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BİA (Istanbul) - The 7th article of the Flag
Law reads "(...) the flag cannot be torn, burnt,
thrown on the ground (...) those acting against this
law and statute will be prevented and investigated
by the authorities ..."
According to the 8th article, those who are found
guilty at the end of the investigation "will be
sentenced according to the article 526 of the
Turkish Criminal Law unless their crime warrants a
heavier sentence." According to that article: "(...)
unless the action results in another crime, the
sentence will be 3 to 6 months imprisonment in a
minimum-security prison and a light fine"
This is the argument the "law of the state" would
use to frame the "flag tearing three kids" incident
on March 20th Newroz celebrations in Mersin.
Looking at the news media there is nothing to
suggest a disfunction in the process of the
investigation. As the demonstration was ending an
armed police officer took the flag being torn from
the grips of the kids, the kids ran away but "14
year old V.S. and 12 year old C.S. were identified
from video footage" and were detained last week.
Why is a “crime” committed by children and which has
a legal consequence of "minimum-security
imprisonment and a light fine" attracting such a
barrage of reaction leaving one speechless,
exaggerated favors; 2 years worth bonus pay to the
police officer who took the flag from the children,
audacious remarks, media driven condemnation
campaigns and fascist demonstrations of nationalism.
Ultimately, at the “scene of the crime” the flag was
prevented from being ripped: there isn't a
"negligence of duty", the "suspects", kids, even if
we assume that they are "criminals", have been
detained and finally arrested: there isn't a
"security" issue. Those who organized the rally say
"that is our flag also, we wont let it be torn":
there is no provocation or open defiance.
So what is the big deal? Why is an issue that
legally and by mere common sense should be the
responsibility of the "juvenile court", being blown
out of proportion? Why are those who should be
responsible for warning people who usher civil
turmoil and make sure that all is turned back to
normal, exploiting this to create a climate of
nationalist Armageddon? Why are countless state
institutions who are "claiming responsibility",
specifically the army, the president, the
parliament, the government, the political parties
acting so immaturely?
If not grave, very serious...
In a society divided by deep inequalities,
wrongfulness and injustices; shouldn't those rulers
take a sigh of relief when 3 day long demonstrations
accross the country attended by over one million
people asserting their identity and culture aren't
marred by any significant violence and the only
thing that passes for an "incident" is a "light
crime" committed by children,
Don't those who rule Turkey know that since 1999, if
not before, the leaders of the hundreds of thousands
who attend the Newroz demonstrations shape their
politics and actions to conform with Turkey's
"indivisible land integrity", that this was accepted
not because of a "particular choice" but out of "
strategical necessity"? Aren't all of these
political decisions observed during "weekly
meetings" of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan with
his lawyers and monitored in the field by the
security forces.?
Then, in contrast to the arguments of those, who are
fanning the fire albeit knowing all these facts, the
real danger is not separation of the country, not
secession of the Kurds from Turkey.
The real "big danger" is the disconnection of those
who rule the Republic of Turkey, its military force,
its social-political and economic control mechanisms
from reality and objectiveness. The real "big
danger" is their lack of political determinedness
and insight to champion policies based on reality
and objectiveness vis-à-vis their ultra-nationalist,
fascist adversaries and subordinates.
If this wasn't the case would the Military Chief of
Staff , who directs an armed force of approximately
1 million and who holds Abdullah Ocalan prisoner,
who "reports" the most insignificant intelligence,
who are at the head of the most sophisticated state
force in Turkey, sink to the level of children and
pledge to "protect the country and it's flag to
fight even for the price of the very last drop of
their blood."
If that wasn't the case would the Military Chief of
Staff issue a statement pointing to one sixth of the
population by labelling them as "so-called
citizens."?
Doesn't this expression strongly imply that their
rights as such, their right to free expression and
legal equality are also "so-called" rights for the
"so-called citizens"?
Doesn't this statement issued by the Military Chief
of Staff encourage those who have been hesitant
towards trampling the rights of equal citizens that
from now on that they have the "army behind them"?
The only reason why there haven’t been serious
strife among the peoples of diverse ethnic origins
is the common sense of citizens. But nobody can
guarantee that the same situation will persist if
this campaign would continue in similar intensity on
all fronts for another year...
The relationship amongst citizens hasn't reached a
level of serious tension yet, but it certainly is
grave between leaders and society. Ultimately the
end result of labelling part of the citizenry as
"so-called citizens" and a media sanctioned
advertising of this to society with or without
"foreseeing " the consequences leads to the same
outcome: The state is as such feeds a serious
confrontation among the public.
The most important issue today is that those with
social and political responsibilities understand the
gravity of the situation and act accordingly. Yet
for the past three days everyone who holds political
powers, from the president to extra-parliamentary
opposition groups, have behaved overtly fragile and
inept with an almost reflexive reaction to one-up
those to the right of them. Consequently “fascism”
sets the standard for the actions and comprehension
of our leaders.
The media, whose public duty is to check, criticize
and warn those in power "fans the fire" and leads to
increased public fermentation instead of airing
programs to address the seriousness of the situation
and help enlighten people.
Those who can't bully the US, bully the Kurds
Let's face up to reality, anyone who is encouraging
hatred, enimity, hostility and resentment against
the Kurds of Turkey is indeed trying to transfer the
price of their incompetence in the international
arena on to the shoulders of a "domestic enemy".
*Was the failure of the ridiculous
supra-governmental foreign policy strategy of
becoming a "regional power" regardless of the
economic and cultural poverty due to the Kurds or
because of those who foolishly thought they could
challenge US interests with military power provided
by the US?
*Who is responsible for Turkey being cornered in
Cyprus after 30 years. The champions of false
assumptions that international law could be
disregarded and ambitions of gaining territorial
influence outside of the “Anatolian peninsula" who
claim ownership of the whole island od the Kurds?
*Who is hurting national pride? The Kurds or a
European Union candidate Turkey who has accepted to
conform itself with EU standards and agreements yet
cannot move a finger unless clubbed by Brussels.
*Who is responsible for the ineffectiveness of
“regional power” claims despite 300 billion dollars
in internal and external debt? Th Kurds or those who
have been drawing "red lines" within the territories
of other countries?
The rulers of Turkey are paying their inability to
replace the cold war status-quo after the fall of
the United Soviet Republic of Russia (USSR) with
anything but fluff by watching the direct US
takeover of the region. The old days of cross-border
assertions and practices of regional domination with
the direct or indirect approval of Washington are
over now.
The rulers of Turkey are paying the price of not
implementing a democratic process that respects the
multicultural nature of the society and instead
subscribing to the "authoritarian democracy" notion
what had been approved during the existence of the
USSR.
Attacking the Kurds, the poor and the women every
time when Ankara’s rulers come to loggerheads with
crucial allies, international powers and
institutions, Washington and Brussels, in the game
of global power will never give back the regional
influence lost by the rulers of Turkey for their
lack of correct policies and foresight.
But it will "legitimize" the revanchism of those who
are enraged of the slight tipping of the political
balance in the last decade in favor of the poor,
oppressed, neglected and excluded, under
ultra-nationalism.
Those who feel themselves responsible of the good of
Turkey need to see the prevention of such prospects
as their number one priority, that is, if they wish
not to remain mute before the readers of "Mein Kampf",
whose numbers are reported to increase recently. (EK/AT/EK/YE)
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