From Faith to Philosophy: The Erdoğan Reign and Partisan Ignorance!
According to figures from the newspaper Sözcü, the current situation clearly reveals the outcome of the ignorance of large crowds chasing after political parties. According to data released by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, in 2018, 549 million liras were spent on land vehicles and 280 million liras on air vehicles. In 2019, these figures increased to 565 million liras for land vehicles and 286 million liras for air vehicles. In 2020, spending on land vehicles remained at roughly the same level at 565 million liras, while the rental cost of air vehicles increased by 42.7% to 408 million liras. In 2021, 552 million liras were paid for land vehicles, while rental payments for air vehicles exceeded 1.2 billion liras, surpassing the cost of land vehicles. In 2022, the rental cost for air vehicles rose to 2.8 billion liras, and in 2023, it reached 5.6 billion liras. In the first 8 months of this year, 2.8 billion liras were spent on land vehicles, while 3.5 billion liras were spent on air vehicles.
The rise of luxury vehicle use in the public sector, from ground to air, raises serious questions not only economically and socially but also morally and religiously. Particularly, the high rental costs for planes and helicopters strengthen the criticism of living a luxurious life at the expense of the public. The teachings of three major religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, strongly condemn such waste and unjust use of resources.
Islam’s View on Waste and Justice:
Islam advocates for a modest life, avoiding waste, and maintaining a just order. The Quran’s verse, “Eat and drink, but do not waste; indeed, Allah does not like the wasteful” (Al-A’raf 31), serves as a guide for Muslims. This strong opposition to waste in Islam clearly indicates that squandering public resources on luxury consumption is religiously forbidden. The use of public wealth for luxurious air vehicles instead of the welfare of society is a violation of Islamic teachings. Islam’s concept of justice suggests that such spending amounts to usurping the rights of the poor, orphans, and those in need.
Christianity’s View on Humble Living and Responsibility Towards the Poor:
Christianity also criticizes living in wealth and luxury. Jesus’ humble life and criticisms of the rich hold an important place in Christian ethics. In the Gospel of Luke, it says, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Furthermore, wealth and luxury are clearly stated as lifestyles that do not please God. Spending public resources on luxury air vehicles does not align with Christianity’s ideal of humble and simple living and can be seen as insensitivity towards those living in poverty. This is viewed as a violation of the principles of social justice and equality.
Judaism’s View on the Fair Distribution of Resources:
Judaism advocates for the fair use of resources. The Torah states, “Be open-handed toward your brother” (Deuteronomy 15:11), emphasizing that the wealthy should help those in need. According to this teaching, wealth should be used for the general welfare of society. Thus, public resources should be used not for enrichment but for serving the weakest members of society. The enormous rents paid for planes and helicopters contradict the principle of fair distribution in Judaism. Such luxury can be seen not only as material wealth but also as moral poverty.
Philosophical Criticism:
From a philosophical perspective, the moral legitimacy of such waste can be questioned. Plato viewed justice as the most fundamental value of society and argued that rulers should work for the well-being of the people. Plato’s concept of “philosopher kings,” which he presents in his work “The Republic,” suggests that rulers should be knowledgeable and virtuous, living not in luxury but leading a just and moderate life. Expenditures on luxury vehicles such as planes and helicopters are deeply at odds with this philosophical viewpoint.
Karl Marx, in his critiques of how capital is used, targets the luxurious and ostentatious lifestyles created by capitalism. According to Marx, the capitalist system feeds the luxury consumption of the wealthy classes on the labor of the working class. The state renting luxury vehicles with taxes collected from the public is a concrete reflection of the capital accumulation Marx criticized. These expenditures mean the usurpation of the laborer’s rights and the unjust redistribution of wealth.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau also put forward strong views on inequality and social injustice. According to him, humans are born equal, but the institutions of society distort this equality. The use of state and public resources on luxury vehicles, as Rousseau discusses in his “Social Contract,” goes against the general will of society. While the ruling class lives in luxury, the struggle of the public with poverty constitutes a serious contradiction with Rousseau’s ideal of equality.
In conclusion, whether viewed from the perspectives of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, or through the lens of philosophers like Plato, Marx, and Rousseau, the public sector’s indulgence in luxury vehicles is morally, religiously, and philosophically unacceptable. This extravagance contradicts the anti-waste and justice teachings of religions, as well as the philosophical principles of social justice and equality.
02:00
News