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CRISIS FEEDS EVERY SEGMENT
by Mehmet Ali Birand
Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 22 2012
Turkey
Some of my readers will get quite angry today. Since I know they will
be cross because I am telling the truth, I am ready to take on all
critics. They will not be able to prove the opposite. On the contrary,
they will silently say that I am "right." Because they, as much as
I, like to live in an environment of crisis and they will very well
understand what I mean.
Right? We love to live in crises.
A crisis helps each segment differently. The opposition charges the
government by these means. It raises its voice and explains how the
country is dragged toward a cliff.
The media writes the most absurd conspiracy theories in the world
and spends all its energy on matters not worth a fig. There is no
shortage of headlines for newspapers. Mostly it is talk shows on
television channels that make the most of this.
The public is also happy. Thanks to this, conversations in homes are
heated, our lives are colored.
When there is no crisis, we are kind of edgy. We have to reach out
and find something and then we have a storm in a teacup.
Let me ask you this: If you just look back and compare past years with
what we are going through today, I wonder what the result would be?
Think of the horrible leftist and reactionary hunts of the 1950s and
'60s, the streets that were stirred up, and the military coup.
In the 1970s, remember that 25 people were killed every day and
liberated zones were formed; the years that major chaos was being
experienced, the tortures and the executions of the 1980s. Remember
the tumultuous periods from the 1990s to 2007, the major economic
crises, years of horrible inflation and take a look at today.
If you cannot remember, don't strain yourself and just watch "The
Last Coup: February 28" (Son Darbe: 28 Å~^ubat), being shown every
night at 9 p.m. on CNN Turk at the moment.
See what a real crisis is. The documentary on Feb. 28 explains the
dark years between 1992 and 2002 with its witnesses and images.
Now, let's turn and look at today.
There are several practices of the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) I do not like. They have extremely unnecessary practices and
stances that upset the applecart for the sake of fine-tuning. We are
all annoyed with their anti-democratic approaches and their policies
against freedom of expression.
However, we should give them credit by looking at the greater picture.
When you compare the country's current situation with the past,
you can see the most comfortable period of recent history is unfolding.
While Europe's economy is shattered, Turkey's is standing up.
It is not all a bed of roses. Democracy is not developing as we wish.
Income distribution is still unbalanced. True, but when looking at the
other side of the medallion, I believe there is no room for pessimism.
State finally comes clean
Finally, it has happened. Finally, the state was able to admit its
fault in the Hrant Dink murder.
Indeed, not the real responsible party; they are still at large. They
still assume they can escape.
If President Abdullah Gul had not laid hands on it and if the State
Audit Board (DDK) had not been activated, the relevant members of
the police and intelligence service would have been able to hide in
their hiding places.
For the first time, the truth has found its way to an official report.
It has been revealed that a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin,
Hrant Dink, was blatantly murdered, that this murder was committed
with the knowledge of the Trabzon and Istanbul police and gendarmerie.
It has been explained how the intelligence service closed its eyes
to this matter.
I cannot explain how relieved I am. Now, I wonder in curiosity when
the prosecutors will act. Will the Interior Ministry remain a spectator
or will it bravely come forward and start a new investigation?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Mehmet Ali Birand
Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 22 2012
Turkey
Some of my readers will get quite angry today. Since I know they will
be cross because I am telling the truth, I am ready to take on all
critics. They will not be able to prove the opposite. On the contrary,
they will silently say that I am "right." Because they, as much as
I, like to live in an environment of crisis and they will very well
understand what I mean.
Right? We love to live in crises.
A crisis helps each segment differently. The opposition charges the
government by these means. It raises its voice and explains how the
country is dragged toward a cliff.
The media writes the most absurd conspiracy theories in the world
and spends all its energy on matters not worth a fig. There is no
shortage of headlines for newspapers. Mostly it is talk shows on
television channels that make the most of this.
The public is also happy. Thanks to this, conversations in homes are
heated, our lives are colored.
When there is no crisis, we are kind of edgy. We have to reach out
and find something and then we have a storm in a teacup.
Let me ask you this: If you just look back and compare past years with
what we are going through today, I wonder what the result would be?
Think of the horrible leftist and reactionary hunts of the 1950s and
'60s, the streets that were stirred up, and the military coup.
In the 1970s, remember that 25 people were killed every day and
liberated zones were formed; the years that major chaos was being
experienced, the tortures and the executions of the 1980s. Remember
the tumultuous periods from the 1990s to 2007, the major economic
crises, years of horrible inflation and take a look at today.
If you cannot remember, don't strain yourself and just watch "The
Last Coup: February 28" (Son Darbe: 28 Å~^ubat), being shown every
night at 9 p.m. on CNN Turk at the moment.
See what a real crisis is. The documentary on Feb. 28 explains the
dark years between 1992 and 2002 with its witnesses and images.
Now, let's turn and look at today.
There are several practices of the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) I do not like. They have extremely unnecessary practices and
stances that upset the applecart for the sake of fine-tuning. We are
all annoyed with their anti-democratic approaches and their policies
against freedom of expression.
However, we should give them credit by looking at the greater picture.
When you compare the country's current situation with the past,
you can see the most comfortable period of recent history is unfolding.
While Europe's economy is shattered, Turkey's is standing up.
It is not all a bed of roses. Democracy is not developing as we wish.
Income distribution is still unbalanced. True, but when looking at the
other side of the medallion, I believe there is no room for pessimism.
State finally comes clean
Finally, it has happened. Finally, the state was able to admit its
fault in the Hrant Dink murder.
Indeed, not the real responsible party; they are still at large. They
still assume they can escape.
If President Abdullah Gul had not laid hands on it and if the State
Audit Board (DDK) had not been activated, the relevant members of
the police and intelligence service would have been able to hide in
their hiding places.
For the first time, the truth has found its way to an official report.
It has been revealed that a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin,
Hrant Dink, was blatantly murdered, that this murder was committed
with the knowledge of the Trabzon and Istanbul police and gendarmerie.
It has been explained how the intelligence service closed its eyes
to this matter.
I cannot explain how relieved I am. Now, I wonder in curiosity when
the prosecutors will act. Will the Interior Ministry remain a spectator
or will it bravely come forward and start a new investigation?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress