Anatolian Storms

WITH HENNA IN THEIR PALMS

2008-02-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

Traditionally we use henna in three events: put henna on a lamb meaning to sacrifice to God, put henna on the bride before marriage to bring prosperity and acknowledge the sacrifice of the family, and put henna on the son being sent to the military to represent the sacrifice for the motherland. They are sent to their units with ceremonies, drums and pipes, folk dances and songs, and national marches. In a way, all of these show the inner acceptance of the possibility they may not come back alive.

Kurdistan Observer writes;

"Kurdish Freedom Fighters say Have Bodies of 15 of 22 Turkish Troops

“ZAKHU, Southern Kurdistan, - Kurdish PKK guerrillas said on Saturday they had recovered the bodies of 15 of the 22 Turkish soldiers they say they have killed in clashes since Turkey launched an offensive against them. The guerrillas had also begun planning reprisal attacks on Turkish soil, a spokesman for the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said.

"There are 22 Turkish soldiers that have been killed and our soldiers have the bodies of 15," Ahmed Danees, head of foreign relations for the PKK, told Reuters by telephone, adding they would soon release the names of those killed."

Turkish media writes;

"Families mourn as bodies of soldiers flown home..

"The devastated families of soldiers martyred on the first day of a ground offensive into northern Iraq against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) yesterday waited for their fallen sons to be brought home. Five soldiers lost their lives during the operation, the biggest land incursion into Iraq to hit PKK targets in a decade, the military announced on Friday night. “Twenty-four terrorists were killed and many others were wounded. It is estimated that at least 20 more terrorists were rendered ineffective by artillery and helicopter gunships,” the military said.....
"The parents and brothers of Sgt. Yasin Keyvanoğlu were hospitalized in the central Anatolian city of Çorum after they received news the young man was among the five soldiers killed in Iraq. “He never planned to marry. For him, serving the homeland came above all else,” said father Seyfi Keyvanoğlu of his son, who had spent the past eight years in the army.

"In the central Anatolian city of Konya, father Abdullah Kemer recounted his last phone conversation with his son, Sgt. Selam Kemer, on Feb. 19. “He did not tell us anything about the operation. He only said he would send his latest photos. We got them two days ago,” said the mourning father. “I’m proud of my son. He was martyred for the fatherland.” Sgt. Kemer had been with the army for nearly five years."

Whatever the PKK ethnic nationalists say, it is not possible for Turkish Army to hide the number of causalties from Turkish public (they reached 15). Ethnic nationalism is "ethnic nationalism", whether it is for Turkish or Kurdish it’s danger don’t differ. And, ask yourself, what kind of a freedom fighter can carry the bodies of the 19-20 years old soldiers they murdered with them. Though we wrote yesterday; they are "All our sons, Not numbers", seems like terror can't see those lifes behind numbers...

Regardless of their religion or ethnicity all male Turkish citizens have to serve in the military for a certain period. Not only the culture but also the Turkish constitution defines "fallen soldiers" / "martyrs" with high regard. According to law a "martyr" is one "who dies under direct fire or is wounded and dies because of these wounds during war. Or the one who is behind the front but dies because of enemy fire, or is wounded and dies during treatment. Who dies immediately or is wounded and dies because of the wound during National Security duty, fighting against terror or anarchy, protecting the borders, etc..."

As may be seen, "defending the nation / country" is essential. The religion and beliefs of these soldiers may have great importance in their determination and heroism individually, but what they go to die for is "motherland." Martyrdom is highly regarded not only for our own people, but for all regardless of their nation or religion. A good example of this cultural acceptance is the martyrdom monuments for many nations built in the Gallipoli area (more than 30 cemeteries and memorials).

The day before, a new age group sent with ceremonies to their term of military service. Not only the young men but families were so strong too. Some TV channals tried to talk with mothers, fathers who came to farewell their sons. There was no single teardrop but reflection of honor, how proud they feel sending their sons to defend the country, although their hearts were burning with the fire of the possibility of loosing them.

One day the door may knock by three officers (one psychologist) to give the news of their son's matryrdom, his coffin may came covered with Turkish flag. Or there might be no knocking doors but their sons may declared lost, it may not be possible even reach to bodies or wait coffins.

Can there be greater pain? It is not easy to answer. But there is something greater than that pain; "acceptance" and "determination". If they can stand that pain, it is that acceptance and determination from the begining what helps the consolation.

Turkiye is not aiming to invade anyone's land. Turkiye only wants to stop the terrorism. Citizens of this country is fed up with terrorism. Every logical one should be aware of Kurdish problem and know it’s solution can’t find with armed conflicts. Terrorists announce with their own words how / what they plan in main cities, target civilians (dozens, may be hundreds but mainly in numbers again). Whatever the foreign media delivers PKK don’t and can't represents all Kurds.

