Cyprus-Forum.com

[Magnus]

Magnus
Notwithstanding the absurd 'insulting Turkishness' law and notwithstanding court cases taken against publishers and authors on all sorts of nonsense charges, for all practical purposes you can get literature on everything by anyone in Turkey and northern Cyprus. The question is really one of being what's out there to read and study (and not one of prevention).

I wonder if perhaps the laws and prosecutions you mentioned as well as those against politicians and media/internet bans etc indirectly prevent the proliferation of such material.

I mean, it could be that people see what is happening in the media every day and are afraid to create, supply, purchase or be seen owning any material that doesn't represent the 'official Kemalist version' because they are scared it might get them into trouble. Historical curiosity isn't always worth going to jail. Add to that a degree of indoctrination and maybe the desire to learn what the other side is saying is extremely limited.

As far as I know, such laws, prosecutions and restrictions don't happen in the RoC so you can see why they are highly publicised when they happen and why they do nothing to help Turkey's claims of freedom of expression.

[zan]

Magnus
Notwithstanding the absurd 'insulting Turkishness' law and notwithstanding court cases taken against publishers and authors on all sorts of nonsense charges, for all practical purposes you can get literature on everything by anyone in Turkey and northern Cyprus. The question is really one of being what's out there to read and study (and not one of prevention).

I wonder if perhaps the laws and prosecutions you mentioned as well as those against politicians and media/internet bans etc indirectly prevent the proliferation of such material.

I mean, it could be that people see what is happening in the media every day and are afraid to create, supply, purchase or be seen owning any material that doesn't represent the 'official Kemalist version' because they are scared it might get them into trouble. Historical curiosity isn't always worth going to jail. Add to that a degree of indoctrination and maybe the desire to learn what the other side is saying is extremely limited.

As far as I know, such laws, prosecutions and restrictions don't happen in the RoC so you can see why they are highly publicised when they happen and why they do nothing to help Turkey's claims of freedom of expression.

Don't believe the hype!!!

Hrant Dink's funeral
Rakel Dink
Elif Shafak
Istanbul's tribute to the murdered Armenian-Turkish journalist was a model of what Turkey could be, says Elif Shafak. The most personal farewell of all follows, in the eulogy of Rakel Dink, Hrant Dink's wife.
24 - 01 - 2007

Elif Shafak, Hrant Dink's dream
Rakel Dink, Sevgilim


Elif Shafak, Hrant Dink's dream

Imagine an exquisite dinner scene in Istanbul. A long, long table, at least thirty people. It is kind of breezy outside, the infamous lodos is blowing incessantly, as if to remind you that life in this city is far from quiet and orderly. Inside the room, the variety of the food served reflects the multicultural roots of today's Turkish cuisine: Albanian meatballs, Greek seafood, Kurdish spices, Armenian pastries, Turkish pilaf. People drink and eat and laugh and from time to time, they toast friends long departed.

Elif Shafak is a novelist and essayist, and currently professor in the department of near-eastern studies at the University of Arizona. She was born in France in 1971 and spent her childhood in Spain. After studying political science in Turkey, she held teaching positions in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the United States. Her website is here.

Then somebody starts to sing a song. Other guests join in, and before you know, a string of songs follow, most of them sad but none disheartening. The songs switch almost effortlessly from Armenian to Kurdish, from Turkish to Greek. Where one stops another one picks up. Imagine, in short, a cosmopolitan setting where everyone is welcome no matter what their ethnicity, race or religion. Imagine a country where we are all equal, friendly and free.

It wasn't a dream. I saw it happen, and not once or twice. I saw it happen so many times. That is how I know it can and shall be real. I saw it happen thanks to Hrant Dink, the Armenian journalist who was, on Friday 19 January 2007, gunned down in Istanbul by a Turkish ultra-nationalist.

Hrant was a dreamer, and as relentlessly as he was misunderstood, mistreated, and downtrodden because of this dominant aspect of his personality, by the end he knew very well that dreams are contagious. He gave us hope and faith, but most of all, he passed on his dreams to us. He made us believe that we the citizens of modern Turkey, as the grandchildren of the multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual Ottoman empire, could and should live together without assimilating differences or erasing the memory of the past.

