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LANGUAGE OF THOSE VIEWING TURKEY FROM ABROAD HAS CHANGED
[email protected]
Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 11 2011
A significant part of my journalistic career was spent overseas. I
have participated in conferences and international meetings featuring
Turkey. My years between 1970 and 2000 were spent like this. There
was an ossified Turkey image in this 30-year period.
A country that tortures people, that is governed by the military,
that defends a semi-fascist administrative model, that disregards
human rights, that lives with a distorted democracy, that mistreats
its Kurdish citizens.
Indeed, the Cyprus, the Aegean and the Armenia issues have to be
added to this list.
They were present on every criticism menu of every meeting.
Now, the scene has changed. Cyprus and Armenia are still there, but
they do not create as much excitement as they used to. The Aegean
(Turkish-Greek relations) are never mentioned.
The Kurdish issue is referred to less often when compared to the past.
The primary reason for this is that in these forums, the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) is identified with terror.
Democracy, human rights faults, torture and predominance of the
military are not questions anymore.
Instead of these, judicial independence and the issue about the
appointment of the members of Turkish Academy of Sciences by the
government have stood out.
When Turkey is mentioned, it is questioned why its economy is doing
so well. It is discussed how far its showdown with Israel could go
and how it can change power in Syria.
Whether or not Ankara has shifted its axis comes up from time to time.
But there still is a concern that exists. Turkey's efforts to gain
new ground for itself are being closely monitored. The issue of its
full membership in the EU is referred to less and less.
Here it is, a summary of our external image.
Turkey is now a country that draws immigrants
In the conference named "Sweet Talk," exceptionally important analysis
was done. But there was a speaker who explained to us a truth that
is being experienced here under our very noses.
Professor Kemal KiriĆ~_ci from Bogazici University revealed with
numbers that Turkey was no longer an immigrant-generating country;
on the contrary, it has become an immigrant-receiving country.
The fear of Turkish workers invading Europe should the country get
full membership was used against us. This fear was nothing more than
urban legend.
Apparently, everything started changing in 2007, and the official
data he provided was enlightening.
In 2007, the number of Turks immigrating to Germany was 29,000. The
same year, Turks and Germans migrating to Turkey were 32,000; in 2009,
outgoing Turks were 30,000 and incoming Germans were 40,000. A large
portion of those migrants to Turkey are qualified and retired Turkish
workers, as well as German businesspeople looking for jobs in Turkey
and academics.
There was also a significant drop in the number of applications of
political migrants from Turkey to Germany. In 1991, while 24,000 people
applied for political asylum, this figure dropped to 1,400 in 2009.
This data demonstrates that human rights in Turkey have improved to
a significant extent, and that living and earning money has started
to become easier in Turkey than in Germany.
Speakers drew attention to the fact that a change in the EU's visa
stance was impossible because of the internal politics of member
countries. At the same time, it was stated that as a result of this
visa stance, Turkey was distancing itself from the EU while becoming
very close to other countries in its region by lifting its own visas.
It was highlighted that significant revenues were gained economically,
socially and politically.
[email protected]
Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 11 2011
A significant part of my journalistic career was spent overseas. I
have participated in conferences and international meetings featuring
Turkey. My years between 1970 and 2000 were spent like this. There
was an ossified Turkey image in this 30-year period.
A country that tortures people, that is governed by the military,
that defends a semi-fascist administrative model, that disregards
human rights, that lives with a distorted democracy, that mistreats
its Kurdish citizens.
Indeed, the Cyprus, the Aegean and the Armenia issues have to be
added to this list.
They were present on every criticism menu of every meeting.
Now, the scene has changed. Cyprus and Armenia are still there, but
they do not create as much excitement as they used to. The Aegean
(Turkish-Greek relations) are never mentioned.
The Kurdish issue is referred to less often when compared to the past.
The primary reason for this is that in these forums, the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) is identified with terror.
Democracy, human rights faults, torture and predominance of the
military are not questions anymore.
Instead of these, judicial independence and the issue about the
appointment of the members of Turkish Academy of Sciences by the
government have stood out.
When Turkey is mentioned, it is questioned why its economy is doing
so well. It is discussed how far its showdown with Israel could go
and how it can change power in Syria.
Whether or not Ankara has shifted its axis comes up from time to time.
But there still is a concern that exists. Turkey's efforts to gain
new ground for itself are being closely monitored. The issue of its
full membership in the EU is referred to less and less.
Here it is, a summary of our external image.
Turkey is now a country that draws immigrants
In the conference named "Sweet Talk," exceptionally important analysis
was done. But there was a speaker who explained to us a truth that
is being experienced here under our very noses.
Professor Kemal KiriĆ~_ci from Bogazici University revealed with
numbers that Turkey was no longer an immigrant-generating country;
on the contrary, it has become an immigrant-receiving country.
The fear of Turkish workers invading Europe should the country get
full membership was used against us. This fear was nothing more than
urban legend.
Apparently, everything started changing in 2007, and the official
data he provided was enlightening.
In 2007, the number of Turks immigrating to Germany was 29,000. The
same year, Turks and Germans migrating to Turkey were 32,000; in 2009,
outgoing Turks were 30,000 and incoming Germans were 40,000. A large
portion of those migrants to Turkey are qualified and retired Turkish
workers, as well as German businesspeople looking for jobs in Turkey
and academics.
There was also a significant drop in the number of applications of
political migrants from Turkey to Germany. In 1991, while 24,000 people
applied for political asylum, this figure dropped to 1,400 in 2009.
This data demonstrates that human rights in Turkey have improved to
a significant extent, and that living and earning money has started
to become easier in Turkey than in Germany.
Speakers drew attention to the fact that a change in the EU's visa
stance was impossible because of the internal politics of member
countries. At the same time, it was stated that as a result of this
visa stance, Turkey was distancing itself from the EU while becoming
very close to other countries in its region by lifting its own visas.
It was highlighted that significant revenues were gained economically,
socially and politically.