We lived the Diyarbakır bombing which burned our youngsters’ only 2 months ego. We are living under threats of suicide or various kinds of bombings. When we wake up, we can not be sure what the day may bring, if all the family members may turn home alive.

So, what if they have bodies of soldiers, our sons they murdered? So, what if there are more bodies of terrorists (who are also our sons) which army didn't find and announced yet? What if we will loose more? We already know, aware and accepted to loose much more sons and daughters, to welcome much more coffins.

War is the plague imperialism feed from. Who knows how many international groups’, corporations’ benefits, plans lies behind the news we are reading about the wars which takes our children’s lives… We already lost tens of thousands, generations; can we save at least next generations…

If there is a price to pay; we already paid more than enough and ready to pay much more. If only we can manage not to play on the tunes of imperialism any more... If only some can cease from counting our sons and daughters only as numbers any more...

For us? They have never been numbers. They are the lads we sent with henna in their palms and their names carved in our hearts...

Don't your hearts ache for every life lost in wars, who ever they are; civilians or your soldiers or terrorists...

GROUND OPERATION; ALL OUR BOYS, NOT NUMBERS...

2008-02-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

Latest news reports "Zap" base (Cemto hill and valley where kidnapped Turkish soldiers kept)of terrorists is destroyed and now the target is Kandil. Many soldiers from different units/ areas applied as volunteers to participate the operation at the front and their petitions sent to headquarters. Dozens civilians also apply to Military recruiting offices to volunteer taken under obligation and sent to northern Iraq. Police in cities are in alarm for possible suicide bomb attacks. There are some other reports about the chaos in PKK, between the leading group. There had been some members surrendered to officials in various paleces around the country.

There are two interesting points to pay attention in international news; Operation begin only few days after Bush wanted more involvement of Turkish Forces in Afghanistan and Putin announced they can use force in Kosovo only half an hour fallowing Turkiye announced the Ground Operation "Sun" (name of the daughter of a late martyr).

Ofcourse the greatest opportunism came from our own President; he signed the law on headcarf ban in universities as soon as the operation begin. Could there be a better time to prevent protests?...

Here are some news from Turkish media in English;

(HURRIYET)HIGHLIGHTS - Turkey launches ground operation vs PKK in Northern Iraq

The ground operation started after Turkish warplanes and artillery bombed suspected PKK targets on Thursday, the military said on its Web site. The operation is expected to last 15 days, CNN Turk reported, citing security sources.

-- TV channels and news agencies reported 10,000 troops were taking part in the cross-border offensive and the Turkish troops entered 10 km inside the Iraqi border. But CNN Turk reported 3,000 troops from special forces take part in the operation, citing security sources. Reports say the operation focused on the Hakurk region of northern Iraq.

-- Turkish General Staff said 24 terrorists were killed and several others were wounded in clashes between terrorists and Turkish security teams on Friday. General Staff said in a statement it is estimated that at least 20 moreterrorists were rendered ineffective by artillery and helicopter gunships. Five Turkish soldiers died in clashes, it stated.

The statement said a group of terrorists escaped to the southern part in the clash. The operation merely targeted terrorist organization, it reiterated. "Cross-border operation that was launched by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) against terrorist organization PKK in the north of Iraq as of 7 p.m. on February 21st, 2008 continues as it was planned," the statement said. Hideouts of terrorists were shelled by artillery and armed helicopters, it added

-- Iraq and the coalition forces based in the country said couple of hundred Turkish troops are taking part in the operation. Turkey's military has only sent several hundred troops into a remote part of northern Iraq to hunt PKK, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters on Friday. Only a "few hundred" Turkish soldiers are taking part in an operation against PKK in northern Iraq, a senior military officer with coalition forces based in Baghdad said.

-- However, Turkish General Staff denied on Friday some new reports about the objective and the scope of the ground operation launched into north of Iraq against terrorist organization as well as the number of troops took part in the operation.

General Staff said in its website that several media organs aired news and archives footage that contradicted with the scope, objective and nature of the operation, including the number of troops, and that comments were made regarding these footage. It said they gave wrong messages to Turkish people and the international community, adding that they have the risk in some cases to lead to unnecessary tensions and expectations. It stated that information --except for given by the General Staff-- should not be given credit. General Staff also noted that terrorist organization released statements full of propaganda under cover of news agency, underlining that these statements should be disregarded.

-- Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said this operation started a new phase in the efforts to isolate PKK. Erdogan repeated that the operation's sole target is PKK. "Iraqi people are not our targets" he said. Erdogan said on Friday he had spoken by telephone on Thursday night with U.S. President George W. Bush about Turkish troops' land offensive into northern Iraq.

-- Oil prices headed back towards record highs Friday with New York crude nearing 99 dollars as the market reacted to Turkeys move into northern Iraq amid persistent concerns about supply, traders said.

-- The Turkish General Staff released the photos of the operation on its official website. The photos can be viewed here. (The site is in Turkish)

Commanders in Ankara on alarm for the past 48 hours

by Metehan Demir

The historical land operation being carried out by Turkish Armed Forces into Northern Iraq is occuring with great secrecy and professional, sources said.

ANKARA - In order to ensure the success of the newly started operation, the last two days have seen a very silent and deep set of preparations.

Sources also told hurriyet.com.tr that all units in connection with the Turkish military's General Staff have been put on alarm, and that all related personnel work vacations have been cancelled for the time being.

COMMANDERS STAYED IN

In Ankara, where the General Staff headquarters of the Turkish military is based, neither General Yasar Buyukanit nor second in command, General Ergin Saygun, nor other unit commanders, have gone home in the past two days due to planning for the operation now underway. Information sharing has been limited to the principle of a "need to know" basis from the General Staff headquarters.

The land operation is being guided and run by the main coordination General Staff War Operations Center. All developments in the land invasion are being tracked on an immediate basis through video images streaming in from satellites and airplanes in the region.

(NTVMNSBC) Turkish opposition leaders back military strike into Iraq

ANKARA - The leaders of Turkey’s two largest parliamentary opposition parties have backed the military operation launched by Turkish troops into northern Iraq targeting the terrorist group the PKK.

Deniz Baykal, the leader of the centre left Republican People’s Party (CHP), said Friday that the ground attack took the fight against the PKK to a new and important stage.

It was essential that Turkey carry through with the operation and eliminate the PKK and its bases in northern Iraq, Baykal said.

“We have to conclude this operation,” he said hours after the Turkish General Staff announced it had sent troops over the border into Iraq. “We should have the responsibility to conclude the issue in a very determined and clear way.”

Once the cross border operation was completed, every effort should be made to ensure the threat posed by the PKK was removed, he said.

Devlet Bahceli, the chairman of the far right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said that not only was the operation necessary but there was also the need to temporarily deploy Turkish troops inside Iraq to create a security zone in Iraq’s north.

“Although it is a belated move, this first ground operation under the rule of Justice and Development Party constitutes a very important step and it is deduced from recent statements on the issue that operation would be limited in duration and scope,” Bahceli said.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and cabinet spokesman Cemil Cecik said the Turkish army was conducting operations under severe winter conditions and was working to preserve the unity and security of the country.

“As we stated earlier, these operations target only the terrorist organization PKK and its hideouts,” he said. “We do not have any problems with civilian people living there. They are our sisters and brothers.”

(SABAH) DTP: "Return when mission is accomplished"

Erdoğan said: "we will not have a negative attitude towards Iraqi people. Turkish Armed Forces will return in a short time after reaching the target."

After Turkey's operation to Northern Iraq, the top level politicians of Turkey emphasized that the operation is against the PKK forces in the region and the local people will not be affected by the operation and added that Turkish and Kurdish people are brothers. The Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan stated that he informed the US president Bush about the land operation. Erdoğan said: "we will reach the targets in a short time and then will return immediately. The operation targets are terrorist camps. We do not have a negative attitude towards Iraqi people. I informed the US president Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. Gül spoke to Talabani."

"Stop the operation"

The only political party objecting to the land operation was DTP. Demirtaş said: "our attitude is clear, we are against operation. There are other solutions."

The only political party objecting to the land operation was DTP. Party group vice chairman Selahattin Demirtaş held a press conference and said: "our attitude is clear, we are against operation. There was a permanent solution to Kurdish issue which is dialogue." Demirtaş added: "The people attempted to show DTP as partisan of war. Turkey was dragged into a regional war; only political party objecting to this is DTP."

(Turkish Daily News)24 terrorists, 5 troops killed in clashes

ANKARA – Turkish Daily NewsThe military said at least 24 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists were killed in clashes in northern Iraq, in a statement posted to its website early Saturday. It also said five troops were killed.

It added that it believes around another 20 terrorists have been killed by artillery and helicopter fire, but said the exact toll would be determined once troops reach the targeted area.

"It has been understood from preliminary information that the terrorists have suffered heavy losses under long-range weapons fire and air strikes," it said, adding that many PKK members were also wounded in the continued fighting.

