On January 19, I wrote an article and said, “We’re Suckers, We Pay.” It was about the overzealousness of the Güzelyurt police. That day, I wrote exactly this: “Almost every oncoming vehicle at the entrance to Güzelyurt was flashing its headlights, bringing me out of the dream world these beautiful surroundings had taken me to. Because it was a signal; with their flashing headlights, the vehicles were practically shouting, ‘Heyyy, driver, wake up, there’s police up ahead!’…
…Together with the vehicles in front of and behind me, we continued on in a CONVOY. Meanwhile, my eyes began searching for the police… As I muttered to myself, ‘Good heavens, where are the police?’ I looked up and saw a police officer facing me, telling the vehicles in front of me to ‘go on.’ Thinking, ‘There must have been a tip-off and they’re checking,’ I saw the officer facing me gesture for me to pull over.
I pulled over, opened the window, and a policewoman asked for my license. Thinking it was a routine check, I handed it over. The officer looked at my license and said, ‘Mr. Cem, you were caught by the radar. The speed limit on this road is 65, and you were driving at 82 km/h. Your fine is 123 lira, and you’ve received 5 penalty points.’ I was completely stunned… ‘What do you mean?’ I said… ‘What’s so special about the vehicles in front of and behind me? Don’t they get caught by the radar?’ I asked… The lady wasn’t listening to me; she just kept writing. I was practically pleading with her. ‘Where’s the radar?’ I asked. ‘Up ahead, by the buses,’ she replied… Then, trying to be reasonable, I explained that I was a member of the press and had come to the area for work, that there were vehicles in front of and behind me, and that if this was about speed, it was impossible that only I had been detected. The officer showed me the figures she had written by hand on the paper she was holding… To her, that was evidence… It was impossible not to lose your mind! I told her she shouldn’t be doing this and that there was no radar warning sign. Didn’t she point to the speed-limit sign? Here we go, another problem… I fell silent and said, ‘Write it.’ She asked me to sign; of course I refused. Though really, what difference does it make if I don’t sign in this country? Anyway, I finished by saying, ‘I guess your salaries aren’t enough, so you’re taking it out on us,’ and continued on my way…
That’s all there was to it!
I don’t think I was speeding, but I can’t prove it. The funny thing is, the police can’t prove I was speeding either. And the even funnier thing is, when we were driving with vehicles both in front of and behind me, how come only I got caught by the radar?
The tragicomic thing is that, like our other fellow citizens in this situation, I too will dutifully go and put this money into the Treasury’s coffers… Father State knows its citizens well… As I said in the headline: Since we’re SUCKERS, we’ll pay…”
Yes, I shared this strange incident with you in exactly those words. I went to the Güzelyurt area again and FOUND THE POLICE OFFICERS I had mentioned in my article and couldn’t see… As the pictures clearly show, they were hiding. In other words, it turns out the “secret police” I had looked for but couldn’t find were hiding behind the sign at a gas station, conducting radar checks from there. Then, as you might expect, they head out onto the road and stop those they catch; the result: A FINE.
I’m not saying this as though I’ve accomplished something. On the contrary, I say it with regret. Because Father State has literally been lying in AMBUSH, waiting for the moment to FINE its citizens!
Our police officers may choose not to put up a sign saying, “Caution: Radar Speed Checks Ahead”—a legal requirement in many developed countries, including Turkey, but not provided for under our country’s laws. But that doesn’t give them the right to set a TRAP for citizens.
As you read this, to our very esteemed superiors who may comment, “There’s a speed-limit sign there; we can conduct radar checks, what’s the problem?” or “Come on, drive carefully,” I want to say this: The conduct of the officers you assigned is not very becoming! I don’t know if you realize this, but by acting this way, you are creating the impression in the public’s eyes that they are “JUST COLLECTING THEIR SALARIES.” And perhaps this is entirely about collecting salaries…
Whatever the case, this does not become FATHER STATE at all…
Anyway, I hope to see you again…
Look around you, keep it clean, and please watch out for police conducting secret radar checks on the roads!