| Name |
Views and Comments | Date |
| MSMegaommatis |
No, for Basks to want to shape an independent Bask Republic, Euskadi, is a fully legitimate target. |
8/22/2007 |
| Miguel Bengoche |
Please define the word "terrorist". I am Basque - does that mean that I am a terrorist? |
1/14/2007 |
| Medeniyet |
To end my series of comment, I would like to quote a paragraph from Orhan Pamuk's 'My Father's Suitcase', in which Orhan expresses very well in his own word, some of the problems in Turkey, which I believe, is the consequences of pointing to the West, without going further, without making children understand that looking westward is to not take the bad examples of the East, it's not the ideal situation, it expresses that we have a problem! Eventually the gravity of knowledge, artistic, cultural, intellectual and scientific life should shift to the East, like it used to be, and perhaps the West one day, it will be told, to look to the East, these things can vary, but are not infinite universal realities, eventhough the colonization was meant to 'freeze' the current situation.
'As for my place in the world – in life, as in literature, my basic feeling was that I was ‘not in the centre’. In the centre of the world, there was a life richer and more exciting than our own, and with all of Istanbul, all of Turkey, I was outside it. Today I think that I share this feeling with most people in the world. In the same way, there was a world literature, and its centre, too, was very far away from me. Actually what I had in mind was Western, not world literature, and we Turks were outside it. My father’s library was evidence of this. At one end, there were Istanbul’s books – our literature, our local world, in all its beloved detail – and at the other end were the books from this other, Western, world, to which our own bore no resemblance, to which our lack of resemblance gave us both pain and hope. To write, to read, was like leaving one world to find consolation in the other world’s otherness, the strange and the wondrous. I felt that my father had read novels to escape his life and flee to the West – just as I would do later. Or it seemed to me that books in those days were things we picked up to escape our own culture, which we found so lacking. It wasn’t just by reading that we left our Istanbul lives to travel West – it was by writing, too. To fill those notebooks of his, my father had gone to Paris, shut himself up in his room, and then brought his writings back to Turkey. As I gazed at my father’s suitcase, it seemed to me that this was what was causing me disquiet. After working in a room for 25 years to survive as a writer in
Turkey, it galled me to see my father hide his deep thoughts inside this suitcase, to act as if writing was work that had to be done in secret, far from the eyes of society, the state, the people. Perhaps this was the main reason why I felt angry at my father for not taking literature as seriously as I did.'
- Orhan Pamuk, fragment taken from,'My Fathers' Suitcase' |
12/10/2006 |
| Medeniyet |
I realize also I should have reread my previous comment before posting as there're some words missing, things I wanted to add and delete!
Therefore I will clarify the earlier 2 points:
1. Reaching highest civilization is not in economical terms only, and should comprise emancipation at all levels of society.
It’s a complex process that may not be accomplished with small ministers seeking short term and statistical benefits! I subscribe to the point of view of overthrowing Erdoğan!
2. Turkish state shouldn't make the mistake of putting too much emphasis on the 'cult aspect’ and more on the philosophy, of the why’s and how’s of Atatürk’s ideas, principles and goals, for Modern Turkey. To understand the Turkish, German and French literature and poetry that also inspired Atatürk’s philosophy. The difference between the Turkish Society and the colonized nations should be made crystal clear. To reach this ‘relaxed’ atmosphere around Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk’s principles shouldn’t be reduced to an ‘easy target’ because it is universal. Its universality should be emphasized.
I think it’s not enough to forming children into proud, westward looking people.
Not only setting a direction, the dream, but also the accomplished vision for the country should already made clear trough education, by means of immersion in all the facets of the cultural heritage (e.g. the list of my previous comment) and what it takes to reach Civilization. So when they won’t be prone to reducing ideologies in later life, like Political Islamism and political pseudo-intellectualism.
Every political party should strive to this accomplishment of Turkey following Atatürk’s principles because it is to the benefit of every citizen.
Reductionist approach is not an option.
In West Europe, the political parties all follow the same broader path and don’t try to return to pre-Renaissance period or Ancient Regime.
In Turkey, governments shouldn’t be able to go as far as to limit artistic, cultural and intellectual expression and emancipation.
We should not only look westward, but ultimately be at least equal to the West. Therefore we must go further in our journey. I think it's not good for Turkey if young Turkish people would think,' Ancient Romans are not my culture so it’s not important for me’
So Interest must be awaken for cultural heritage of the land and nation and not only for economic wealth, if intellectual and cultural gravity is to shift back to the East, because this is the way to ultimate independence, not only attaining some economical level. We must be prepared for the Rise!
I hope I have made some sense! Probably not as much as I would like, but it’s a very difficult topic.
I would like to say that my comment should of course not be interpreted as aimed to be some statement by me, these of course only ideas. All open to revision and correction.
|
12/9/2006 |
| Medeniyet |
I would like to add 2 things:
1. The aim of this journey shouldn’t be economical I hope, I see it as the Turkish Society attaining the highest level of civilization founded on the country’s historical heritage and identity, which comprises, among others I may surely have ignored or forgotten,
- Turkish spirituality and oral traditions and philosophies (e.g. Yunus Emre, Mevlana, Ottoman and İslamic mythologie and poetry);
- Ottoman classical/Turkish traditional and folkloric music;
- Pre-İslamic Anatolian Civilizations;
- The Eastern (If we consider ) cultural heritage that culminated into the apparition of the İslamic Religion. (e.g. Aramaen culture);
- The origins of science and philosophy in the Ancient World (e.g. Egypt, Mesopotamia, Assyria and later Hellenes);
- The centers of Philosophy and Science in the İslamic World. (e.g. Baghdad)
- The entirety of Turkic heritage and with their history and culture be it İmperial or traditional/folkloric, including Mongols and Native Americans.
