Cyprus-Forum.com

[EPSILON]

Opinion


Turkey misses the opportunity for Halki



Mehmet Ali Birand - English

22.05.2009



Haberler Anında Cebinizde Hürriyet Mobil

Haberler Anında Bilgisayarınızda Haber Alarmı

Haber Kaçırmaya Son Hürriyet Mind

Sitene Haber Ekle Kazan Bumerang

I could not help but write this article. I could not help but write this article. I needed to talk about it before it was too late. While monitoring Turkey’s politics as a journalist the subject that got stuck in my mind and to which I could not find an answer was: "Why didn’t those who lead us take certain steps in time and instead make us the unnecessarily injured party?"

We watch the same movie over and over again. Steps not taken in time come back to us like a boomerang. If you are facing an important problem and you delay the decision to solve it and keep postponing it, you’ll only cause the problem to become a necrosis.

If others join this problem the situation gets even worse. Then when you decide to take a step toward a solution you’ll notice that the result is not what you expected. For you are too late.

You made concessions and spent much effort but did not obtain any result and could not make it up to anyone. Innumerous examples could be quoted. But the most striking one is the Kurdish issue. We stood up for years.

With our slogan "We won’t let the country be divided" we fooled ourselves. Then one day we arrived at a point where nothing we did was good enough. Now the same goes for the Halki seminary in Heybeliada. It is unbelievable.

There are 300 million orthodox people in the world. And 250 million live in Russia. The religious center of this big world is the patriarchate in Fener and its leader is Patriarch Bartholomeos. This seminary also educates religious leaders, priests and clergymen who rule churches in the orthodox world of 300 million people. In other words, if the patriarchate rules the orthodox world, the seminary in Heybeliada educates religious men.

In 1971 we closed this seminary based on the reasoning of "Private University Law." Actually there were two motives. One was preventing foundation colleges that were established by sects and the other was Greece not showing much concern for Western Thrace Turks.

Thirty-eight years have passed since. Colleges established by sects in Turkey have become widespread. Greece has become a member of the European Union and Western Thrace Turks have obtained all rights pertaining to EU citizens. And we still are unable to open the seminary.

Shooting ourselves in the foot

The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government and especially the Ministry of Education several times repeated that they intended to open the seminary.

But off the record, they say that the General Staff continues to object and they fear brisk opposition from the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, and the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. This is not politics, it is clumsiness. Turkey wrongly shoots itself in the foot and violates international agreements.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are being deceived by sick minds who say "A new Vatican will be created and Cypriots will split the country." We, as a country, create an image of exercising pressure on orthodox people and opposing religious freedom.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are preventing the education of leaders for the orthodox world in Turkey and leave the church to have its leaders educated in Russia.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we cast out important allies and religious leaders like Bartholomeos.

We could continue this list endlessly. No matter from which angle you look at it, this government is insufficient regarding the seminary issue.

You’ll see, one day foreign forces will interfere to pressure us, all because we are unable to take action here.

We will become a country that submits because we will be pressured. İlber Ortaylı wrote an excellent article regarding this issue in the daily Milliyet on Sunday. He said, "Let’s be men of our rank," and drew attention to the fact that those leading Turkey are narrow minded and square pegs. He said, "Turkey is not suited for the place it occupies. It doesn’t live up to its rank."

Isn’t that so true?

[DT.]

Opinion


Turkey misses the opportunity for Halki



Mehmet Ali Birand - English

22.05.2009



Haberler Anında Cebinizde Hürriyet Mobil

Haberler Anında Bilgisayarınızda Haber Alarmı

Haber Kaçırmaya Son Hürriyet Mind

Sitene Haber Ekle Kazan Bumerang

I could not help but write this article. I could not help but write this article. I needed to talk about it before it was too late. While monitoring Turkey’s politics as a journalist the subject that got stuck in my mind and to which I could not find an answer was: "Why didn’t those who lead us take certain steps in time and instead make us the unnecessarily injured party?"

We watch the same movie over and over again. Steps not taken in time come back to us like a boomerang. If you are facing an important problem and you delay the decision to solve it and keep postponing it, you’ll only cause the problem to become a necrosis.

If others join this problem the situation gets even worse. Then when you decide to take a step toward a solution you’ll notice that the result is not what you expected. For you are too late.

You made concessions and spent much effort but did not obtain any result and could not make it up to anyone. Innumerous examples could be quoted. But the most striking one is the Kurdish issue. We stood up for years.

With our slogan "We won’t let the country be divided" we fooled ourselves. Then one day we arrived at a point where nothing we did was good enough. Now the same goes for the Halki seminary in Heybeliada. It is unbelievable.

There are 300 million orthodox people in the world. And 250 million live in Russia. The religious center of this big world is the patriarchate in Fener and its leader is Patriarch Bartholomeos. This seminary also educates religious leaders, priests and clergymen who rule churches in the orthodox world of 300 million people. In other words, if the patriarchate rules the orthodox world, the seminary in Heybeliada educates religious men.