He wanted to shatter the silence in Turkey on the 1915 deportation and massacres of Armenians, believing that remembrance was a responsibility. According to him, only if and when Turks and Armenians mourned this tragedy together, would we be able to start a new and better future. In a country stamped with collective amnesia, Hrant struggled for memory.

Also in openDemocracy on Hrant Dink and Turkey:

Üstün Bilgen-Reinart, "Hrant Dink: forging an Armenian identity in Turkey"
(7 February 2006)

Anthony Barnett, Isabel Hilton, "Hrant Dink: an openDemocracy tribute" (19 January 2007)

Fatma Müge Göçek, "Hrant Dink (1954-2007): in memoriam"
(22 January 2007)

Gunes Murat Tezcur, "Hrant Dink: the murder of freedom"
(23 February 2007)

Vicken Cheterian, "The pigeon sacrificed: Hrant Dink, and a broken dialogue"
(23 January 2006)

As an Armenian Istanbullu he had been subject to all sorts of discrimination ever since he was a kid. And yet he was free of anger and resentment. After a lifetime's experience he could have drawn the conclusion that this country was no place for a minority and go abroad where he would most probably be safer and much more comfortable. But he did just the opposite. He had uttermost faith in his fellow citizens, and believed that through dialogue and empathy even the most ossified chauvinisms would melt away.

Hrant wholeheartedly supported Turkey's membership of the European Union and was worried that if the ties between Turkey and EU snap, the ongoing democratisation process would slow down and Turkey would become a more insular country - a process from which neither Turkey nor the western world could benefit.

The sweeping generalisations in the west regarding Turkey and Turks frustrated him. He was equally critical of the Armenian genocide bill approved in October 2006 by the French parliament, an equivalent of which is now being discussed in the United States. "If they pass the law in France, I will go there, and though I believe the opposite, I will openly say that there was no genocide." As a true supporter of freedom of expression, Hrant believed that it should be up to people - Turks and Armenians together - to develop the means to reconcile, and not for politicians to dictate knowledge of history.

More than 100,000 people marched on 23 January, the day of his funeral. Many in the crowd sang Armenian songs, and carried banners proclaiming: Hepimiz Hrant Dink'iz, Hepimiz Ermeniyiz ("We are all Hrant Dink, we are all Armenians." People of all sorts of ideological, religious and ethnic backgrounds were there united in a common spirit and faith in democracy. At the end of the day, Muslims and Christians buried him together.

Imagine a moment in time when there is no chauvinism, xenophobia or racism. A moment when we are all united in a common spirit. It wasn't a dream. We thousands of Istanbullular saw it happen. So did Hrant. And most probably he wasn't the least bit surprised, knowing too well that dreams are contagious.

Rakel Dink, Sevgilim

I was chosen to be the spouse of my chutak. I am here today full of immense grief and dignity. My children, my family, you and I are in mourning. This silent love bestows upon us some fortitude. It enables us to experience within us a sorrowful calm.

In the Bible, the gospel of John 15:13, it is stated that there is no greater love than for a person to give up his life for the sake of his friends.

Hrant Dink has worked since 1996 as a columnist and editor-in-chief of the Armenian-language weekly newspaper Agos in Istanbul. The paper aims to provide a voice for the Armenian community in Turkey and to further dialogue between Turkey and Armenia

On 19 January 2007, Hrant Dink was assassinated outside Agos's offices in Istanbul

openDemocracy published three articles by Hrant Dink:

"The water finds its crack: an Armenian in Turkey"
(13 December 2005)

"Orhan Pamuk's epic journey"
(16 October 2006)

"My life as a pigeon"
(22 January 2006)

My dear friends, today we send off half of my soul, my beloved, the father of my children and your brother. We are going to conduct a march without any slogans and without showing any disrespect to those around us. Today we are going to generate immense sound through our silence.

Today begins the moment when the darkness of the valleys rises towards brightness.

