ADVICE FOR MR. EURLINGS
by Recep Guvelioglu

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 25 2006

Opinions

The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, Camiel Eurlings, said
that "Turkey must reconcile with its history and have good relations
with its neighbors." It is a nice remark. Personally I agree with him.

Digging up the ashes of history will not do any good for the future. We
should forget the atrocities of the Bulgarians in the 19th century
Balkan Wars, we should wipe out our memories about what the Arabs
did to the Ottomans with British gold during World War I. We should
bury the inhumane atrocities committed by Arabs in Damascus and other
parts of the Islamic holy land in 1916-17.

We shouldn’t even take events of the past into account when dealing
with them in 2006. Let bygones be bygones. However, I think that this
advice should also be given to our neighbors.

Let me remind you of some events to clarify what I’m trying to
say. Saudi Arabian authorities decided to demolish a Turkish castle
in Mecca called Ecyad which was built by the Ottomans to defend the
holy Kaaba. And they did it.

Can anyone explain to me the reason for dismantling that historical
castle other than the greed for money?

Turkish words praising the holy prophet and Islam carved in the
columns of the Holy Prophet’s tomb in Medina were covered over in
cement by the same Arabs. Only one was left uncovered and readable:
"Visitors greet and pray your pure existence with thousands of
salutes"(Bin salat ile selam eyler zuvvar pakine).

Is there anything in these words that offends Arabs?

The covered words were also carved over with almost the same words,
only in Arabic. Again, what was wrong with them other than the fact
that they were in Turkish?

These few examples basically show the Arab view of Turks.

Now let me give you another example.

According to the news, a poll was recently conducted in Armenia
about the people’s opinion of other countries. According the poll,
79.6 percent of Armenians have a positive opinion of Russia and 49
percent of the United States. But they consider Turkey (80.1 percent),
Azerbaijan (86.5 percent) and Georgia (54.7 percent) as their "enemy
countries." A total of 57.7 percent of respondents advocated the
opening of Armenia-Turkish borders, and one in three Armenians is
against this.

I have nothing to add to that.

Let’s say that same type of poll was conducted in Greece; the result,
I am sure, would be close to the Armenians’. They might not say
"enemy," but will never say friend.

But believe me, I understand Arabs, Armenians and Greeks.

What if we did the same thing in Turkey?

The result would be nearly the same.

That reminds me of a story told by Zulfu Livaneli. He was giving a
concert with a Greek singer in a town on Crete. In the audience was a
heavily built old man wearing traditional Cretan clothes. The German
TV station covering the concert did an interview with him. He said
that he came to the concert to watch "the Turco."

When they asked his opinion of Turks, he said, "They are our
enemies." Then the reporter asked why he came to watch Livaneli. "Are
you a German?" the old man asked. The reporter said he was. Then the
old man concluded, "You can’t understand."

Now, Mr. Eurlings. This is the Middle East. "You can’t understand."