July 13th- Anders

I have much to write about turkey, croatia has been more of an experience and relaxation than a story to write about. I have reflections and philosophy to write and am writing but that is for later, for this space is to give our experiences to you, not so much my thoughts (but some thoughts will be given).


Something about Turkey:


A Reflection


From speaking to Turkish people some history about its formation and government was made known to me. To begin, in Turkey free speech does not exist.

Ataturk was a general of the first world war that "brought independence" to Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923. Upon creating Turkey Ataturk had a new language formed out of english, french and arabic; prior to this new language the people of this geographic region mainly spoke arabic, and kurdish. With this new language, that no commoner spoke, Ataturk drafted legislation and created the law of the Turkish land. I do not know when, but at some point a law was created that made it a serious crime to saying anything negative about Ataturk (trying to hide something are we Ataturk?).

The Kurdish people's land is divided between Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria and their people are spread even further. Under the order of Ataturk an entire kurdish town was exterminated; every mother, uncle, niece, infant and elder- many Kurds have never forgotten this, especially because it is recent history of the last two generations. There is a video on you tube (i do not know how it is found) of young women kurdish fighters battling in Eastern Turkey in this modern time, i was told they only live for an average of 3 years but they fight knowing they are giving their lives for the freedoms of another. A person raised with the pacifist domestic politics of the USA would think that violence is not the answer for domestic issues (and i would agree), but i was told that it is because of these Kurdish soldiers that it is no longer a criminal offense to speak Kurdish in Turkey, as it was only 10 years ago.

In Turkey breaking the law to "feed your family" is acceptable and an often used excuse to break the law or do something immoral to another, especially tourists. A turkish man we met said that this is mostly B.S., it is an agreed upon concept to hide behind. Almost all societies have these excuses i have come to know- in the US we call it "business" and as john steinbeck said in Grapes of Wrath 'business is the new word for lying, cheating and stealing' (an approximate quote).

(the percentages used here are approximations) 90% of Turkish citizens are officially muslim, about 20% of these are not actually muslim but claim to be so for the reason of drifting through society with more ease, of the remaining about 70% of the population few are fully practicing muslims (as is made clear by the few people that are moved by the call to worship made by the mosques five times a day). Turkey is a secular state and rightfully so as few turks are serious about their religion, and fewer still want Sharia Law.

Women's rights exist in Turkey, but according to a women's rights group, they are not enforced. It is only more recently that Turks are being given rights and freedoms. I read in a turkish newspaper that in the past if a citizen offense has anything to do with the military then a military prosecution will occur, giving no rights to the citizen and all the power to the prosecution; they are working, now, on laws that give citizens rights to a fair trial even if the offense involves the military.

There is no ethnic Turk; they are a hodge podge of everything around, and in the NE of Turkey there is even a form of Turk that is white and almost looks Russian (we met one such couple and their skin pigmentation was confusing).

Turkish people as a modern society have never built, discovered, or advanced anything i was told by one Turk- they ride off of the history of their land (this land is partly where agricultural societies began, the Romans and Greeks ruled here, the Christians ruled here, the Muslims and Ottomans ruled here) and their nation and people would go unnoticed if it was not for their location and ownership of Istanbul (once Constantinople) and the Bosforus (the Bosforus is under a treaty that allows all nation's ships to pass through it for free, there are always many dozens of very large ships sitting in the water in Istanbul waiting for their turn to pass through the Bosforus). I was told that since the Turks did not fight for their freedom they do not value it as they should- the same can be said of many Americans today, especially the rich ones (i myself struggle to comprehend and appreciate the freedoms that i have).

None of these claims are my own, if they are disproved it will cause me no pain. These are the words i heard and these are the words i write, every nation has its secrets and dark pasts, the USA (my own country) has a darker past than Turkey and i am willing to talk about that too, but here it is time to talk of Turkey's. The past is no pretty thing, to pretend that it is full of niceties is to do ourselves and others injustice.

It was lovely, amazing, scary, relaxing, beautiful, wonderous, nerve-racking, angering, elating, jaw-dropping, exciting and most of all awe-inspiring to visit Turkey. I am grateful for their reception of us and the opportunity to go.