Whoever the assassin may be, whether he was 17 or 27 years old, I know that he was once a baby. My brothers and sisters, one cannot accomplish anything without first questioning the darkness that creates an assassin from such a baby...

My brothers and sisters,

It was Hrant's love for honesty, for transparency, for his friends that brought him here. His love that challenged fear made him great. They say: "He was a great man." I ask you: "Was he born great?" No! He too was born just like us. He did not come from the heavens; he too was created from earth. But what made him great was his living spirit; his deeds, his style, and the love in his eyes and his heart. It was what he did, the style he chose, the love in his heart that made him great.

A person does not become great naturally; it is through his deeds that he becomes great... Yes, he became great because he thought great things and pronounced great words. You too all thought great things by coming here. You talked greatly through your silence; you too are great.

But do not let this suffice; do not be content with this alone.

Hrant marked the birth of a new era in Turkey and you have all been his seal. With him changed the headlines, dialogues, and bans. For him, there were no taboos or forbidden topics. As it is stated in the scriptures, it all sprang from his heart. He paid a great price. Futures for which great prices are paid can only be accomplished through such love and belief; not with hatred, insults, by holding one blood superior to another. This rise is only possible if one sees and respects the other as oneself, if one assumes oneself to be the other.

They separated him from the heaven of his home he had created with the help of Jesus. They made him spread his wings to the eternal celestial heavens - before his eyes tired out, before his body had the chance to age, before he could become sick, before he could spend enough time with his loved ones.

We too shall come, my beloved. We too shall come to that matchless heaven. Love and love alone enters there. Love and love alone that is superior to the speech of humans and angels, to prophecy, to mastery of all the mysteries, to faith that moves mountains, to sharing all one possesses, even to giving up one's body up to flames.

Only that love will enter heaven. There we shall live together forever in true love. A love that is not jealous of anyone, a love that does not covet the property of anyone else, a love that does not murder anyone, a love that does not belittle anyone, a love that holds one's brother and sister more dear than oneself, a love that abandons one's own allocation, a love that demands the rights of one's brother and sister. A love that is found in the Messiah. And a love that has been poured into us.

Who could forget what you have done, what you have said, my beloved? Which darkness could erase them? Could fear? Could life? Could injustice? Could the temptations of the world? Or could death have them forgotten, my beloved? No, no darkness is capable of having them forgotten, my beloved.

I too wrote you a love letter, my beloved. Its cost was dear to me too, my beloved. I owe it to Jesus that I was capable of penning this, my beloved. Let us give his due to Him, my beloved. Let us give back everyone their due, my beloved.

You departed from those you loved; you departed from your children, your grandchildren. You departed from those here who came to send you off. You departed from my embrace. You did not depart from your country, my beloved.

This eulogy was delivered by Rakel Dink in front of the huge crowd gathered around Hrant Dink's coffin on 23 January 2007, in Osmanbey, Istanbul. It was translated by Fatma Müge Göçek.

[CopperLine]

Magnus
Notwithstanding the absurd 'insulting Turkishness' law and notwithstanding court cases taken against publishers and authors on all sorts of nonsense charges, for all practical purposes you can get literature on everything by anyone in Turkey and northern Cyprus. The question is really one of being what's out there to read and study (and not one of prevention).

I wonder if perhaps the laws and prosecutions you mentioned as well as those against politicians and media/internet bans etc indirectly prevent the proliferation of such material.

I mean, it could be that people see what is happening in the media every day and are afraid to create, supply, purchase or be seen owning any material that doesn't represent the 'official Kemalist version' because they are scared it might get them into trouble. Historical curiosity isn't always worth going to jail. Add to that a degree of indoctrination and maybe the desire to learn what the other side is saying is extremely limited.

As far as I know, such laws, prosecutions and restrictions don't happen in the RoC so you can see why they are highly publicised when they happen and why they do nothing to help Turkey's claims of freedom of expression.

Magnus,
I'm sure that what you write here is definitely the case. I'm sure for instance that fear of prosecution does curtail supply of material. It is a matter of judgement how deep or extensive this effect actually has.

I don't however agree with what you said about 'official Kemalist version' insofar as I do not think it is as clear cut as that. There's masses of material published which definitely could not be described as 'official Kemalist' and is not restricted. The issue is when does material/publishers/authors face prosecution and, more importantly, when are convictions likely.

As far as I am aware there are not and have not been comparable cases in RoC. But rather than concluding that this is a reason to beat Turkey, I think we should be actively supporting and providing solidarity to democratic forces in Turkey who are otherwise beaing beaten (often literally) by an alliance of militarists, fascists, islamists and nationalists.

If one wants a democratic resolution to the Cyprus question then let's support efforts for a democratic Turkey.

[Bananiot]

Active verbs are used when setting out objectives Magnus.

[Bananiot]

The Archbishop jumped on the bandwagon today with a scathing attack on the government which is trying to "de hellenise our education system". Copperline, nationalist Greek Cypriots are not interested in a democratic Turkey and therefore they little care about the fate of Cyprus.

[Nikephoros]

Cultural anthropologists always say that a given society can only think in its own terms and concepts and transpose these concepts to other societies(when analyzing them). So Greeks cannot understand truly how sinister modern Turkey and modern Turkish society is, because the average Greek does not know the ethos of the Turkish state and the concepts of Turkish/Islamic society. Instead Greek society is super-leftist so Greeks can only think of Turkish society in terms of leftist stereotypes of how Turks should or do act.

For a real picture let us look at Turkish education system and TRNC education system:

...

"In 1937, Hasan-Ali Yücel, a parliamentarian and educator who later served as the Minister of Education for eight years (1938-1946) collected some of his writings in a volume where he recited the following story: When a general of the Turkish Army told him, partly joking, that he would not let anyone who is not a soldier kiss his hand. Yücel felt offended: "Is there a Turk who is not a soldier? I am a soldier, too, my dear Pasha." (Yücel 1998, 39)

"As the utterances of Turkey's legendary leader, most famous historian, and the most celebrated (and remembered) Minister of Education make clear, the idea that the Turkish nation is a military-nation (ordu-millett or asker-ulus)1 is one of the foundational myths of Turkish nationalism. The popular saying. "Her Türk asker doğar" (every Turk is born a soldier) is repeated in daily conversations, school textbooks, the speeches of public officials and intellectuals, and is used as a drill slogan during military service. Its legitimacy goes without saying. ...""

Altinay, Ayse Gul. Myth Of The Military Nation. (Palgrave, 2004; 1st Edition) p. 13.

The ancient Turks were, according to Gokalp, distinguished by a multitude of excellent qualities: open-handed hospitatily, modesty, faithfulness, courage, uprightness and so forth. Especially praiseworthy was their attitude to the peoples subdued by them. Strong as their love was for their own people, remarks Gokalp with astonishing naivete, they did not oppress other nations. Their God was a god, of peace and the whole object of their rulers was to establish a regime of peace. Devoid of all imperalistic ambitions, the great Turkish conquerors in ancient times only sought to unite other Turkish tribes only.

Heyd, Uriel. Foundations of Turkish Nationalism: The Life andTeachings of Ziya Gökalp. (Luzac & Company Ltd., 1950) pp. 113.

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/11 ... ation.html
"Hukmetme istegi aslinda bir ic-gududur. Her insanda suur-alti bir kuvvet olarak yasar. Bu ic-gudu ayni zamanda baskalarini somurmek icin bir vasitadir. Bazi milletlerin bu yolla istsmarciliga yonelmesi Turklerde mevcut olan "bey gururun"nun onlarda eksik olmasindandir. Beylik gururu, sadece ogunme vesilesi olan basit bir psikoloji degildir. Asli ozelligi, karsilik beklemeden koruyucu olmasidir. Bunun temeli de, hukum altina alinmis insanlari sevmektir." [2]

...in translation:

"The want to dominate is an instinct. It exists in a human as an unconscious force. This instinct at the same time is a means to exploit. The inclination of some nations to exploit in this manner is because they lack "pride of prince (bey)" that exists among the Turks. The "pride of prince" is not only a simple psychological state for an opportunity to brag. Its main characteristic is protecting (those under one's domination) without expecting anything in return. The foundation of this is loving the people under one's domination."

