DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY: A FARCE WITH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES
Edmond Y. Azadian
AZG Armenian Daily
April 21 2009
Armenia
Turkey is in the spotlight of the world, especially with the US
president’s dramatic visit to Ankara. No one can debate the strategic
significance of that country for the West and for the Middle East. The
Turkish leaders are the first ones to recognize and exploit that
significance, to continue the oppression of minorities in that country,
while the West opts for political expediency over democratic values,
which on the other hand tries to impose on to the rest of the world.
Continuing his predecessor’s policy, President Obama reiterated US
support for Turkey’s admission into the European Union. The response
was swift and categorical from the European allies, who are better
positioned to evaluate Turkey’s readiness for membership. President
Sarkozy was blunt in his opposition to Mr. Obama’s plea, while
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel was more polite in expressing the
same message.
Simply, it is not possible to wish away cruel realities in the Turkish
society to which its government is beholden.
Thus, while broadcasting to the world that Turkish-Armenian relations
are at the verge of a breakthrough, the Turkish government spends
millions of dollars, to prepare a propaganda movie named "Sari Gelin"
to incite hatred among Turkish schoolchildren against Armenians. When
protests and lawsuits are lodged against the Ministry of Education,
official announcements are issued by the same ministry that the
order to show the documentary has been rescinded, while continuing
to harass school administrators — including the Armenian schools —
to execute the previous order.
Europeans — and especially Americans — will be hard-pressed to
penetrate the Turkish mind and evaluate the duplicity and connivance
behind each and every move of Turkish politics. That is why we are
continuously being treated to the "niceties" of Turkish democracy,
which we fail to swallow.
Another travesty is the Turkish education system. When it comes to
responsibilities, all Armenians are Turkish citizens; when it comes
to rights, they are pariahs under racist laws. Thus, although Armenian
schools are considered Turkish schools for minorities, unlike foreign
schools, but they are treated like foreigners. Each and every Armenian
school has to employ an ethnic Turkish assistant principle, who in
practice serves as the government’s spy. The Armenian principal has
no power whatsoever over the faculty, which is under the jurisdiction
of an ethnic Turk.
This anomaly, which was detected by the European Union observers, has
been met with protests from the minorities. The government has taken
the official position that it is committed to making changes. However,
there are still spies in Armenian schools who are continuing their
brainwashing task with the children.
Europe is guided by certain civilized values and policies, which it
tries to implement in Turkey in the hopes of ushering it, someday,
into the European Union, while Turkey is guided by the values and
rules of an Oriental bazaar — the two will never mesh, no matter
how much the Western media applauds Turkey as the only Muslim country
ruled by democratic principles.
Yet another outrageous issue is the continuation of the confiscation
of community assets, contrary to the new laws promulgated by the
government and contrary to the government assurances to the European
agencies that confiscated minority assets are being returned to their
rightful owners.
In the middle of March, a report was issued by the TASEV — the
economic and social charities agency of Turkey — regarding the
status of community assets confiscated over the years. The report
was signed by two lawyers, Kesban Hatemi and Deelek Kourban. It is
about the status of minority community assets since the Ottoman era
as currently evaluated in the light of the laws adopted to satisfy
European Union recommendations.
Previously, a law was passed to regulate community assets, but it was
vetoed by former President Ahmed Sezer, who argued that returning
the assets to their lawful owners would give too much power to
minorities, which may eventually contribute to the break up of the
Turkish state. The same law was adopted by the Turkish parliament on
February 20, 2008 and was signed by President Abdullah Gul. But the
minorities have yet to see their grievances addressed, because Turkey
may adopt laws, make statements to please and appease the Europeans,
but there is a long way between adopting and implementing those lawas.
But what actually is happening is that the Turkish state not only
is not processing the release of those assets, as it reports to the
EU representatives, but, on the contrary, it continues confiscating
more assets, declaring those assets as "no value for charity or
commercial purposes." They have confiscated recently 24 pieces of
real estate belonging to Greek and Jewish communities. The Armenian
community did not fare any better since it has lost 30 pieces of real
estate. There is a total of 1,000 pieces of real estate confiscated
from the Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks.
Therefore, the laws adopted about the community rights have only
served to cover up the inexorable pace of continued usurpations by
the Turkish government — this is how the Turkish leaders thumb their
nose to the Europeans, who are already predisposed to accept Turkish
assurances at face value.
The co-author of the report states that those continued confiscations
are in flagrant violation of human rights principles and they are
being carried out in broad daylight, at the same time assuring the
European Union agencies that there is full compliance with their
recommendations.
It looks like the more Europe and the US court Turkey as a reliable
ally and a bastion of democracy in the Muslim world, the more
minorities will suffer, while their rights are overlooked in the
process.
Duplicity, hypocrisy and double standards are part and parcel of the
Turkish state policy, under any color or shape. Condoning such behavior
by the West is a sad commentary on the general state of politics today.
The Armenians are at the receiving end of this ugly state of affairs,
which is being staged in "democratic" Turkey.
This is indeed a true farce, which would have been too laughable,
if the results were not so tragic.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
