AIN’T MISBEHAVING
Fehmi Koru
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 15 2007
I don’t think the decision-makers in the high echelons of American
politics know what they are doing. They seem to feel that Turkey
cannot sacrifice bilateral relations with the most powerful country on
earth, the US, for a blemish as unimportant as accepting Armenians’
claims of "genocide" conducted so long ago by an empire that no
longer exists. The US Congress is ready to pass a resolution on the
Armenian genocide issue that will infuriate the Turks, and the US
administration seems to think that this would have little impact on
bilateral relations, and even if it did, that it could not go beyond
a reasonable level of response.
I beg to remind US politicians that they are on the verge of making
a grave mistake.
Cultural differences between people have been a known fact since
anthropology as a science came into being. Different people react
differently to developments affecting humans. Some cultures put
individual values in a special place, and actions jeopardizing those
values are penalized harshly. Some have the highest regard for national
honor and cannot endure it being put at risk.
All Turks, regardless of family history or educational background,
receive the same type of a values training during school, and the
writer who affects our national psyche the most is Omer Seyfettin
(1884-1920), a run-of-the mill storyteller who tells mainly historical
anecdotes to which no other writer has given any importance, and he
tells them very effectively.
I especially remember two of his most telling stories very vividly.
The first is the story of "the caftan with pink pearls." Muhsin Celebi
was an honorable gentleman who had little regard for bureaucratic
chores and stayed clear of government duties all his life. When he
was summoned by the grand vizier to carry a letter from the sultan
to Shah Ismail of Persia, who was known to be rude and bad-mouthed
towards emissaries coming from Istanbul, Muhsin Celebi did not want
to accept the mission, giving the excuse of his reluctance to assume
state duties. The grand vizier was insistent, and Muhsin Celebi had
to accept what he was asked to deliver.
He put all his estates as collateral to purchase the most precious
caftan, an overcoat, completely embroidered with precious pink
pearls. When he entered Shah Ismail’s palace, his outfit attracted
the attention of the courtiers as well as the shah himself. When Shah
Ismail, on his throne, did not show Muhsin Celebi a place to sit during
the audience, the sultan’s emissary laid down his caftan on the floor
and sat on it. After a short discussion with the shah and delivering
the sultan’s letter, Muhsin Celebi exited the court leaving his caftan
with precious pink pearls behind, and when he was reminded to get it,
he said a Turk could not put on his caftan after having sat on it.
Omer Seyfettin, at the end of his narrative, stresses the point that
Muhsin Celebi on his return to Istanbul gave his report to the grand
vizier and had to endure a miserable life afterwards as a grocery
seller in the bazaar since he could not get his possessions back
-possessions mortgaged to buy a caftan with pink pearls.
The story of the caftan with pink pearls is embedded in the minds of
all Turks, regardless of social strata.
There is another story by Omer Seyfettin which is more effective than
the first one in the Turkish psyche.
It is the story of Huge Ali, who was a first-rate blacksmith in a small
town. A very proud man this Huge Ali was. He was wrongly accused of
theft and was sentenced unjustly to lose his right arm.
Those who loved him asked the town’s richest man to pay Huge Ali’s
blood money in return for his total allegiance as a servant. The rich
man succumbed but made Huge Ali’s life miserable afterwards. He always
reminded Ali that if he had not been around to pay his blood money,
Ali would have been with only one arm. One day, when the rich man was
doing the same round of reminding Huge Ali what he had done for him by
paying his blood money, Ali could not take this any longer and cut his
right arm from its armpit using a sharp knife with the announcement:
"Now you have my arm, and I demand to have my dignity back."
I know for most Americans those are stories which have no relevance
whatsoever to today’s events. Pride equals pickiness, and that equals
nothing. Members of Congress can pass a resolution without thinking
what kind of a reaction their action will get from the Turks. Those
who have some consideration for the reaction from Turkey can expect
very little based on the premise that what they do is only a small
gesture to the Armenians who suffered in history and that the Turks
of today could not get offended. If they do, the Turks would never
dare to challenge what the US represents in the world today.
If they really think along these lines, the American politicians are
making a grave mistake.
I don’t know what kind of a response the Turkish government has in
store, but I am sure of one thing: the Turkish public will never accept
small measures as a reaction to the Congress’ decision. They will take
it as a blow to their dignity and an affront they will never forget.
Omer Seyfettin has stories to prove this, too.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