(ZAMAN) Gül invites Iraq’s Talabani to Turkey

President Abdullah Gül has extended a long-awaited invitation to his Iraqi counterpart, Jalal Talabani, to visit Turkey, the presidency announced yesterday.

A visit by Talabani, a Kurd, has long been an issue of controversy in Turkey. Former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer refused to invite him during his term in office and the military has said it would avoid talks with Iraqi Kurds, accusing them of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly said there had been talks with Talabani because he is the president of Iraq, but rejected dialogue at a senior level with Massoud Barzani, leader of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said there were still problems with Barzani since the Kurdish leader has so far not taken steps to win Turkey's trust in the fight against the PKK.

The invitation to Talabani came after the Turkish military launched a ground offensive into northern Iraq to hunt down PKK terrorists. The Presidency Press Office said Gül briefly spoke to Talabani on the phone on Thursday evening to inform the Iraqi leader about the land operation launched by the Turkish troops and to let him know that the National Security Council (MGK), which convened earlier on Thursday, had agreed to take steps to develop relations with Iraq in all areas. He also invited the Iraqi president to visit Turkey during the same conversation.

Talabani accepted Gül's invitation, an Iraqi news report said, but there was no immediate information on when the visit would take place. Talabani has said in the past that he was ready to visit Turkey as soon as he receives an invitation.

Gül's phone conversation with Talabani and the invitation appear to be aimed at containing possible damage in relations with Iraq due to the ground offensive. The MGK said in a statement after its regular meeting that cross-border operations into Iraq will continue as long they are deemed necessary, but emphasized that the top political and military officials attending the meeting also confirmed the importance Turkey attaches to Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity. The MGK said efforts to improve cooperation with Iraq in economic, commercial, cultural, military and energy fields were discussed.
Talks with Maliki

In addition to presidential talks, the prime ministers of Turkey and Iraq also spoke on the phone on Thursday evening, Turkish and Iraqi officials said.

Prime Minister Erdoğan said he informed his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki, about the land offensive in their telephone conversation on Thursday. In a statement, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Maliki told Erdoğan that Iraq considered the PKK a threat to their shared border but urged dialogue to promote security.

"Maliki asked Erdoğan to respect the sovereignty of Iraq's borders and the inviolability of its lands ... and stressed the importance of avoiding a military solution," Dabbagh said. "Maliki also said the Iraqi government supports the security and stability of Turkey and considers the PKK a terrorist organization that represents a threat to Turkey and the border areas between the two countries."

GROUND OPERATION?

2008-02-19T05:47:00.000-08:00

News Agencies break the below news a few minutes ago;

Turkey is considering a ground operation against PKK based in northern Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said a ground cross-border operation against the PKK is on the table, while the Iraqi Kurdish leader threatened Turkey on Tuesday, saying they will not "remain silent" against the operations.

"The option of a ground operation is on the table. The timing (of such an operation) and weather conditions are important," Babacan told reports on his way to Moscow, where he heads for an official visit, according to the CNN Turk.

Turkey has massed tens of thousands of troops along its mountainous frontier with Iraq. It has already carried out in recent months small-scale cross-border commando operations as well as aerial bombing raids PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.

Massoud Barzani, the leader of the regional Kurdish administration in the Northern Iraq, threatened Turkey on Tuesday, saying they will not remain “silent” to Turkish army’s air operations in the region.

"It is very unnecessary for us to ask the Iraqi government 'to do something against the Turkey’s attacks'... I am declaring that if Turkey's attacks on the Federal Kurdistan's soil continue, we will not remain silent", Barzani told the al Arabiya television.

Babacan urged Barzani to declare the PKK as a terrorist organization. "Barzani should declare the PKK as a terrorist organization. He should take concrete and assuring steps" he said."

Think if this is patriotism or idiocity for any sides...

Think which hands are pulling which ropes again...

Think what is going on around the world...

Think what is going on in the country...

Think what time it is...

Think...

WOMEN OF US; CRAZY AYSEL

2008-02-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Today, we lost our "CRAZY AYSEL".

She was one of our women, one of our extraordinary women...

Aysel Gürel was probably one of the most colorful characters we had. Turcologist, literature teacher, actress, lyricist and composer Aysel Gurel died at the age of 80 yesterday. Born at 1928, she graduted from Istanbul University, History of Arts.

She was known by her joyful, interesting, cheerful, and original and contrast personality. She was a woman who always reminded me the immortality.

She was the mother of Turkish actresses Mujde Ar and Mehtap Ar. According to her daughter she sent a message to Turkish women before her death; "I worked till the age of 79. I worked nonstop. This should be an example to Turkish women. They should not give up working."

