Tweet
JINGOISTIC CLIMATE HAS TAKEN GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE
By Lale Sariibrahimoglu
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 20 2007
When we look at mainstream Turkish media reports, we get the sense
that Turkey has been waging an all-out war against another nation.
Exaggerated media coverage of Turkish raids into northern Iraq against
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists only helps further
provoke the nationalistic sentiment that has already taken the form
of dangerous nationalism. The day a Turkish air raid into northern
Iraq was reported, another priest, this time in the Aegean coastal
town of Ýzmir, was stabbed -- police apprehended a 19-year-old suspect.
Media coverage of the Turkish assault has also been full of misleading
information about the correct version of the Turkish military's
capabilities and has once again highlighted the level of intellectual
capacity of some Turkish reporters in particular when it comes to
military affairs.
Even former military officers appearing in programs on Turkish
operations, deliberately or otherwise, made assessments that fell
short of enlightening their audience about the technical aspects of
the raids, and most of them, as usual, emphasized their political
views on the attacks staged against the PKK.
Normally, one expects former military authorities to enlighten the
audience about the technical features of the event in an attempt to
give the right picture of the military's capabilities. Unfortunately
we have once again witnessed deception of the public about the air
raids by both mainstream media and by some retired military men.
Does Turkey really need to raid PKK hideouts in northern Iraq if
Turkish decision makers have long ago addressed the problem of
terrorists and terrorism in a more thoughtful and democratic manner?
Have Turkish decision makers spent any effort preparing the public
for a comprehensive democratic solution to the Kurdish problem?
On the contrary, we face today a public that overwhelmingly believes
in a military solution alone to resolve our disputes. This has led
to the public being more jingoistic and prone to being used by some
"dark circles" in violent acts against those who think differently
or who are not Muslims.
Father Andrea Santoro in Trabzon and Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink in Ýstanbul were killed last year and this year, respectively,
while we witnessed the brutal murders of three Christians in Malatya
in the spring. These events were recently followed by the stabbing
of Adriano Francini in Ýzmir in the past week.
Then came the arrest of Nurettin Demirtaþ, the leader of the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), upon his arrival from
abroad over charges that he had illegally avoided military service.
On the one hand stand the Turkish operations taking place inside a
neighboring country while on the other an uncontrollable growing hatred
against those who think differently, be they Muslims or Christians.
In the midst of this dangerous trend is an image that the government
has been leaving as if it has been unable to give the right direction
to the nation with regards to these extreme nationalistic tendencies.
I have doubts now that the government, which has handled the northern
Iraqi crisis in a diplomatic manner, despite calls being made for
quite some time now by Turkish hawks for a unilateral invasion of
northern Iraq, can take courageous steps to find a comprehensive
solution to the Kurdish problem.
Unfortunately the government also seems to have been hijacked now by
ultra-nationalist sentiment, risking the exacerbation of an already
fragile economic situation, vulnerable to global negative trends.
Parliamentary opposition, in the meantime, pursues policies that can
only play into the hands of those who try to maintain their selfish
interests at the expense of the country's normalization.
I have serious doubts over whether the political leadership has been
left with any room for maneuver to introduce a functioning partial
amnesty for the PKK militants while unveiling a package of measures
to heal the wounds of Turkey's Kurdish citizens. The government does
not seem to be taking bold political steps in addressing the Kurdish
problem and displaying a determination to discourage ultra nationalism
that has taken a violent nature.
If there are no surprises, though I wish there might be, the political
leadership seems unable to take courageous political steps -- at
least not until before local elections planned for March 2009.
--Boundary_(ID_QT1jxflHh+NjJ9pLpCPjpw)--
By Lale Sariibrahimoglu
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 20 2007
When we look at mainstream Turkish media reports, we get the sense
that Turkey has been waging an all-out war against another nation.
Exaggerated media coverage of Turkish raids into northern Iraq against
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists only helps further
provoke the nationalistic sentiment that has already taken the form
of dangerous nationalism. The day a Turkish air raid into northern
Iraq was reported, another priest, this time in the Aegean coastal
town of Ýzmir, was stabbed -- police apprehended a 19-year-old suspect.
Media coverage of the Turkish assault has also been full of misleading
information about the correct version of the Turkish military's
capabilities and has once again highlighted the level of intellectual
capacity of some Turkish reporters in particular when it comes to
military affairs.
Even former military officers appearing in programs on Turkish
operations, deliberately or otherwise, made assessments that fell
short of enlightening their audience about the technical aspects of
the raids, and most of them, as usual, emphasized their political
views on the attacks staged against the PKK.
Normally, one expects former military authorities to enlighten the
audience about the technical features of the event in an attempt to
give the right picture of the military's capabilities. Unfortunately
we have once again witnessed deception of the public about the air
raids by both mainstream media and by some retired military men.
Does Turkey really need to raid PKK hideouts in northern Iraq if
Turkish decision makers have long ago addressed the problem of
terrorists and terrorism in a more thoughtful and democratic manner?
Have Turkish decision makers spent any effort preparing the public
for a comprehensive democratic solution to the Kurdish problem?
On the contrary, we face today a public that overwhelmingly believes
in a military solution alone to resolve our disputes. This has led
to the public being more jingoistic and prone to being used by some
"dark circles" in violent acts against those who think differently
or who are not Muslims.
Father Andrea Santoro in Trabzon and Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink in Ýstanbul were killed last year and this year, respectively,
while we witnessed the brutal murders of three Christians in Malatya
in the spring. These events were recently followed by the stabbing
of Adriano Francini in Ýzmir in the past week.
Then came the arrest of Nurettin Demirtaþ, the leader of the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), upon his arrival from
abroad over charges that he had illegally avoided military service.
On the one hand stand the Turkish operations taking place inside a
neighboring country while on the other an uncontrollable growing hatred
against those who think differently, be they Muslims or Christians.
In the midst of this dangerous trend is an image that the government
has been leaving as if it has been unable to give the right direction
to the nation with regards to these extreme nationalistic tendencies.
I have doubts now that the government, which has handled the northern
Iraqi crisis in a diplomatic manner, despite calls being made for
quite some time now by Turkish hawks for a unilateral invasion of
northern Iraq, can take courageous steps to find a comprehensive
solution to the Kurdish problem.
Unfortunately the government also seems to have been hijacked now by
ultra-nationalist sentiment, risking the exacerbation of an already
fragile economic situation, vulnerable to global negative trends.
Parliamentary opposition, in the meantime, pursues policies that can
only play into the hands of those who try to maintain their selfish
interests at the expense of the country's normalization.
I have serious doubts over whether the political leadership has been
left with any room for maneuver to introduce a functioning partial
amnesty for the PKK militants while unveiling a package of measures
to heal the wounds of Turkey's Kurdish citizens. The government does
not seem to be taking bold political steps in addressing the Kurdish
problem and displaying a determination to discourage ultra nationalism
that has taken a violent nature.
If there are no surprises, though I wish there might be, the political
leadership seems unable to take courageous political steps -- at
least not until before local elections planned for March 2009.
--Boundary_(ID_QT1jxflHh+NjJ9pLpCPjpw)--