COMMENT | If you are ever so lucky to be a senior minister to be abroad during the worst disaster in your homeland, I urge you to take the ‘Full-Day Tour with Turkey Local Guides’ in Istanbul.

Unlike common people who are mostly banned from travelling overseas, there is no such restriction for politicians. You can travel across district, state, country… Istanbul or Paris. Unlike common people who need to quarantine for 14 days after returning, as a minister you have an option to do only 10, or sometimes three.

Notwithstanding the sprouting of new Covid variants of Beta, Delta or Lambda that originate overseas, they are just Greek to you. Here is your itinerary for the Full-Day Tour with Turkey Local Guides; we promise many “historical stories”:

9am: Blue Mosque

To fully appreciate the significance of the mosque, I need you to close your eyes and imagine yourself as Sultan Ahmet I.

You are only 13 years old, but you are already sultan of the capital city, Istanbul, and you control a large empire that spans across three continents - Asia, Europe, and Africa. You stand on the shoulders of giants such as Suleiman the Magnificent and Mehmed the Conqueror.

Deep down, you know that you are not as able as they are. You cannot fight well, nor can you manage the empire well. The only way that people will remember you is to build one of the best mosques with the most expensive and elegant materials.

Not only that, but you also want the Blue Mosque to be directly opposite the majestic Hagia Sophia and Hippodrome, as well as the Ottoman royal residence. You also want to install six minarets, equalling the mosques in Mecca.

That is the true sign of power and control. Does that get you excited?

Back home, this is the same exercise of power for you. Politicians of high positions can carry on with their lives unaffected, whereas common people are locked at home...