Comments on: One dent at a time, Turkey’s nation-state edifice erodes

By: kira

kira — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:52:56 +0000

Given the separation that exists in ethnic identity, the effectiveness of these initiatives should be considered. Turkey spends millions of dollars every year to lobby in the US against the idea of the Armenian genocide, it is a crime to insult Turkishness-which limits freedom of speech. Are these initiatives really going to get at the root at the ethnic tensions that exist in Turkey?

By: Christina

Christina — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:44:58 +0000

The Turks, by trying to denounce the Kurds, are hoping to hold onto their own self-identity. Therefore, they are trying in every way not to deal with the issue. Turkey spends money every year in an attempt to prove that the Armenian Genocide did not occur. So, not much hope can be put upon the initiatives of the Kurdish, Alevi, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox. It seems like Turkey will not attempt to do much to have the Kurds accepted in their state, and if it is impossible to get the Kurds accepted, not much else can be done for the Alevi’s, Armenian’s or Greek Orthodox’s.

By: Hovsep

Hovsep — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:17:43 +0000

While the taboos of discussing “the Kurdish issue” and “the Armenian issue” have been lifted in the last few years, Turkey is hardly ready to deal with them with openness and honesty. Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code makes it a crime to insult Turkey and its institutions. This makes free debate all but impossible. Until, freedom of speech and human rights become fundamental rights in Turkey, the country will be unable to deal with the Armenian Genocide and the Kurdish issue.

By: Azad

Azad — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:36:51 +0000

Kurdish language and heritage should be respected and given its proper place. A small nation like Belgium, Swiss and a large one like India honor multiple languages as their recognized national languages. Turkey, Iraq, Iran and others must make kurdish as their recognized national languages without any delay.

By: mok10501

mok10501 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:52:58 +0000

This is preposterous; ” One dent at a time, Turkey’s nation-state Edifice Erodes”. What have you been smoking fellow? You must be employing only Armenian or Greek editors… Wake up Europe “Turks are coming, again!..”

By: Nikkei 225

Nikkei 225 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:51:48 +0000

Soran is right, the Kurds I’ve met speak of themselves as Kurdish and not Turkish, they are proud of their culture and there’s nothing wrong about that. Mutual respect is the magic word!

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:20:19 +0000

My mum’s side is Kurdish and they are from Elazig. They also consider themselves Turks as per the explanation of the first poster. Clowns like Soran, are bitter wannabe heros from the mess that is Iraq. He should go and preach Iraqi politics and history, not Turkey’s!

By: soran

soran — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:58:11 +0000

Kurds never call themselves Turks. Ataturk used to deny existence of Kurdish nation and used to call Kurds “Mountain turks” which is why Ataturk has never been popular among Kurds. The fact that you see these writing more in Kurdish areas and seen less often in the Turkish cities, is because Turkish state tried to forcefully implement Ataturk legacy of assimilation of Kurds.
But after 90 years, Kurdish people in North Kurdistan remained proud of their Kurdishness and rejected assimilation; now Turks understand that they can never ever force Kurds to become Turks and to be part of globalised world they have to change accept pluralism.

By: Bogus Article

Bogus Article — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:41:30 +0000

I agree with the other comment. It is OK for an American to be proud to be an American yet be just immigrated to the US 20 years ago. So, It is OK for one to be “Happy is he who calls himself a Turk.”

Turks are Kurds, Circissians, Laz, Georgians and all the others who make up the country within its borders in last 1000 years.

Turkey bashing must end !

By: Ergun Kirlikovali

Ergun Kirlikovali — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:44:41 +0000

This is a cliché often used by the Western media unfamiliar with the history and culture of Turkey. “Happy is he who calls himself a Turk.” is not a blood-relation-based saying, as often portrayed or misinterpreted, but a state of mind that denotes citizenship. You can trace family tree to a Turk, a Kurd, an Arab, a Laz, and/or one from hundreds of other ethnic groups; as long as “you called yourself a Turk, you are a Turk.” (Just like you can be an Italian, a Latino, an Asian, or belong to one of hundreds of ethnic backgrounds; at the end of the day, you are an American. Is America a nation state? Loaded words like “nation state”, “edifice” “eroded”, therefore, can only help misrepresent a phase in Turkish politics