Turkish columnist warns state growth can harm governance

ANBAR, Iraq — In a published analysis, a Turkish writer compared political structures to a living organism, arguing that the expansion of the state is not always a sign of health. Drawing a parallel with medicine, the columnist noted that a tumor does not always mean cancer but indicates abnormal growth, and that in politics excess can also be a symptom of disease. The piece said small exceptions tend to multiply over time: the creation of new offices, the establishment of temporary boards, the appointment of advisors and the formation of endless committees. As a result, political parties proliferate, governments swell with additional ministries, undersecretaries and advisors, and overlapping institutions turn the state into a body carrying more organs than it needs. According to the column, bureaucratic expansion widens the distance between citizens and the state, with a single transaction requiring dozens of signatures for approval. In such an environment, the writer added, corruption and favoritism find fertile ground, and public duties are distributed based on loyalty, kinship or shareholding rather than merit. The analysis concluded that a well-governed state should be measured not by the number of ministries, institutions or administrative staff it maintains, but by its ability to perform essential functions with minimal waste. The original article did not specify the publication or date.