"Law enforcement, customs, intelligence agencies, and politicians; mafia ties; cooperation with smugglers; looted state banks; drug and arms trafficking networks; terrorism... Immorality and corruption hand in hand with religious exploitation… Being corrupt is a talent and being honest is a crime! ... In Turkey, for many people, there is an unofficial crime: the crime of being honest! If you are an honest government official, if you stand against injustices and corruption, you commit the crime of being honest, and this crime will never let you go."

("The Crime of Being Honest," Cumhuriyet, December 7, 1980)

"Know that the tears of mothers and fathers whose sons are tortured, and young children are shot dead will demolish this government and those red license plates!"

("Red License Plates," Cumhuriyet, June 24, 1980)