WHY DEFENSE INDUSTRY FAIRS ARE NOT KID-FRIENDLY
By Lale Sariibrahimoglu

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 29 2007

As far as I know international defense industry fairs are not generally
open to the public. It is simply because the nature of the organization
— the exhibition of all sorts of arms — does not need people who
are not involved in the arms business to tour the defense fairs simply
to pick up brochures or gifts that do not serve their purpose.

Defense fairs are held to bring together buyers (the military and
the other security organizations), arms manufacturers and defense
industrialists to establish business contacts and to see the newest
models developed by companies.

Whether we like it or not this is the purpose of defense fairs. But
in Turkey we do not see any such restriction on these fairs; they are
not closed to the public. Indeed one may even see 4 or 8-year-olds or
other unrelated people wandering around the stands with no knowledge
about the equipment being displayed there.

Though perhaps not the kids, the public was again present at the 8th
International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF’07) organized May 22-25
in Ankara by the Foundation to Strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces
(TSKGV) in cooperation with TUYAP fair organizers under the sponsorship
of the Defense Ministry.

During the previous defense fair, held in 2005 in Ankara, I noticed
teenagers testing guns and rifles at one of the stands with an
enthusiasm and joy that horrified me. This prompted me to ask TUYAP
why the public at large and young men or women were allowed to enter
the fair. The man I asked that question answered, "As of this year
[2005] we decided not to allow the public into defense industry
fairs. But at the last minute the Defense Ministry allowed the fair
to be opened to the public."

You see common sense finally prevails, but at the last minute this
wise approach is broken again by the sponsors; i.e., the Defense
Ministry itself.

In addition during this latest fair, as I was waiting for my taxi to
come and pick me up just outside the entrance, I first noticed from a
distance a young officer holding one of the hands of his young son (he
looked to be about 4 years old), trying to enter the fair grounds. Soon
afterwards I saw a young civilian man accompanied by his son, asking
the officials at the security checkpoint whether they enter.

A female security official told this guy that those under 16 were
not allowed to enter the fair grounds. Then the boy suddenly said,
"But I am 8 years old."

There was really nothing funny about this conversation, though the
boy’s father timidly, but with a smiling face, tried his best to
enter into the fair ground with his son.

Of course he couldn’t get in, but that incident made me think again
about the sadness and the seriousness of the situation in my country
where young men carrying guns could kill with no hesitation either
Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, or Father Andrea Santoro,
a priest in the Black Sea town of Trabzon.

If you remember, the teenager who shot and killed the priest was only
16 years old. And the age limit for entry into the defense fair in
Turkey is set at 16!

While the public does not have access to defense fairs in Western
countries, in Turkey access is only limited to those under the age
of 16.

What does this situation tell us? Is it a deliberate attempt by the
state itself to encourage young men, in particular, and the unrelated
public, in general, to arm itself?

In fact the state’s duty is to take any measure necessary to prevent
people from getting involved in crime. While this has been the case,
a defense fair organized by a state institution has been leaving
the impression that the state itself is encouraging young men, in
particular, to enjoy pistols, rifles, missiles or combat aircraft.

This is not the way we can stop increased acts of street crime in
Turkey. Turkey’s people need to be taught democracy and the rule of
law. Let the arms makers, the military and the other related security
organizations get together at fairs, but not ordinary people, and in
particular not young men, please.

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