[2] _Tarih Lise I, Ibrahim Kafesoglu, Altan Deliorman, 1977 Ikinci Basilis,
Milli Egitim Bakanligi, page 238

Bilban.org
...
“Primary school is a national education institution. Our children are part of our national identity, and regardless of their future professions, it is necessary to bring them up as Turkish citizens who will achieve national duties.”

After this explanation, teachers are informed about what methods and procedures should be used. Based on this, each class should be viewed as “a way to reach national goals”. This is explained as follows:

b- “Every class in the school should be viewed as a tool to reach national goals. The point that the teachers should be careful about is to emphasize the information about the Turkish nation, Turkish land and national issues, to help students reach this information, kindle their interest to expand their knowledge and thus impose love, attachment and service for the nation and land to students, when teaching Social Sciences, Turkish, Science, Art-Handicraft, Physical Education, Music and Natural Sciences classes. They should also raise students’ interest and sensitivity for national matters.

... Thus, being a Turk and having a strong national identity are issues imposed on Turkish Cypriot children, who have a duty to spread the Turkish mentality. [Nikephoros: By Turkish mentality they mean repressive mentality.]

“Turkish classes should serve the purpose of leading the students to think about nationalistic topics, get excited about nationalism and expand their views, perceptions and feelings by making them read materials about important people, historic figures and various aspects of the national life.

Hadjigeorgiou[leftist sh1thead AKEL cadre and answered: “Our intention is to present history as it took place, and not avoid issues we have steered clear from until now.”

History as it took place is that there is a "Turkish mentality" that TRNC education tries to spread. With the requisite historic knowledge you can know that mentality is for Turks to live as hakim(dominant) over other nations, which includes obviously Greek Cypriots or even leftist losers who consider themselves "Cypriot Cypriots".

DIKO deputy Athina Kyriakidou said supporting the initiative of Greek and Turkish Cypriot unity in schools was constructive, but could not become a reality with the presence of the Turkish regime.

Obviously these people in DIKO have alot better understanding of the issues, unlike AKEL who are basing their worldview on leftist theories of how Turkish Cypriots act instead of how they really act on the ground. Recently on this forum in another thread we learned that 1,000 Turkish Cypriots used a border crossing which the ROC had open and the TRNC side did not reciporcate to celebrate the napalming of Greek Cypriots. Obviously the Turkish Cypriot community has alot worse intentions than self proclaimed leftist do-gooders and "progressives" allow themselves to recognize.

For reference Turkkan is a Turkish Cypriot(formerly living in the TRNC) who went to the ROC for a EU passport and now lives in the UK studying to be a doctor. Yet all he does is dump on the ROC, Greek Cypriots and Greeks in general. So what is the utility of being kind to these Turkish Cypriot lizards like him and allowing them out of the lizard cage?

[Piratis]

Copperline, I do not think they understood your "active verbs" thing. Piratis, in what way did the intercommunal strife started in 1958? Can you enlighten us oir is this also some part of our history that needs to be re written?

Bananiot, I posted the British made video many times, but you keep ignoring what it doesn't suit you. It is a fact that the inter-communal conflict started in 1958 with the TC attacks against Greek Cypriots:



Are you going to erase that part of history Bananiot? Are you going to erase the fact that British and Turks collaborated in order to oppress the revolution of the Cypriot people and then imposed on us by blackmail and force the 1960 constidution?

[zan]

Copperline, I do not think they understood your "active verbs" thing. Piratis, in what way did the intercommunal strife started in 1958? Can you enlighten us oir is this also some part of our history that needs to be re written?

Bananiot, I posted the British made video many times, but you keep ignoring what it doesn't suit you. It is a fact that the inter-communal conflict started in 1958 with the TC attacks against Greek Cypriots:



Are you going to erase that part of history Bananiot? Are you going to erase the fact that British and Turks collaborated in order to oppress the revolution of the Cypriot people and then imposed on us by blackmail and force the 1960 constidution?