- Ottoman (monumental architecture and bridges by Mimar Sinan and Ottoman houses and villas) and earlier Turkish imperial (e.g. Seljuk), and folkloric traditional (the beautiful Yurts).
In this frame, young Turkish architects living in a ‘accomplished Turkey’ may want to rebuild the shameful İstanbul’s Haydar Paşa Anadolu train station in a truly personal style that reflects Turkey’s rich Cultural Heritage, instead of the cold 19th or early 20th century German architecture with the neo-antique elements.
- European cultural heritage, (French Ancient Regime for the architecture and the French Revolution for the Republican Philosophy, .German, English and French literature, Western Classical music and arts, which is a tradition in Turkey since the Western orientation of the Ottoman Sultans, and especially since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, including opera, ballet and theater.
- Introduction of Kurdish and Aramaen as official languages (as you suggested and to which I subscribe)
- Occidentalism disciplines should be introduced in the East.
2. Education should be especially emphasized if this difficult journey is to accumulate into an ultimate emancipation of the Turkish people and spirit.
To retain stability it is of utmost importance the journey is to be seen its large angle instead of a reductionism approach, which would be to only eye economical emancipation while retaining the internal crisis caused by colonial fabrications and French Orientalism. This is what I think would happen if Turkey trying to join EU now by making colonial concessions. No, Turkish Society should affirm itself culturally and intellectually and join EU only this way, if it is to join.
While Turkey might be lonely in this journey, it will ultimately have universal importance in its ultimate example for the cultural and intellectual emancipation of the third world and the Eastern nations in general, and the end of İslamic Terrorism. |
12/9/2006 |
| Medeniyet |
Tayyip is indeed an amazing leader, but to the path of 'normalizing' Turkey into the French colonial vision of the East! There's no merit in selling your country to cover the current account deficit, meaninglessly smiling to the US president while regarding colonial irrelevant governments and imperialist tyrants as equals in the face of the oppressed people and Turkey's anti-colonial ideals.
Instead believing in civilization for his country, which is Turkey's true aim, to be a truly non-colonial model for the third world and an equal to any other developed country, Tayyip looses the nation's precious time at this critical time, by pushing his own agenda which is tossing aside an 80-year tradition for an experiment in political Islam.
I'm longing to the days when the prime ministry will be a voice for those who are devoting their life to accomplish Atatürk’s dream trough their cultural and intellectual emancipation, against the will of the evil of this world, the jealous French and their clique of colonized bogus-İslamic dictatorships.
I wish Turkey would continue its anti-colonial journey and ultimately inspire the third world into cultural and intellectual emancipation and help the oppressed and tyrannized people of the East refind their dignity and responsibility. EU accession may be an aim for Turkey, but it shouldn’t be seen as the destination, as a ‘Deus Ex Machina’s that solves our entire (universal) problem, as our (and consequently of all nations’) true emancipation ultimately requires a colonial defeat. |
12/9/2006 |
| Megalommatis |
Thank you, my friend. that is true; Turkey has great perspectives far beyond the, supposedly secret, miserable plans of Erdogan and his company. This must be the real concern of the average citizens of Turkey, who are more European and more secular, more progressive and more humanist, than many other peoples in EU.
Modern Turkey is Europe and Asia, relates to Islam and the Ancient Oriental civilizations, illuminates the Classical Heritage and the Eastern Christianity, offers some of the top examples of diachronic tolerance, and highlights signbificant Jewish connections, all within a single country. This explains quite well the anti-Turkish French jealousy.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis |
5/18/2006 |
| UFUK BARAN |
T IS SUCH A WELL EXPRESSED AND VISIONED ARTICLE BRINGING A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF TODAYS EVENTS IN TURKEY CONSIDERING THE ACTS AND AGENDA OF ERDOGAN
WE TURKS HAVE A LOT OF PATIENCE BUT IN SOME ASPECTS TOO MUCH PATIENCE IS NOT A VIRTUE. ERDOGAN AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE THEIR IDEAS SURFACED SO MANY TIMES AND THEIR INCAPACITY SO OBVIOUS THAT THIS PATIENCE DOES NOT BENEFIT US TURKS AND OUR TRUE FRIENDS. US ADMINISTRATION HAS LEARNED THE HARD WAY WHAT KIND OF PERSONS THEY ENCOUNTERED AFTER ALL THE SUPPORT FOR THESE SOFT ISLAMISTS . ANALYSING ERDOGAN'S TRUE OPINION ABOUT DEMOCRACY, ATATURKS IDEOLOGY IT IS VERY CLEAR TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT ERDOGAN'S SCALE. WE AS FOLLOWERS OF ATATURK NEVER MIXES OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEVES WITH THE WORLD REALITIES AND JUST BELEIVING DOES NOT MEAN NOT THINKING AND LEARNING. I CONGURULATE FOR YOUR CLEAR STATEMENT OF OPINIONS AND BEING AS A TRUE FRIEND TO TURKISH PEOPLE |
5/17/2006 |
| Tracee |
Tayyip is an amazing leader!!!!!! He is decreasing negitative tension between turkey and europe, trying to better Turkey's economy, supporting the United States, and helping the E.U. make peace in Cyprus!!!
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5/4/2006 |
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