She left us those beautiful songs as Firuze, Yanarım (Burning), Gençlik Başımda Duman (Youth is a cloud over my head), Yalnızca Sitem (Only Reproach), 1945, Ne Kavgam Bitti Ne Sevdam (Neither My Love, Nor My Fight Ended), Değer mi? (Woul It Worth), Sır (Mystery), Yolun Başı (Begining of the Road), Sarıl Bana (Hold Me), Zor Kadın (Difficult Woman), Aşk (Love), Vur Yüreğim (Beat My Heart), Zorba Aşk (Despotic Love), Dönmeyeceğim (I Will Not Turn Back), Ayrıldık İşte (So We Seperated), Son Dua (Last Prayer) and her two books; Şiir Şimdi (Poem Now) and Senin İçin Sana Değil (For You, Not To You). Her movies include; Sarkici (Singer), Agir roman (Cholera Street), Kupa kizi (The Heart Queen), Üvey ana (The Stepmother), Meyhane koseleri, Tek kollu canavar, Yurda dönüs.

There was a wisdom making fun of life in everything related with her. In an interview she say; "Certainly. One can fall in love with potato or a painting. For example, I am in love with violin. It is not possible to believe in love between man and woman. Look at the animals; female monkeys are coupling with sixty males a day. Now men are just like that, like bulls. They climb over a woman and make gym. Their understanding of love is just like going to a gym. But there are some special people; poets, painters, writers idealize this primitive feeling and produce creations according to themselves. In fact this is a fooling system...."

Crazy Aysel didn't have an easy life. She divorce her journalist husband while she was 7 months pregnant to her second daughter. In a way, it was her choice to be known as "crazy" to survive and protect her family in the men dominated world. Müjde Ar says she always adviced her children "Don't be a thief, don't be a whore!" While she was so protective of her daughters; one day Müjde turn late from school and "crazy" Aysel punish/ gives the lesson in her own way; fallowing day she goes to school, pulls Müjde's skirt and show her underwears to everybody, saying "Come late again and I will do the same!"

It is impossible to describe her. There was something with her, which complete a naughty side of our souls. May be her whole life should be seen as an example to us, as a protest to hypocracy, fake norms of life. She was able to reply a question about her gender identity as; "I am autosexuel". At her 75th birthday she was surprising people with the words; "I am still a virgin. I will still be a wonder of world even at the age of 97".

We withnessed only the extraordinary actions she showed outside, can never know the intense feelings that interesting woman experienced. She was sure one of those characters one would be lucky to know. She was one of those women who deserve to be remembered.

Wish she rest in peace...

Wish she rest in joy...

...think she would wish us sing that unforgettable song she wrote...

it was longing it was separation
hours separated to sorrows
I saw two tears drops flowing
together with affection with separation

like a poem like a song
I lived my life with pains
memory for me now, beloved sorrows
that I hide from you

I hide you like a secret
an oath,like a hidden dream
I carry this load, you go
I dont grieve

dont cry I cant bare
dont cry my baby I cant resist you
take my heart let it be yours
if your heart remains in me I cant live

APOLOGY TO "STOLEN GENERATION"

2008-02-18T02:38:00.000-08:00

Every nation has dark pages in their history. Some choose to face them some don't. So far, many countries apologized from others for their crimes against them during WW 2.

The news which transmitted by media a few days ago renewed my hope for humanity. We use "lost generation", "stolen generation" terms in many countries for the unlucky periods they lived. But there is an officially "Stolen Generation" in Australia.

Wikipedia writes; "The Stolen Generations (or Stolen Generation) is a term used to describe those children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions, under various state acts of parliament, denying the rights of parents and children by making Aboriginal children wards of the state, between approximately 1869 and (officially) 1969. The Australian Parliament has accepted that this was human rights abuse and on February 13, 2008... The policy typically involved the removal of children into internment camps, orphanages and other institutions. No consensus has been reached as to the extent of the removal of children, and the reasoning behind their removal. While in some quarters it has been suggested that a eugenics policy was adopted, in others the removals were said to be done for the well-being of the children."

Below is the Australian Federal Goverment's Apology from Aborigines, the native people of the land, read by the new Prime Minister Mr Kevin Rudd at February 13th;

"The Federal Government's formal apology to the stolen generations:

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations – this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia. "

Some reports as; "Some in federal parliament's public gallery, including members of the stolen generations, wept as Mr Rudd delivered the formal apology - the first official business of the new Labor government. MPs were given a long, standing ovation as they rose to their feet to vote in support of the motion. In city squares and parks across Australia, and on the lawns outside Parliament House in Canberra, people cheered, applauded, hugged and cried after the apology was delivered."

