John Pilger on Obama in Turkey
Pilger on Turkey
By John Pilger on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 - 114 words.
What Obama Said:
“I am honored to pay tribute to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a man whose vision, tenacity and courage put the Republic of Turkey on the path of democracy and whose legacy continues to inspire generations around the world.”
Barack Obama’s inscription in the visitor’s notebook in Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum
What He Meant:
“I am honoured to pay tribute to Turkey’s national hero as part of a campaign by all US administrations to force the European Union to accept Turkey as a full member, regardless of its appalling human rights record, especially against the Kurds, so that US and NATO bases in Turkey can play a more aggressive role in the Middle East and Central Asia.”
John Pilger
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Pilger,
Is there a country in europe that does not have an atrocious human rights record of there own in any of the last wars or struggles they've been involved in. Coming from the center of the colonialist empire i would give other countries the opportunity to improve themselves, which Turkey with the EU and the US might be able to do.
In your argument, are you saying that if Turkey is not allowed into the EU their human rights records will improve?
I agree with John Forthright about the track record of other countries. At the time of Ataturk, between the First and Second World Wars, Europe had Mussolini, Stalin and Hitler, and all those who supported them. And it was France and Britain who helped Ataturk rob the Kurds of a homeland.
"In your argument, are you saying that if Turkey is not allowed into the EU their human rights records will improve? "
In YOUR argument are you suggesting that if they ARE allowed into the EU there human rights record WILL improve? Britain itself has admitted that its colonialist activities have devasted certain countries in the past. The USA, whos blatantly financialy involved in all of this has a hideous WORLDWIDE human rights record. How is it going to benifit Turkey (or anyone) if they sign up to "The New World Order" as they put it.
I wasn't making an argument i was pointing out that his argument was fallacious. It is not Turkey's human rights records that should dictate whether or not it joins the EU. I say this because many of the EU's participating nations do not themselves have a human rights record much better than that of Turkey's.
It's not enough to 'just admit' that your country has devastated others, all at the same time benefiting off of the "blatantly financially involved" USA. Britain is knee deep with the US on all of its endeavors and mishaps in the middle east whether you care to admit or not.
And yes, if turkey is allowed into the EU i would imagine there would be more dialogue on the subject of the kurds and an improvement in Turkey's human rights. Not that this should be the sole reason to let Turkey join the Union.
John, you old cynic…
Probably should of kept to taking pictures instead of making comments
Ataturk was always seen as a no-fundamentalist. Turks appreciate him in a less grade as they despise him, by their Western values & ideas. According to the North America's logic of modernism -to live in a plurality- Turkey inclusion into the European Community would succeed. When by the contrary is no more than a vile lie from the hypocritical budget of internationalism.
Always will be an antagonistic culture criteria on both sides.
It is totally unfair and dishonest to treat Atatürk in this manner. Atatürk was a superb statesman and an excellent military and political leader. If Turkey today is so distinct from all other Muslim nations is simply because of Atatürk’s deep reforms that changed Turkey for ever. Turkey today – despite her so many problems – is the most democratic and the most advanced country in the entire Muslim World. Why is this so? It is all because of Atatürk! The previous military interventions were triggered by the civil unrests that were followed as the result of the failure of former selfish politicians who would put power politics before the people and the country. There were also foreign elements and their respective governments who would do everything in order to ensure a chaotic Turkey. In fact, such foreign elements are still largely at work today.
Recall that what you see today as Turkey is all that is left from a great empire which was shattered and divided by the Western powers. And many Muslims and non-Muslims within the empire were deceived by the foreign powers. The imperialist powers at the time were decided to destroy and divide Ottoman Empire. And they succeeded! As the result, there are so many backward and undemocratic Muslim states that cannot even tolerate each other. Unfortunately, the enemies of Turkey are unhappy to see that people of Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, their great leader and the founder of the Republic, succeeded to defeat all invading forces and secure the territories of present Turkey.
Now, the historic significance of the nation states is rapidly approaching to an end. Therefore, instead of exhibiting old hatred and animosities, and trying to split the existing nations we should try to unite our region and the entire planet. The planet needs a secular-democratic federation that can protect all the citizens of our world. This is the only solution to save the people and the planet Earth. Foremost we should save humanity and planet Earth. Recall that humanity cannot survive without the planet.
I agree completely with Dr Kazem Zarrabi. Ataturk was a great man, and a superb statesman, whose legacy is still all pervasive in contemporary Turkey.
Turkey's human rights record has long been problematic, but cultural freedoms for Kurds are being expanded as we speak, with television stations and educational opportunities in Kurdish being mulled actively by the current Turkish government. By contrast, much of Europe is going in the opposite direction, with the nebulous threat of Muslim terrorism being abused as a scapegoat for the wholesale vilification of minorities and immigrants, including in those countries where the threat of terrorism is nowhere as severe as Turkey.