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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 8 2009
Cleansing our conscience from guilt
AYSE KARABAT
Have you ever closely observed a child who is in the second or third
grade trying to do homework, particularly a writing assignment? Some
children are so gifted; they can easily write what has to be
written. The paper they use is white; their handwriting is nice and
legible. There are other children who simply don't care how their work
looks. But I greatly respect children who really try to do their best
and always find the energy to make a clean copy of their draft
work. When I see a child who is making a clean copy of his or her
homework with the utmost concentration, something inside me
melts. First of all, I truly respect this kind of student, just as I
respect societies that are about to or are trying to cleanse their
collective mind, conscience and heart.
Our dominant political culture until now has been similar to students
who simply don't care about their homework. It was never interested in
what was going on around the world and in the near abroad; it refused
to evaluate or even think about certain subjects, such as the
possibility of elite bureaucrats being involved in crimes, questioning
the meaning of terror and certain events in history such as 1915 and
Sept. 6-7, 1955, which was one the very first operations of the deep
state and which ended with the mass migration of non-Muslim Turkish
citizens out of the country.
Sometimes lazy students suddenly discover reality and decide to change
their attitudes; something makes them to come to their senses, and
they start to rewrite their homework. The righteous reaction of
Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza and the Ergenekon
investigation can have the same effect; these two developments can
cause our dominant political culture to find the strength to cleanse
our collective conscience, mind and heart from the guilt.
The reaction of Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza proves that
this society is actually able to stand resolutely against unfair
actions. The Ergenekon investigation provides an opportunity to
question many things that our dominant culture has been hesitant to
look into until now.
It seems to me that after getting angry, frustrated and feeling so
much pain due to the massacre in Gaza, it would be very difficult for
our dominant political culture to close its eyes to its internal
problems. It would be very difficult for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdo?Ä?an to turn a blind eye to political killings after what he
said in Davos. Turkey, and its society and leaders, after standing
against the cruelty in Palestine, must clear its conscience regarding
its internal problems, too.
For example, after crying so much for the children of Gaza, surely it
is time for us to start thinking seriously about the 17 teenagers who
were sentenced over the last two months to varying prison terms for
being members of illegal organizations in Adana. It is time for us to
say something other than "the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK]
is using teenagers as human shields and putting them on the front
lines at illegal demonstrations." Yes, of course, the circumstances
and conditions are very different, but it is time for Turkey to change
its penal code, which allows youths above the age of 15 to be tried as
adults. In the end we are talking about children whose rights are
violated either on the battlefield or in the courtroom.
The Ergenekon investigation can help us cleanse our conscience,
too. Just a small example: After learning that the police have
actually identified one of the Ergenekon suspects as the provocateur
of a flag-burning incident in Mersin during the Nevruz celebrations in
2005, which led to mass demonstrations all over Turkey and sparked
anti-Kurdish sentiment among the public, can we refrain from cleansing
our collective mind and heart and rethinking all other incendiary
events?
Lazy students cannot change their attitude in a short time; they need
to make an effort, and they need to be supported. It takes time, but
when they are able to overcome challenges, they usually become the
best student in the class, just like societies that are able to ease
their collective conscience -- then no one can claim that they should
first put their own house in order before criticizing others.
Feb 8 2009
Cleansing our conscience from guilt
AYSE KARABAT
Have you ever closely observed a child who is in the second or third
grade trying to do homework, particularly a writing assignment? Some
children are so gifted; they can easily write what has to be
written. The paper they use is white; their handwriting is nice and
legible. There are other children who simply don't care how their work
looks. But I greatly respect children who really try to do their best
and always find the energy to make a clean copy of their draft
work. When I see a child who is making a clean copy of his or her
homework with the utmost concentration, something inside me
melts. First of all, I truly respect this kind of student, just as I
respect societies that are about to or are trying to cleanse their
collective mind, conscience and heart.
Our dominant political culture until now has been similar to students
who simply don't care about their homework. It was never interested in
what was going on around the world and in the near abroad; it refused
to evaluate or even think about certain subjects, such as the
possibility of elite bureaucrats being involved in crimes, questioning
the meaning of terror and certain events in history such as 1915 and
Sept. 6-7, 1955, which was one the very first operations of the deep
state and which ended with the mass migration of non-Muslim Turkish
citizens out of the country.
Sometimes lazy students suddenly discover reality and decide to change
their attitudes; something makes them to come to their senses, and
they start to rewrite their homework. The righteous reaction of
Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza and the Ergenekon
investigation can have the same effect; these two developments can
cause our dominant political culture to find the strength to cleanse
our collective conscience, mind and heart from the guilt.
The reaction of Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza proves that
this society is actually able to stand resolutely against unfair
actions. The Ergenekon investigation provides an opportunity to
question many things that our dominant culture has been hesitant to
look into until now.
It seems to me that after getting angry, frustrated and feeling so
much pain due to the massacre in Gaza, it would be very difficult for
our dominant political culture to close its eyes to its internal
problems. It would be very difficult for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdo?Ä?an to turn a blind eye to political killings after what he
said in Davos. Turkey, and its society and leaders, after standing
against the cruelty in Palestine, must clear its conscience regarding
its internal problems, too.
For example, after crying so much for the children of Gaza, surely it
is time for us to start thinking seriously about the 17 teenagers who
were sentenced over the last two months to varying prison terms for
being members of illegal organizations in Adana. It is time for us to
say something other than "the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK]
is using teenagers as human shields and putting them on the front
lines at illegal demonstrations." Yes, of course, the circumstances
and conditions are very different, but it is time for Turkey to change
its penal code, which allows youths above the age of 15 to be tried as
adults. In the end we are talking about children whose rights are
violated either on the battlefield or in the courtroom.
The Ergenekon investigation can help us cleanse our conscience,
too. Just a small example: After learning that the police have
actually identified one of the Ergenekon suspects as the provocateur
of a flag-burning incident in Mersin during the Nevruz celebrations in
2005, which led to mass demonstrations all over Turkey and sparked
anti-Kurdish sentiment among the public, can we refrain from cleansing
our collective mind and heart and rethinking all other incendiary
events?
Lazy students cannot change their attitude in a short time; they need
to make an effort, and they need to be supported. It takes time, but
when they are able to overcome challenges, they usually become the
best student in the class, just like societies that are able to ease
their collective conscience -- then no one can claim that they should
first put their own house in order before criticizing others.