We were not stranger to the "Stolen Generations" of indigenous people around the world (however they called). Similar and even worse policies performed under the name of Americanisation to Native Americans or worst in South Africa. Many cultures and native languages destroyed in this way. It is said that only in Australia 250 local languages disappeared during this period.

Of course there are some who are against the apology too. Opposition leader Dr Nelson told Parliament: "Our generation does not own these actions, nor should it feel guilt for what was done in many, but certainly not all cases, with the best intentions."

We said we are not stranger to the issue in general but we are very far to understand the heaviness of the problem from the begining. It seems like the problem of "Stolen Generation" can not end with the "Apology". There are discussions of compensations and the sociologic defination of the period; if it can be called as "assimilation", "genosite" or not. And these are very sensitive matters of our day around the world inherited from history.

Colin Tatz writes (http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/resources/history/genocide.html);"Australians understand only the stereotypical or traditional scenes of historical or present-day slaughter. For them, genocide connotes either the bulldozed corpses at Belsen or the serried rows of Cambodian skulls, the panga-wielding Hutu in pursuit of Tutsi victims or the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. As Australians see it, patently we cannot be connected to, or with, the stereotypes of Swastika-wearing SS psychopaths, or crazed black tribal Africans. Apart from Australia's physical killing era, there are doubtless differences between what these perpetrators did and what we did in assimilating people and removing their children. But, as we will see, we are connected - by virtue of what Raimond Gaita calls "the inexpungable moral dimension" inherent in genocide, whatever its forms or actions...

...There has been an emotional, even an hysterical, response, to the word genocide. This century has seen several particularly well-documented episodes of the removal of children. The Turks killed close to 1.5 million of their Armenian citizens between 1915 and 1923. One "choice" for Armenian parents was to save their Christian children by "giving" them to Turkish Muslim families. Turkey ferociously denies these events and rejects all talk of restitution. Of importance in our context is the origin of Article II (e) in the Convention. Certainly Lemkin, Donnedieu de Vabres and the other drafters of the Convention didn't seek to include "the forcible removal of children from one group to another group" on the basis of the Jewish experience. Jewish children had no such Armenian choice. Clearly they had the latter's case in mind. They may have had a thought for the 200,000 Polish children who were taken by Nazis to Germany to be raised as physically desirable Aryans. Again, they may have been well aware of the Swiss practice of removing Romani (Gypsy) children over the decades. Both Raphael Lemkin and the United Nations (especially the Greek delegate, Vallindis) ensured that removal of children, and hence their disappearance through assimilation, was a (physical) genocidal act. Jacqueline Jago has evaluated Aboriginal child removals in Canada and Australia. Canada's Indian Act saw to it that Indian children were forced off reservations into schools where the stated aims were "religious instruction and cultural assimilation". That Australia sits alongside some strange bedfellows is perhaps reason enough to wriggle out of a verdict of genocide."

As we see, as the all branches of humanity there are much more issues we share than we can imagine, regarlesss to the place we live, from which part of the world we are from. We may be too far from eachother but it is always important to fallow what is going on at the other side of the planet.

Australia's "Apology" should be an example, at least giving hope to all the world.

A COMMENT ON ACID ATTACKS

2008-02-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

It is hard for a technology disturbed one like me to keep a blog. I recieved a comment but I couldn't manage to publish it (I hope to learn in time:)

A lady from Australia reading the acid attacks to young women writes;

"I am shocked that young men could feel that they had a right to harm girls because of the length of their skirts. Usually young men have other things to do rather than be vigilantes for such a cause. Is there large unemployment in this area? I realise there must be a growth in religious fundamentalism - and suppose there is also some economic aspect to it. My heart goes out to the young girls and to all other girls in that area who, for their own safety, will feel like covering up, no matter how hot it is etc.

I am glad you are letting the world know about these things. AND, of course, I love the poems you found. Kathy (Australia)"

Thanks to Kathy for her comment. She is right that the young men should have other things to do. This particular young man came out; not jobless but working in a factory, married and have a pregnant wife who will give birth in a few days and not from a very religious family.

But unfortunatelly there is really a great unemployment in the country. Turkiye has a very young population. 30 percent of 70.5 million population is under the age of 15 and half of the total is under 28. Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. The literacy rate is 95.3% for men and 79.6% for women, with an overall average of 87.4%. This low figure is mainly due to prevailing feudal attitudes against women in the east and southeastern provinces of the country. Total workforce is nearly 30 million while unemployment is around 10 %. The official unemployment rate conceals the fact that unemployment is up to 70.0% in some rural areas. And 20 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Growth in religious fundementalism certainly have an economic aspect as Kathy comments, but it is hard take only general indicators as economics, income, education etc for the rise of such unacceptable events. International politics have a very important role on the current situation of Turkey. Althought the tariquats always had a strong but unseen role in politics, radical Islamic groups of Middle East never managed to make base in the country. Begining with the last decades of Ottomans and raising on the strong secular construction of the Republic, any individual events like these or any kind of religious revolts could never get support in this society.