This shows nothing but your propagandist ideas Piratis because you have not explained what happened before this time. I will give you a clue......ENOSIS!!!!! |Now see if you can be truthful for once in your life!!!

[Piratis]

There is nothing to hide about our desire for freedom. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. The ones who should be ashamed is you, who butchered Cypriots by the 100s and 1000s simply because we, like the rest of Greeks, wanted to be free from your oppressive rule and create a free state.

During the Greek War of Independence in 1821, the Ottoman authorities feared that Greek Cypriots would rebel again. Archbishop Kyprianos, a powerful leader who worked to improve the education of Greek Cypriot children, was accused of plotting against the government. Kyprianos, his bishops, and hundreds of priests and important laymen were arrested and summarily hanged or decapitated on July 9, 1821.

We had every right to revolt and seek our freedom from foreign empires, either you were the rulers or the British.
In the 1950s we revolted against the British, we didn't touch you. And yet, thinking that you are still our masters who can impose your rule over us, as if we were still your slaves, you attacked us again in 1958 with the aim to help the British to oppress our revolution and keep Cyprus enslaved.

And then in the conflicts that followed your attack of 1958, where you killed 100s of innocent GC people, you come here to pretend to be the innocent victim because you had losses as well, forgetting that it is you in fact who started the conflict.

I again repeat that I recognize your losses in that conflict. It is time you recognize our losses during that time as well and the fact that you started the conflict in 1958, and stop pretending to be the innocent victim that needed to be saved by a turkish invasion that killed 1000s of people (many times more than any side lost in the inter-communal conflict) and ethnically cleanse 100s of thousands.

[Bananiot]

Piratis, I am well aware of the events of 1958 but we should tell both sides of the story. No doubt the Turkish nationalists managed to gather strength by utilising the fear factor of enosis and they did commit acts of barbarism such as the bomb that was set up in Nicosia in the Turkish quarters in June (I think) 1958 in order to blame the Greeks and thus create an atmosphere of animosity and mistrust. In retaliation we tried to attack Turkish Cypriot villages but were stopped by the Brits and things got really nasty when 8 villagers from Kondemenos were murdered outside Guyneli by Turkish Cypriots. The murdered people were arrested by the Brits because, with many others, were preparing an attack on Turkish villages. During this period, a busload of Turkish Cypriot workers from Sinta village was sprayed with bullets by EOKA people resulting in a number of deaths. It is also true that EOKA murdered a number of Turkish Cypriot policemen who were seen as collaborating with the Brits. Also, EOKA murdered a large number of Greek Cypriots who were accused of not being sympathetic to enosis.

Despite the upheaval 0f 1958 we did manage to avoid the worst and in 1959 we got an independent country with a constitution which even Papadopoulos said (with hindsight) that it was a blessing in disguise.

We however, never gave up on our enosis dream and this aspiration was to haunt us until 1967 when Makarios said that he would go for the feasible and not the desirable. We never gave the young nation of Cyprus a chance. We did not even grant the Turkish Cypriots their full rights as outlined by the Constitution. We tried to change the Constitution and did not hear the warnings of wise people that were telling us that we were playing with fire. It is a lie to say that we simply proposed some changes which the Turkish Cypriots could take or leave. We set up paramilitary organisations in order to make sure that the changes were implemented at any cost. We ask the main protagonists to comment on the changes proposed but when the Turkish Ambassador came to the Presidential Palace to deliver the answer of Ankara, the occupant would not answer the door.

Our biggest and criminal (I would add) mistake was to play the game of the Turkish nationalists and add fuel to the friction between the two communities. I suppose this was a necessary ingredient in the effort to bring about enosis. Had we denounced enosis and offered generous support to the Turkish Cypriots we could have priced them away from the grip of Turkish nationalism. Not only we failed to do so but we treated them as second and third class citizen and boasted on top that they were not worth building roads to connect Turkish Cypriot villages.

The question is, will Greek Cypriot children ever be told the real history of Cyprus and most important will they be allowed to develop into free thinking individuals who will not be lead astray by the sirens of nationalism and chauvinism? The Education Minister is giving us hope and the more the Archbishop barks the more the hope.