Trauma... by by Yusuf KANLI

[Sahak]

Definitely, there is a trauma… What is that trauma? Who suffered what trauma? How intense was it? These and such questions may find different answers depending on whom they are addressed to.

 

Including this writer, many people believe that Turkey has been traumatized over the past two decades because of the separatist Kurdish terrorism, which could not have continued for so long if this menace had not been sheltered, tolerated, and directly and indirectly supported by some of our neighbors and so-called allies. Leaving this trauma behind, of course, requires intense efforts and a sincere drive toward national reconciliation, which has to include some bitter pills such as amnesty, recognition of wider rights for our ethnic Kurdish population and some other serious reforms, without sacrificing the national and territorial integrity of the country. This will be a painful process that we simply cannot avoid undertaking.

 

It is a fact that this nation has been traumatized by the hypocritical attitude of the European Union toward Turkey. The vast majority of our people no longer believe that, even if one day this country fulfills all the requirements of accession, achieves incredible strides in completing the demanded massive transformation, compromises on many key national issues from Cyprus to northern Iraq and even with regard to the Armenian allegations of genocide, the EU door will be closed.

 

This immense trauma the Turkish nation was subjected to is indeed contradictory with the strategic interests of the EU as well, but some European nations were so traumatized by the EU's expansion as well as the progress of monetary union and the spread of Euro that they have elected some shallow showpeople as leaders. Sooner or later, of course, realism will prevail and the European nations will wake up to their strategic interests. Let's hope that when that date comes it won't be too late and there are some Turks still supportive of this country's EU accession.

 

Turkey was traumatized as well by the 1999 killer Marmara quake and the subsequent 2001-2002 financial, economic and political crisis. Turkey is traumatized by the ascent to power of political Islam and its power-obsessed attitudes that polarized the nation in an unprecedented manner. Indeed, the electoral success of political Islam in the country in 2002 was just a by-product of the gross disillusionment and disgruntling of our people with the entire political establishment and subsequently of a national search for “change.”

 

And, of course there are people in this society who have been traumatized seeing the bitter reality that, irrespective of the percentage of votes they might receive in elections, irrespective of how strong a backing they receive from across the Atlantic as well as from their allies in Europe against a dignified, secular and modern Turkish Republic becoming a dignified, prosperous and peaceful regional power and a member of the EU on the basis of “equal partners.”

 

Closure phobia leads to mental fatigue

 

The remarks of Dengir Mir Mehmet Fırat to the New York Times indeed reflect the mental fatigue that the post-July 22 developments of the electoral victory created in the top cadres of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP. Was not Fırat aware that with his “Turkish society has been traumatized… Overnight they were told to change their dress, their language. Their religious ways were dismantled… Societies without that trauma could not care less how people dress” statements he would land himself and the AKP in even more serious problems? Did he not think for one second that perhaps the prosecutor would use those three sentences as additional evidence in the AKP closure case?

 

Indeed, Fırat's words testify to why the AKP is facing a closure case.

 

Fırat, the prime minister and other senior figures of the ruling party are all suffering from a serious “closure phobia” and a resulting trauma since the high court annulled the constitutional amendments the ruling party had legislated in hopes of legitimizing the turban at universities.

 

A product of “closure phobia," the remarks of Fırat have helped all of us to remember once again not only the immense trauma the republican reforms produced on the people who had opposed creation of the Republic, who revolted to carve out an Islamist-Kurdish state and eventually faced a bitter punishment, but the trauma that the mental descendants of those rebels are still suffering from, result of the reforms and the political heritage of Atatürk: Secular, democratic, modern Turkey.

[Sahak]

So the butchers of Armenians now are "traumatized" by the Kurds Fking scums!

[Yervant1]

So the butchers of Armenians now are "traumatized" by the Kurds Fking scums!

Mr. Kanli (Bloody in furkish) is traumatized because he couldn't get his hands bloody and kill the remaining Kurds and thus solve the Kurdish problem.

Pathatic elementary reasoning and excuses.