The Mafia Within Us

As you read the phrase "The Mafia Within Us," do not assume your innocence and look around, thinking, "There's a mafia member among us!" I mean to say that you carry a "mafia spirit" within yourselves. You cannot escape this bitter reality. Do not stand in front of a mirror and confess, "There's no mafia in me! I am a pure person." Please be patient! I will soon introduce you to the mafia hidden within you.

The Mafia was born in Sicily. The word "Mafia" is a shortened and corrupted form of "Mafioso." The word "Mafioso" means to walk swaggeringly, strutting. If you recall, in Iğdır, before the right-left conflicts, every neighborhood had its "tough guy," or "Mafia boss." They would walk around in impeccably clean clothes, shiny patent leather shoes, sometimes with fedoras. Most of them always had a rosary in their hands. Their greetings were distinctive: a slight nod of the head with their right hand pressed to their chest. Their "friends," or bodyguards, were always by their side. Of course, the imitation of the Mafia in Iğdır at that time was far from the true Mafia structure and rules. These were structures that formed spontaneously, without coercion. I will return to Iğdır later.

First, I would like to share with you the ten fundamental rules of the mafia: These are also called THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. They form the foundation of the Sicilian Mafia. In later years, mafias all over the world adopted these ten commandments. In Turkey, mafia leaders such as Sedat Peker, Alaattin Çakıcı, Hüseyin Baybaşin, and Nuri Ergin also apply these rules unconditionally. The Japanese Yakuza and mafia organizations in other countries are also fully committed to these rules.

Here are the Ten Commandments:

1. No member can be introduced to another mafia member without the permission of the boss or a trusted third party.
2. It is forbidden to cast an eye on the wives or girlfriends of friends.
3. You will never be seen side by side with the police.
4. You will not frequent taverns, pubs, or bars.
5. You must always be ready for Cosa Nostra (Our Cause). Even if your wife is in labor!
6. You must arrive on time for appointments. The given task is sacred. You must fulfill it without questioning.
7. You must be respectful to your women and wives.
8. You must tell the truth when questioned by the boss.
9. You will never embezzle money belonging to others.
10. You will keep away from Our Cause those who have close ties with the police, display bad behavior, and have low moral values.

THE GLOBAL MAFIA SYSTEM

Have you ever wondered why a mafia structure or similar organizations spontaneously emerge in all countries, provinces, districts, and even villages? The answer is simple: 5-10 people who are organized, united by a common goal, and bound to each other to the death can take over a city, or even a country. In fact, this is how it happens in politics. If one carefully reads the lives of Hitler or Lenin, the number of people they could trust was so small! But they were devoted to their leaders to the death. This devotion grew into a power and, over time, transformed into a mystique. What could be the secret behind tens of thousands of cars forming a convoy to take Alaattin Çakıcı to prison? Is it just self-interest or money? Charisma? No! The only answer is the human desire, carried within us since primeval times, to belong to a group and to see oneself as part of a power. In other words, the Mafia feeling is innate in all of us. Unconsciously, we question ourselves: If something happens to me, who will be the first to come to my aid? That first person to come to your aid is your innocent mafia member.

Mafia rules operate in three ways: legal, illegal, and a mixture of both.

Legal mafias are abundant around us. For example, they have taken over the meat industry, holding meat in warehouses to raise or lower prices at will. In economic terminology, this is called "competition." We use it every day as a sweet and pleasant word. We even welcome it with the understanding that leaving economic rivals in a difficult situation and competition rules are in the public interest. Those who enter the tea sector with a few wealthy individuals gathered around them and increase their market share are, in a sense, unknowingly no different from members of a hidden mafia structure.

As for illegal mafia... Narcotic products, hashish, and drugs fall into this group. The marketing of these products also makes the existence of organizations operating according to mafia rules inevitable, because secrecy, money, and murder are the three indispensable elements of this world. I do not want to name names here, but you already know who controls the narcotic network in Turkey.

The third, and most important and dangerous, is the intertwining of legal and illegal mafia. This situation is very common in Turkey. If you have watched the movie Godfather, a mafia leader asks the father: "What if you let us benefit from those Senators and Members of Parliament you carry in your pocket like handkerchiefs!"

Many religious communities and organizations in Turkey have a mafia structure. For example, Adnan Oktay, one of them, was only recently apprehended. Why couldn't they touch him before? Because he had power within politics.

Some political parties ensure the loyalty of their members to the party according to mafia rules. The desire in the hearts of most of Ahmet Davutoğlu's founding members is to use this party and be at the top of the list in possible elections. In other words, they are already eager to get a share of any emerging power. If Mr. Davutoğlu does not discipline this crowd surrounding him according to mafia rules, his charisma will be shattered. No one is reading or caring about the party's program. Davutoğlu, a brilliant and pure politician far from all illegal activities, will fail if he cannot convince those around him of a common "interest." Unfortunately, this situation is related to the "mafia" feeling that we, as humans, have carried within us unconsciously since primeval times. Let's admit to ourselves that we prefer those who awaken the mafia feeling within us, what do you say?

THE FORMATION OF THE MAFIA IN IĞDIR

Drug use is rapidly growing in Iğdır. Young people, who previously contented themselves with only cigarettes and alcohol, are now dabbling in all kinds of drugs, turning Iğdır into a dead graveyard. Many hypotheses are put forward regarding the rapid spread of drugs in Iğdır: Some believe that students coming from other provinces after the university opened brought this habit to Iğdır. Some claim that villagers secretly cultivate cannabis, opium, and similar plants because it is easy money. However, neither hypothesis seems convincing to me.

There is a tribal structure among the Kurds in Iğdır. In fact, every tribal structure resembles a mafia structure in terms of concentrating power in one hand and secrecy. However, this has a positive and protective characteristic for tribal members. But whenever self-interest and gain enter the picture, divisions can occur even within the same tribe, and the tribe can become fragmented.

Values such as tribal honor and secrecy are still valid today. At this point, I must accept and share a difficult truth with you. Previously, drugs coming from Afghanistan and Iran entered Turkey via Hakkari, under the control of the organization and with its share. Somehow, a branch of the connection in Hakkari was shifted to Iğdır after a certain date, in exchange for a certain vote and as a price or reward for political gain. I leave it to your estimations and discretion to guess who politically benefited from this political reward.

Impoverished tribes are suddenly becoming rich, and the emerging mafia structures are destroying tribal values, feeding a secret network extending from Iğdır to Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. When politics and illegal mafia intertwine, a "monster" emerges before us, becoming impossible to defeat. If you confront it or express it, you are branded a "traitor"; if you do not, you are left with your conscience. The choice is yours!

I was very saddened when I learned that drug use was widespread within the Gêloî tribe, to which I belong. Were the Gêloî villages, which gave full votes to a certain party during elections, enslaved by such a network in exchange for votes? As a member of this tribe, I call upon the state and civil society organizations to act to rid not only my tribe or the Kurds but all people of Iğdır of this scourge as soon as possible. I invite influential figures within the tribe to step forward and strive to separate politics from illegal activities. This is the greatest good that can be done for humanity, one's tribe, family, society, and individuals.