also a large segment of this country.

There are businesspeople.

There are civil servants.

There are tradespeople.

There are young people.

They too want justice.

They too want to bring bread home.

They too want to share in the blessings of this country.

But most of the time they are left outside the table.

Those who are supporters are at the table.

Those who are not supporters are outside the door.

Those who are opponents are outside the door.

The appetizers have been served. Appointments have been made. The main course has been shared. Large tenders have been awarded. Dessert has been eaten.

Now it's time for tea.

Now it's time for justice and equality.

And it's time for those who are left out.

True leadership is tested right here.

It's easy to walk with those who are close.

Great leadership is being able to invite those who are far away as well.

“Bring those who criticize me.

Invite those who oppose me.

Seat those who didn't vote for me at this table.”

That's when leadership grows.

Because it's not just about money.

It's about justice.

It's about opportunity.

It's about how state resources are distributed.

Justice isn't only found in court.

Justice is found in appointments.

It's found in tenders.

It's found in staffing.

It's found in projects.

It's found in municipalities.

It's found in income distribution.

If the doors of the state are only open to cronies, that's not power.

That's injustice.

Citizens want service, not discrimination.

Citizens want justice, not discrimination.

The state belongs not only to those who voted for the ruling party, but to the entire nation.

Trust arises when the state stands at an equal distance from everyone.

When trust arises, society strengthens.

This is how the internal front is built.

Because the internal front is the honor of the external front.

The true strength of a state lies not only in its borders, but also in its society.

If justice weakens, the internal front weakens.

If trust is lost, the state weakens.

The internal front is strengthened not by speeches, but by justice.

Greatness is about embracing.

Greatness is impossible without equality.

Leaders who make history are not just those who win elections.

Leaders who make history are those who embrace society.

Those who are cronies are often hard to satisfy.

But a leader who can invite those who are not cronies to the table is great.

Because great leaders expand the table.

Small-minded politicians narrow the table.

This is what expanding the table means.

The state belongs to the entire nation, not just one group.

And everyone has a place at that table.

A country where those who deserve it win, not those who have connections…

That is true justice.

Çetin Ay

BWA President