Op-Ed
Turntable Activism
Smoked Turkey
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ISTANBUL — In an undeniable milestone for the civil rights struggle earlier this month, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. His victory was much more than just a triumph for equality, but, there’s no denying the symbolic importance it brings in that respect. For years, activists in America have fought, and sometimes given their lives, in pursuit of making the promise outlined in our Declaration of Independence, that all are created equal, a reality instead of just a guideline. When our 44th President took that stage in Grant Park, the promise never looked so valid.
We find ourselves in interesting times. On one side of the globe we have seen a great victory for human rights. Here in Turkey, however, and in other places similar to it, we find that great challenges still exist. While a fight on one side of the globe is closer to nearing its completion than ever before, others around it see victory as something helplessly far away.
In recent weeks, Turkey’s fight for human rights has been set back yet again. In a conversation with Omer Madra, the founder of Açik Radyo (a social force pushing for open society on the streets of Turkey) I discussed some distressing developments in this country.
For instance, Turkey has seen a strong movement of its ruling AK Parti (AKP) towards the dominant military. As reported last month by Turkish Daily Taraf; the military sat and watched as Kurdish fighters prepared a serious attack on one of its bases. Perhaps, it is supposed by the newspaper (and indeed many others who have followed the situation), that the military allowed the attack in order to strike down harder on the Kurds.
What has been surprising, Madra told me, was the military’s weak denial of Taraf’s accusations and the subsequent defense of the military by AKP leadership. By aligning with the military in this sense, it is likely that the AKP is making a play for goodwill — this even though the military’s influence almost led to a ban of the party this summer. Either way, the beginning of a long few weeks was underway; more strong anti-minority positions were yet to come.
The next move came in Brussels last week as AKP Defense minister Vecdi Gönül told a crowd that the elimination of Greeks and Armenians from within Turkey’s borders helped turn Turkey into the nation state that it is today. Said Madra, this is essentially a declaration that genocide was part of Turkish state building.
These moves are alarming steps in the wrong direction for Turkey. For years, Kurds and Armenians have fought to be seen as equal citizens (and for recognition of the Armenian Genocide) yet, the situation has become increasingly difficult. Sometimes the government here seems almost schizophrenic, reaching out to Armenians one day and then making statements such as that mentioned above the next. Whichever way you look at it, one disgusting statement is often enough to erode years of reconciliatory overture.
Where is the hope? It comes through people like Madra. In a country where people will go to prison for airing views contrary to the liking of the state, he has started a radio station which insists on openness. His programs advocate issues such as human rights and climate control and will go to the wall for causes it believes in (Madra himself has sat in prison).
In our talk, he constantly repeated his sorrow over the loss of Hrant Dink, a slain Armenian Turkish journalist who was a dear friend of his, and is seemingly still in shock over his death. How could he not be? The man who shared the same passion for equality and fought that same fight alongside Madra, was gunned down by a teenage nationalist last year.
Madra’s solace, however, comes in his causes and his victories. Today, while still advocating for equality in Turkey, Madra finds himself a leading (if not the leading) advocate on global warming in the country. He has spoken at hundreds of rallies and lectures and leads the fight for Turkish awareness on the issue. With a steel resolve he does not relent, knowing all too well what is at stake if he is to fail.
After spending a few hours at the station, I prepared to leave. Before my exit though, Madra asked me to return and spend a morning with him on his program. Still missing my weekly slot on WVBR and excited about what had previously been told to me about the station, I agreed immediately.
I had heard about the honor of being on Açik from Stephen Kinzer, former bureau chief of the NY Times here in Istanbul. In a conversation with him earlier this year he had pointed me in Madra’s direction. Kinzer, while here, had hosted a blues show on the station and filtered in political talk as he went on. In closing his tremendous book on Turkey, “Crescent and Star,” Kinzer speaks of an imaginary monologue which he would have loved to have given on the air. The words speak of a Turkey which has gotten past the troubles of today. He tells those who have kept the old order that, in this new world, “The state is slipping from your grasp, the people marching away from you.” And, “a new Turkey is being born before your eyes.”
The birth, however, has yet to take place. While much promise remains, it is still just that, tangible yet unfulfilled. What we saw earlier this month showed us that the impossible is now possible, perhaps now that message will reverberate throughout the world. It’s time to let stations like Açik go back to playing music.
Alex Kantrowitz is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is writing from Istanbul, Turkey this semester. Check out his blog at Smoked Turkey for further coverage. Smoked Turkey appears alternate Fridays this semester. Alex may be contacted at akantrowitz@cornellsun.com
ALEX'S OP-ED IS INCOMPLETE, ERRONEOUS, AND UNFAIR
Alex’s op-ed “Smoked Turkey” (November 21, 2008) seems to take some radical and partisan views ( as those expressed by Taraf, Acik, etc.) about the Turkish government and Turkish state at face value and, thus, build up his case upon shaky foundation. Taraf's claims about the ignoring of signs of recent PKK attacks were refuted by the military but Taraf did not apologize for their mistake. The photos published turned out to be those of farmers, not terrorists.
