Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 26 2007
Strength in diversity
Nicole Pope
The solidarity and unity displayed during Hrant Dink’s funeral
inspired some hope that his senseless murder would mark a turning
point and be the forerunner of change in Turkey.
Abdullah Gül’s acknowledgement that Article 301 needs to be amended
was welcome, as was the overture made by the Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Arman Kirakosyan, who offered an unconditional resumption of
diplomatic contacts.
There are of course just as many reasons to keep a tight rein on our
expectations. Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral, but
neither the president nor the prime minister was among the
participants, although Recep Tayyip Erdogan did pay a private visit
to Dink’s family later. Wednesday also marked the anniversary of
journalist Uğur Mumcu’s murder, which had led to similar display
of popular support 14 years ago but still remains to be fully
explained.
Turkish society is criss-crossed by numerous fault lines —
Kurd-Turk, Alevi-Sunni, secular-religious, Christian-Muslim — that
must be bridged to prevent the kind of polarization that killed Hrant
Dink and others before him. The hard-hitting and soul-searching
editorials published in the Turkish press in the past few days are
undoubtedly contributing to a more open debate. Airing ideas in the
public arena prevents radical views from festering and developing
like mushrooms in the darkness of Internet chat rooms, where
radicalism finds an easy platform.
But the official reflex is still to keep the lid shut on these
differences. This lack of flexibility has always led the Turkish
state to have an uneasy relationship with intellectuals and writers
who have promoted a diversity of opinions.
I remember attending a prize-giving ceremony for Yasar Kemal at the
Frankfurt book fair 10 years ago. Feted by the international literary
world, Yasar Kemal had been dragged through the courts in Turkey for
one of his articles on the Kurdish issue, yet the Turkish culture
minister was giving a reception in his honor at the fair. It seemed
bizarre that Turkey could at the same time proudly celebrate the
success of one of its citizens and charge him for his views. Orhan
Pamuk’s Nobel prize last year was greeted with a similar ambivalence
in official circles.
Only a few days ago, the rector of Istanbul University declared in an
interview published in Sabah newspaper that he would not invite Orhan
Pamuk or Yasar Kemal to teach at his university because of their
opinions. Such a narrow-minded approach to learning deprives students
of a chance to be exposed to a variety of opinions, which are
necessary for them to develop critical thinking and to gain an
understanding of the world beyond the borders of the country.
Critical thought is one of the building blocks of a democratic
society, but the notion that criticism can be constructive and useful
is still not well understood by the Turkish authorities. Deviating
from the received opinion is too often perceived as an insult or a
form of betrayal, largely because diversity — of views, of ethnic
roots, of religions — is still seen as the country’s Achille’s heel.
In fact, diversity is one of Turkey’s best assets. Together with
growing openness to the world, individualism and creativity, it is
among the elements fuelling Turkey’s rapid social and economic
transformation, but its value has yet to be recognized by Turkish
officialdom.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