In 1971 we closed this seminary based on the reasoning of "Private University Law." Actually there were two motives. One was preventing foundation colleges that were established by sects and the other was Greece not showing much concern for Western Thrace Turks.

Thirty-eight years have passed since. Colleges established by sects in Turkey have become widespread. Greece has become a member of the European Union and Western Thrace Turks have obtained all rights pertaining to EU citizens. And we still are unable to open the seminary.

Shooting ourselves in the foot

The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government and especially the Ministry of Education several times repeated that they intended to open the seminary.

But off the record, they say that the General Staff continues to object and they fear brisk opposition from the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, and the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. This is not politics, it is clumsiness. Turkey wrongly shoots itself in the foot and violates international agreements.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are being deceived by sick minds who say "A new Vatican will be created and Cypriots will split the country." We, as a country, create an image of exercising pressure on orthodox people and opposing religious freedom.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are preventing the education of leaders for the orthodox world in Turkey and leave the church to have its leaders educated in Russia.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we cast out important allies and religious leaders like Bartholomeos.

We could continue this list endlessly. No matter from which angle you look at it, this government is insufficient regarding the seminary issue.

You’ll see, one day foreign forces will interfere to pressure us, all because we are unable to take action here.

We will become a country that submits because we will be pressured. İlber Ortaylı wrote an excellent article regarding this issue in the daily Milliyet on Sunday. He said, "Let’s be men of our rank," and drew attention to the fact that those leading Turkey are narrow minded and square pegs. He said, "Turkey is not suited for the place it occupies. It doesn’t live up to its rank."

Isn’t that so true?

Freudian slip?

[EPSILON]

Opinion


Turkey misses the opportunity for Halki



Mehmet Ali Birand - English

22.05.2009



Haberler Anında Cebinizde Hürriyet Mobil

Haberler Anında Bilgisayarınızda Haber Alarmı

Haber Kaçırmaya Son Hürriyet Mind

Sitene Haber Ekle Kazan Bumerang

I could not help but write this article. I could not help but write this article. I needed to talk about it before it was too late. While monitoring Turkey’s politics as a journalist the subject that got stuck in my mind and to which I could not find an answer was: "Why didn’t those who lead us take certain steps in time and instead make us the unnecessarily injured party?"

We watch the same movie over and over again. Steps not taken in time come back to us like a boomerang. If you are facing an important problem and you delay the decision to solve it and keep postponing it, you’ll only cause the problem to become a necrosis.

If others join this problem the situation gets even worse. Then when you decide to take a step toward a solution you’ll notice that the result is not what you expected. For you are too late.

You made concessions and spent much effort but did not obtain any result and could not make it up to anyone. Innumerous examples could be quoted. But the most striking one is the Kurdish issue. We stood up for years.

With our slogan "We won’t let the country be divided" we fooled ourselves. Then one day we arrived at a point where nothing we did was good enough. Now the same goes for the Halki seminary in Heybeliada. It is unbelievable.

There are 300 million orthodox people in the world. And 250 million live in Russia. The religious center of this big world is the patriarchate in Fener and its leader is Patriarch Bartholomeos. This seminary also educates religious leaders, priests and clergymen who rule churches in the orthodox world of 300 million people. In other words, if the patriarchate rules the orthodox world, the seminary in Heybeliada educates religious men.

In 1971 we closed this seminary based on the reasoning of "Private University Law." Actually there were two motives. One was preventing foundation colleges that were established by sects and the other was Greece not showing much concern for Western Thrace Turks.

Thirty-eight years have passed since. Colleges established by sects in Turkey have become widespread. Greece has become a member of the European Union and Western Thrace Turks have obtained all rights pertaining to EU citizens. And we still are unable to open the seminary.

Shooting ourselves in the foot

The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government and especially the Ministry of Education several times repeated that they intended to open the seminary.

But off the record, they say that the General Staff continues to object and they fear brisk opposition from the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, and the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. This is not politics, it is clumsiness. Turkey wrongly shoots itself in the foot and violates international agreements.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are being deceived by sick minds who say "A new Vatican will be created and Cypriots will split the country." We, as a country, create an image of exercising pressure on orthodox people and opposing religious freedom.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we are preventing the education of leaders for the orthodox world in Turkey and leave the church to have its leaders educated in Russia.

w We shoot ourselves in the foot, for we cast out important allies and religious leaders like Bartholomeos.

We could continue this list endlessly. No matter from which angle you look at it, this government is insufficient regarding the seminary issue.

You’ll see, one day foreign forces will interfere to pressure us, all because we are unable to take action here.

We will become a country that submits because we will be pressured. İlber Ortaylı wrote an excellent article regarding this issue in the daily Milliyet on Sunday. He said, "Let’s be men of our rank," and drew attention to the fact that those leading Turkey are narrow minded and square pegs. He said, "Turkey is not suited for the place it occupies. It doesn’t live up to its rank."

Isn’t that so true?

Freudian slip?

Well i did not notice the word Cypriots. If some in Turkey believe that Cypriots can devide Turkey then the darkness down there is worst of what i thought