Another blaring flaw in his op-ed is the fact that he limits his scope to two parties: one for and one against the government. He doesn’t seem to know that there are tens of millions of Turks and Turkish expatriates who passionately disagree with what divisive and partisan publishers like Taraf stand for and who may or may not have voted for AKP. Alex’s over-simplification of Turkish political or social scene to “Taraf mentality” and the “Administration” is an unfair treatment of millions like me. According to Alex, we do not exist…
I would like to remind him a few realities which might help him get down from his high horse, lecturing high morals to unsuspecting readers.
1. When Hrant Dink was murdered in 2006, the entire country of Turkey, from its president down to its man on the street, condemned the killing for days. Whereas when Kemal Arikan, a Turkish diplomat, was similarly killed by a young assassin in 1982, there were no Armenian condemnations; no street protests; no picket signs saying “We are all Turks. The Armenian community treated the young Armenian terrorist like a hero and even took up collections in Armenian churches for his legal defense fund. How do you think I—one of the pall bearers of the coffin of the slain Turkish diplomat, felt? There was not a single article in the US media about my feelings, either. Do’t hold your breath on finding similar sentiments in that Taraf newspaper you seem to like so much.
2. The above example is not an exception, but a rule. There were four killing in the US by the Armenian terrorists since 1973 and none were condemned by the Armenians. Far from it, they were all met with expressions of jubilations and joy. Our, Turkish-Americans’, letters were censored by the US media because they seemed to challenge the “consensus”. Here, I am talking about embracing of terrorism by the Armenian community and censoring of Turkish views by the US press. And you are talking about the freedom of speech in the US? Only if your views are in line with the consensus. If not, then “editorial freedom” will see to it that your letters are not published.
3. Genocide is a legal, technical term precisely defined by the U.N. 1948 convention and genocide verdict can only be given by a "competent court" after "due process" where both sides are properly represented and evidence mutually cross examined. For a genocide verdict, the accusers must prove “intent” at a competent court and after due process. This could never be done by the Armenians whose evidence mostly fall into five major categories: hearsay, misrepresentations, exaggerations, forgeries, and “other”. Such a "competent court" was never convened in the case of Turkish-Armenian conflict and a genocide verdict does not exist (save a Kangaroo court in occupied Istanbul in 1920 where partisanship, vendettas, and revenge motives left no room for due process.) Genocide claim, therefore, is political, not historical or factual. It reflects bias against Muslims in general and Turks in particular. The term genocide must be used with the qualifier "alleged", if one values ideals like truth, objectivity, and fairness.
4- Genocide claim is based on racist and dishonest history. Racist because it ignores the much larger Turkish suffering and death toll while it honors only Armenian dead and suffering. Dishonest because it dismisses brutal Armenian armed revolts, domestic and international Armenian terrorism, supreme Armenian treason (as in joining an invading enemy army to kill their Muslim neighbors) and Armenian territorial demands, all of which combined to cause their TERESET (temporary resettlement) in another part of the Ottoman Empire—hence cannot be labeled a deportation. Recognizing Armenian claim as genocide will deeply insult Turks around the globe and destroy the excellent relations currently enjoyed between the U.S. and Turkey. It will, no doubt, please Armenians but also disappoint and outrage Turkey, one of America's closest allies since the Korean War of 1950-53. Turks stood shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and more. American gratitude and thanks will appear to come (because of the Armenian lobby) in the form of the worst insult that can be dished out to an entire nation.
5- History is not a matter of "conviction, consensus, political resolutions, or propaganda." History is a matter of research, peer review, thoughtful debate, and honest scholarship. Even historians, by definition, cannot decide on a genocide verdict, which is reserved for a "competent court" with its legal expertise and due process.
6- What we witness in the US today amounts to lynching of the Turks by Armenians to satisfy the age old Armenian hate, bias, and bigotry. American values like fairness, presumption of innocence until proven guilty, objectivity, balance, honesty, and freedom of speech are stumped under the fanatic Armenian feet. Unprovoked , unjustified, and unfair defamation of Turkey, one of America's closest allies in the troubled Middle East, in order to appease some nagging Armenian activists runs counter to American interests.
Those who claim genocide verdict today, based on the much discredited Armenian evidence, are actually engaging in "conviction and execution without due process". Last time I looked in the dictionary, that was the definition of “lynch mobs”.
Peace,
Ergun Kirlikovali
Son of Turkish survivors from both paternal and maternal sides
www.turkla.com
What about Ergun?
Ergun, you are right on your criticism of partisanship of foreign reports on Turkey. They tend to simplify the complex situation of our country and are often all too eager to side with leftist intellectuals. It is important to realize that this pattern has become a tool of foreign policy which the west has used to exert pressure on countries like Turkey, as their dirty laundry (genocide against Native Americans, Colonial methods used in Africa etc.) have remained unexplored by the international media. That does not mean however, that Alex's evidence is wrong.
I also agree that it is our duty as members of the Turkish diaspora to counter these attacks with the Turkish side of the story. The terrorist attacks on Turkish diplomats have truly been neglected systematically in the global anti-Turkish movement led by the Armenian diaspora. Terms such as “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” have been used in the context of politics without the verification of international law or history.
