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THE TURKISH HATE-AFFAIR WITH THE COLOR 'GRAY'
Hurriyet
Aug 4 2011
Turkey
We Turks are an interesting species.
Once we signed government cables that led to the deaths of over 1
million Armenians. One day we marched upon the killing of an Armenian,
shouting "We are all Armenians!"
We loved a man, the founder of our country. No, we did not love him;
we worshipped him. We jailed anyone who did not worship him. Now we
jail anyone who still worships him.
We had a great poet. We hated him. He died in exile. We hated him
more. We tortured people because they read his poems. One day our
government respectfully returned his stripped citizenship. Now we
love him.
There was this socialist Kurdish intellectual. He ran away from the
junta of 1980. We hated him. A couple of days ago we gave him a hero's
welcome, with the deputy governor of Istanbul standing in the queue
of people greeting him on his return after 31 years in exile. Our EU
minister met with him over words of extreme praise. The next day, our
culture minister met with him, exchanging no less fancy pleasantries.
We had a prime minister. We loved him. Then we hated him. We hanged
him. Then we named airports and other monumental public places after
him. Now we love him. I saw the state broadcaster airing emotional
documentaries about the man of great tragedies. Once again, we
worship him.
Our generals hated Cemil Cicek, "that fundamentalist virus" in Prime
Minister Turgut Ozal's Cabinet. Now our generals love Cemil Cicek,
"that moderate patriot" in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
Cabinet.
We intimidated the pious because "those uncivilized creatures
contaminated our Western culture with their strange habits like praying
and fasting." Now we intimidate the non-pious "because those infidels
contaminate our Islamic culture with their sins like drinking alcohol
and not fasting."
We hated women who wore the Muslim headscarf because they were
"soldiers in an army that sought to destroy Ataturk's Turkey." We
now hate women who wear mini skirts or bikinis because they are
"soldiers in the Antichrist's army that seeks to destroy our Prophet
Muhammad's Turkey."
We worshipped our military commanders who heroically fought the Kurdish
terrorists. One day we greeted the Kurdish terrorists on red carpets
upon their return from Kandil Mountain and jailed our commanders who
had fought them.
We tortured anyone who spelled the name Abdullah Ocalan without
contempt. Then came the days when the government-embedded pundits
proposed to make him a general in the Turkish military. We freed from
detention a PKK terrorist and put her in Parliament because she had
been elected. Then, we took a commander who had fought the PKK and
put him to prison.
We jailed people on suspicion that they might be planning to destroy
our secular republic. Then we jailed people on suspicion that they
might be planning to protect our secular republic. We expelled military
officers because their wives wore the Muslim headscarf. We may soon
expel officers because their wives do not wear the Muslim headscarf.
We journalists remained on alert to see if the lights would be on
at the General Staff headquarters, expecting a memorandum to any
elected government. Now most of us do not even know the names of the
force commanders.
Hence, the exchange of roles in "New Turkey" is no surprise to anyone
who can understand the Turkish love affair with the extremes. Elected
governments resigned over any tension with the generals. Now generals
resign over tensions with the elected government.
Perhaps various shades of gray should be taught at painting classes
in Turkish schools?
Hurriyet
Aug 4 2011
Turkey
We Turks are an interesting species.
Once we signed government cables that led to the deaths of over 1
million Armenians. One day we marched upon the killing of an Armenian,
shouting "We are all Armenians!"
We loved a man, the founder of our country. No, we did not love him;
we worshipped him. We jailed anyone who did not worship him. Now we
jail anyone who still worships him.
We had a great poet. We hated him. He died in exile. We hated him
more. We tortured people because they read his poems. One day our
government respectfully returned his stripped citizenship. Now we
love him.
There was this socialist Kurdish intellectual. He ran away from the
junta of 1980. We hated him. A couple of days ago we gave him a hero's
welcome, with the deputy governor of Istanbul standing in the queue
of people greeting him on his return after 31 years in exile. Our EU
minister met with him over words of extreme praise. The next day, our
culture minister met with him, exchanging no less fancy pleasantries.
We had a prime minister. We loved him. Then we hated him. We hanged
him. Then we named airports and other monumental public places after
him. Now we love him. I saw the state broadcaster airing emotional
documentaries about the man of great tragedies. Once again, we
worship him.
Our generals hated Cemil Cicek, "that fundamentalist virus" in Prime
Minister Turgut Ozal's Cabinet. Now our generals love Cemil Cicek,
"that moderate patriot" in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
Cabinet.
We intimidated the pious because "those uncivilized creatures
contaminated our Western culture with their strange habits like praying
and fasting." Now we intimidate the non-pious "because those infidels
contaminate our Islamic culture with their sins like drinking alcohol
and not fasting."
We hated women who wore the Muslim headscarf because they were
"soldiers in an army that sought to destroy Ataturk's Turkey." We
now hate women who wear mini skirts or bikinis because they are
"soldiers in the Antichrist's army that seeks to destroy our Prophet
Muhammad's Turkey."
We worshipped our military commanders who heroically fought the Kurdish
terrorists. One day we greeted the Kurdish terrorists on red carpets
upon their return from Kandil Mountain and jailed our commanders who
had fought them.
We tortured anyone who spelled the name Abdullah Ocalan without
contempt. Then came the days when the government-embedded pundits
proposed to make him a general in the Turkish military. We freed from
detention a PKK terrorist and put her in Parliament because she had
been elected. Then, we took a commander who had fought the PKK and
put him to prison.
We jailed people on suspicion that they might be planning to destroy
our secular republic. Then we jailed people on suspicion that they
might be planning to protect our secular republic. We expelled military
officers because their wives wore the Muslim headscarf. We may soon
expel officers because their wives do not wear the Muslim headscarf.
We journalists remained on alert to see if the lights would be on
at the General Staff headquarters, expecting a memorandum to any
elected government. Now most of us do not even know the names of the
force commanders.
Hence, the exchange of roles in "New Turkey" is no surprise to anyone
who can understand the Turkish love affair with the extremes. Elected
governments resigned over any tension with the generals. Now generals
resign over tensions with the elected government.
Perhaps various shades of gray should be taught at painting classes
in Turkish schools?