It is hard to analyze what is going on in our society now but one thing is sure; it is a part of the Cold War years' "Green Crescedent", today's "New Middle East Project" or "moderate Islam model" of world's super power.

Some young women who wear latest fashion, silk turbans, who has lots of make-up on their open faces in headscarfs can easily say they are "not secular", they prefer "sheria" on TVs today. It is impossible to understand how can not they realize that they owe even voicing these views to the democracy, secularism in this country.

Dear Kathy, you say; "My heart goes out to the young girls and to all other girls in that area who, for their own safety, will feel like covering up, no matter how hot it is etc."

How easy to make this comment for any healthy mind. We already have a name for it; "neighborhood pressure". It will happen. Ill minds will begin to measure women's belief, honour, goodname with the pieces of cloths they wear on their heads or bodies.

We will see... but we will not sit and watch...

Thanks

WHY SNOW...

2008-02-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

There are too many things to write; houses of Turks are still set on fire in Germany, Kurdish protestors burning Turkish flag clashed with police in nort-eastern city Sırnak, Putin's interesting announcement about the hypocracy of EU on Cyprus raise comments etc. But I don't want to write on any of them. We are under a heavy snow storm again. Snow...

why do you came so suddenly snow
why you never leave behind the winds
I suspect if you deliberately drag the storms
why do you hit so suddenly snow
you know how helpless
how weak I am, how hopeless
surrendering to your sudden raids
yielding to the soul’s deepest memories

they say you are all unique snowflakes
all unique while falling in millions
pulling out the saplings with the help of winds
breaking the branches of my trees uniting in your uniqueness
so tiny that my eyes can hardly distinguish
so light that my skin can hardly sense
still so powerful in dragging me to absence
so strong bringing all the buried out to existence…

why do you come so suddenly snow
I hate welcoming you unprepared
wooden bank is facing the evergreen pines
cherry tree already lost the last leaves
those hanging the brick wall are still green jasmines
there is still cognac in the bottle left from your last visits
coffee cup in hands, eyes fallowing the falling flakes
but still I am not prepared neither to you nor your usual winds

don’t you know everything in me is as unique as you snowflakes
all unique while I buried them in millions of different ways
I can’t pull those saplings as you can with the help of winds
I can’t break them any more than they already been in their uniqueness
so valuable every one of them that I can’t differ any more
so heavy that my soul can’t carry any more, soul is so sore
buried treasures in soul, mind fallowing the breaking storms
can it ever be possible not to care, to ignore…

why do you come so suddenly snow
why with hurtful winds, blizzards
why can’t you ever leave me alone….

Storm

ACID ATTACKER CAUGHT

2008-02-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

After seven victims (but 5 according to governor)the man who attact to the young women with nitric acid caught in immidiately, thanks to mobese cameras around streets. Two syringes found on the man. But the Governor is stil denying it was because of any ideological reasons. According to Anatolian News Agency;

"He dismissed reports that the students were attacked because they wore short skirts, noting that two of the civil servants were wearing pants when attacked.

He also said suggestions that the liquid used were nitric acid is false, adding that the investigation is continuing. “It is a liquid substance that gives a burning sensation and reddens the skin,” he said, adding that attacked individuals did not suffer from any other health problems.

Quoting one of the students, the Doğan news agency reported Thursday that a few people had first commented on the skirt one of the students was wearing as they were passing her in the street before she felt the burning sensation on the back of her legs."

What can we say; this is only the begining and are trying to be careful. This is the quickest arrest they made...

OUR WOMEN; UNDER ACID ATTACS

2008-02-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

We were waiting this. This is the “breaking news” in Turkish media while conservative newspapers and TVs are trying to deny. Dogan News Agency and many others are reporting the victims already reached 5;

Girls attacked for wearing short skirts.

“Two teenage girls were attacked on separate occasions by unknown assailants who sprayed an acidic substance on their legs in the Mediterranean province of Mersin yesterday.

Both girls were approached from behind by a group of men in their 20s who sprayed a substance on their legs that burnt through their stockings and caused skin lacerations, according to reports.

Doctors said the substance sprayed on the girls' legs could be a strong acid. The police is still searching for the culprits. Based on witness accounts and statements by the girls, the police concluded that the same individuals had attacked them both.