But it is important not to suppress those who point to actual injustices in Turkey. It is undeniable that Turkey has grave problems with human rights abuses in the west, as well as in the east. The police is known to beat captives, our judicial system is riddled with holes and minorities are systematically disfavored. Yet many criticize publishers who shine light on these events because they provide material for foreign anti-Turkish sources. But how far are they willing to go in order to win the battle for the hearts and minds of the West? This kind of criticism is a struggle for short term goals rather than long term development.
In the case of Taraf's coverage of the recent PKK attacks on Aktutun, Taraf did apologize because the Army's (TSK's) response misrepresented their coverage. They immediately responded in detail and corrected the Army's mistakes in their press report. A similar instance of Army neglect also occurred in the PKK's attack on Daglica. Taraf's reporters found out that the TSK Daglica post had been weakened by military officials on the day of the attack and that senior officials actually went to a wedding on the same day. They also uncovered intelligence reports warning of the attack beforehand. When challenged by the Army and other newspapers, Taraf said that it would be ready to share its documents with anyone who was interested in verification.
If there is even a real chance that this is true, it should be reported by all newspapers of Turkey, and serious committees should be established to investigate the situation. No Pressure coming from the international stance against anti-Turkish media justifies keeping this hidden.
PLUCK. Politicaly...Lying....Unholy.....Cowardly....Killers
Mr. Kirlikovali. You said “When Hrant Dink was murdered in 2006, the entire country of Turkey, from its president down to its man on the street, condemned the killing for days. Whereas when Kemal Arikan, a Turkish diplomat, was similarly killed by a young assassin in 1982, there were no Armenian condemnations; no street protests; no picket signs saying “We are all Turks. The Armenian community treated the young Armenian terrorist like a hero and even took up collections in Armenian churches for his legal defense fund. How do you think I—one of the pall bearers of the coffin of the slain Turkish diplomat, felt? There was not a single article in the US media about my feelings, either. Do’t hold your breath on finding similar sentiments in that Taraf newspaper you seem to like so much.”
Why do you fail to mention that even though you said sorry you turned around and handed Hrant Dink’s killer the Turkish National Flag for the picture taking frenzy. Do you really think people are stupid?
You also say “The above example is not an exception, but a rule. There were four killing in the US by the Armenian terrorists since 1973 and none were condemned by the Armenians. Far from it, they were all met with expressions of jubilations and joy. Our, Turkish-Americans’, letters were censored by the US media because they seemed to challenge the “consensus”. Here, I am talking about embracing of terrorism by the Armenian community and censoring of Turkish views by the US press. And you are talking about the freedom of speech in the US? Only if your views are in line with the consensus. If not, then “editorial freedom” will see to it that your letters are not published.”
The only country that considers Armenians terrorist is Turkey. Those Armenians never killed innocent people like your country does everyday. If you are not man enough to admit the atrocities that you have inflected on my people then you are no better than the Butchers who gassed the Armenian children to purify them. Where is you honor Turk, how can you sleep at night knowing what your ancestors have done, how could you walk the land that does not belong to you and where the dirt is still soaking with Armenian blood and full of Armenian bones. Let’s forget about the Armenian Genocide for a moment. What are you doing to the Kurds right now Turk? I will tell you. You are Turkeyfying your country sides by eliminating the Kurds, taking over their possessions and leveling their villages while you maintain the threat of PKK alive to keep your Military industrial complex well fed. The Islamist party is threatening to take over your government, and the military is ready at anytime to take a coup to cleanse all moderate oppositions, like they have before. You use the racist Article 301 to shut your intellectuals up. Turkish Fascism is running amuck in your country while the Ergenekons (descendents of Ottoman’s Abdulhamid II and Young Turks ideological party) are calling all the shots and maintaining “The Deep State” condition. You run kangaroo courts to justify your democracy but kill and torture your own people in your lovely jails.
For example your Ultra Nationalists Gray Wolfs are no different that the Butcher battalions you used to kill, rape, torture the Armenian women and children. Really brave Turk. They say Saddam committed Genocide when he Gassed 5000 Kurds. How many has your country killed Turk? That is right, multiply be a factor of 10.
The only reason you are still getting away with the Armenian Genocide is because of your blackmailing of US and Israel. You spend Millions lobbying against Armenia, bribing US politicians and threatening to hurt my people in Armenia if we don’t drop this issue. Now with Obama screaming Genocide you are in Israel begging them to use their influence further to do something about it in US. The only reason you have a country after WWI is because the leaders of the Allies decided that it would be more beneficial to install a Muslim ally country instead of the rightful owner, Christian Armenian to control the Middle East but you had to be secular and democratic. Who was Ataturk anyway? I suggest you open up his Archives and share it with your countrymen instead of your forged Armenian deportation papers.
Stop it, don’t doing this, the whole world knows what happened. All the leaders know what happened. Redeem yourself and find your identity. I have more respect for Turks who admit it and threaten to do it again then cowards like you.
I invite you to www.armeniangenocide.com for some adult debate if you think you have a leg to stand on.