Should we be like those who can't protect their presidents?

A few days after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a highly suspicious helicopter crash, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in Vanadzor. In a message, Pashinyan explained that they had to land due to bad weather and continued their journey by road.

Helicopters and planes are extremely risky these days, especially for state leaders. Even if a crash is caused by negligence, pilot error, or a technical issue, we can't simply view it as an accident. We often suspect there's a hidden hand involved. When crashes happen in quick succession, we pay close attention.

If someone tampered with Pashinyan's helicopter, we can imagine them either smirking in satisfaction or muttering curses in frustration somewhere. Reading between the lines of his message, Pashinyan seemed to taunt, "You couldn't kill me." Just days earlier, he had stated that it was time to abandon the dream of a Greater Armenia and face reality.

The same suspicions apply to Raisi's helicopter crash. His statements had also angered certain parties. Those who brought down Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu's helicopter are still out there somewhere, walking, sitting, sleeping, and rising. We don't know their names.

We remember how Turgut Özal survived an assassination attempt during a party congress in 1988. Later that year, a 13-seater plane carrying him was turned back to Istanbul after his son Ahmet raised suspicions. It was found that someone had tampered with the plane's cables, which could have caused a fire if the flight had continued. We don't know who did it, just as we don't know who poisoned Özal. Years later, his autopsy report concluded with the bizarre statement, "There is poison, but no poisoning."

In 1959, a Turkish Airlines plane carrying Prime Minister Adnan Menderes crashed near London. Menderes survived with injuries, but 14 others, including ministers and MPs, died. They were en route to sign the agreement establishing the Republic of Cyprus. Was it an accident? A year later, Menderes was overthrown in a coup and executed along with two ministers.

Legendary Governor Recep Yazıcıoğlu died in a car crash, as did Minister Adnan Kahveci, both under suspicious circumstances. Journalist Uğur Mumcu was killed by a car bomb, initially blamed on Iran but later linked to Mossad. General Eşref Bitlis died in a plane crash that no one believed was an accident. The perpetrators of these assassinations were never caught. They might be living among us, possibly having shared a meal or a journey with us.

To those who consider President Erdoğan's security excessive and unnecessary, let's send a sharp reminder. Many assassination attempts and coup plots have targeted him. The president of our country is no less important than other world leaders. He is, in fact, more important and should be better protected. This applies to both the current president and future ones. There is no room for debate on this matter. Those who can't protect the president might as well lie down and let us cover them with nine planks and earth