Brussels Journal, Belgium
Oct 27 2007
Brussels Is to Learn the Power of the Turks
>From the desk of Elaib Harvey on Fri, 2007-10-26 21:56
Can I suggest that you do not go to the Brussels neighbourhoods of St
Joost or Schaarbeek tomorrow? This is for the simple reason that,
from information I have received from local shopkeepers and cafe
owners there is a major demonstration planned for the morning. Not
only is the Turkish community planning to put upwards of 10,000
people on the streets, but so is the local Kurdish community. Both of
these planned demonstrations have been banned by the police, but in
the light of the rioting here over the last week, I wouldn’t put much
confidence in the manifestation not going ahead.
This picture should give you an idea of how the area is getting
pretty tense. The flags are not for fun, and the streets are oddly
quiet.
What is not completely apparent is that many of the Turkish flags
being flown (this photograph was taken this morning at the end of my
street) have the head of Kemal Attaturk superimposed upon the
crescent and star.
In this quarter one often sees Turkish flags flying, particularly
when Galatasaray or Besitkas are playing but these are new. I have
never seen these flags before, they are all the same and brand new.
They of course show show support for the Kemalist constitution and
are nationalist rather than Islamist.
There are strong suggestions that the Turkish community are in part
being directed by the Turkish authorities, who are displaying a show
of force at the heart of the EU. They are not happy about the way in
which the EU has been stringing them along over accession, they are
not happy about suggestions that the EU might recognise the Armenian
massacres as a genocide and they are not happy about the response of
the EU to the PKK incursions into Turkish territory in the last
weeks.
Brussels, the rumours are saying, is to learn about the power and
discipline of the Turkish people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