One girl said she was on her way home from school when two or three men in their 20s passed by her and said her skirt was too short. Soon afterwards she felt a substance sprayed on her stockings and an immediate burning sensation. When she looked at her legs she noticed that her stockings were burnt. The incident provoked panic with rumors circulating that girls in short skirts are being attacked, reported the Doğan news agency.”

Can it surprize us? Certainly not. We withnessed examples at conservative neighborhoods before. This is the mentality which tries to put women behind veils, which want Sheria as the final goal.

The law didn’t even signed by the President yet but they begin to throw nitric acid to young girls’, teenagers’ legs.

Tomarrow covering our heads, hairs will not seem enough, they will want our faces to be locked behind veils and throw acid to our faces, eyes.

This is the mentality which banned red roses in Saudi Arabia, wanting to ban “love” itself. This is the mentality which stone women to death when they become “rape victims of men”.

Though they are unaware who they are trying to deal with this time; "Turkish women".

Reminding only two poems of Nazım Hikmet and announcing proudly to be ready to begin a new Independence War as Turkish Women is enough for now. They will not be able to turn us to their "black bugs". If needed, in price of being burried in acid wells, our women will not surrender to darkness.

THE FACES OF OUR WOMEN

Mary didn't give birth to God.
Mary isn't the mother of God.
Mary is one mother among many mothers.
Mary gave birth to a son,
a son among many sons.
That's why Mary is so beautiful in all the pictures of her.
That's why Mary's son is so close to us, like our own sons.

The faces of our women are the book of our pains.
Our pains, our faults and the blood we shed
carve scars on the faces of our women like plows.

And our joys are reflected in the eyes of women
like the dawns glowing on the lakes.

Our imaginations are on the faces of women we love.
Whether we see them or not, they are before us,
closest to our realities and furthest.

And from "THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE"

CHAPTER SEVEN 1922, THE MONTH OF AUGUST and OUR WOMEN

Ox-carts rolled under the moon.
Rolled the ox-carts on to Afyon via Akşehir.
The land was so endless and so wide,
mountains so far,
it was as if those on the move
could never reach, never any target.
The ox-carts moved on with their solid oak wheels.
And they
were the first wheels rolling under the moon.
The oxen under the moon
as if they were from a tiny alien world
were small, were stunted,
there were shimmers in their sickly broken horns
and what flowed under their feet
was land,
was land
and land.
The night was bright and warm
and in the ox-carts the dark blue shells
lay naked in their wooden crates.
And the women
without letting on
stole looks at the dead oxen and wheels under the moon
from earlier convoys.
And women,
our women:
with their huge sacred hands,
their delicate small chins and large eyes
our mothers, our wives, our beloved
and who die as if never have lived
and whose place at our table
comes after our ox
and those we abduct to the hills and go to gaol for
and those at the harvest, the tobacco, firewood and the market
and who are harnessed to the plough
and in barns
in the glint of daggers plunged into the earth
women who become ours
with their heavy rolling hips and their bells,
our women
now under the moon
following the ox-carts and cartridges
had the same peace of mind,
the same tired force of habit
of hauling stalks with amber ears to be threshed.
And slender necked children were asleep
at the steel of size 15 shrapnels.
And the ox carts were rolling under the moon
on to Afyon via Akşehir.

The sixth of August order's been issued
The first and second armies, with their troops, ox-carts and their cavalry
shifted positions, were to keep on the move.
98956 rifles,
325 artillery,
5 aeroplanes,
2800 odd light machine guns,
2500 odd swords
and 186326 brilliant human hearts
and twice as many ears, arms, feet and eyes
were stirring through the night.
Earth through the night.
Wind through the night.
Faithful to memories, outside of memories,
through the night:
humans, equipment and beasts,
huddling together with their metal, their wood, their flesh,
finding their terrible
and silent sanctuary
in huddling together,
were moving on
with their large and tired feet,
and soiled hands.

WOMEN OF US: NEYYİRE NEYİR

2008-02-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

It is important for us to remember the pioneer women in our history, especially in these days which our society and women rights are in danger of darkness.

Yesterday was the anniversary of one of them; first Turkish female actress Neyyire Neyir.

A new era in Turkish cinema started in 1922 when theater artist Muhsin Ertuğrul returned home from Germany where he had worked as an actor and director since 1916. A film based on the novel of Halide Edip Adıvar, "Ateşten Gömlek" (The shirt of fire) in which the first Turkish Muslim women actresses, namely Bedia Muhavvit and Neyyire Neyir acted in the leading roles, was the first movie to deal with the War of Independence. This film was first screened in İstanbul which was still occupied by foreign armies, on April 23, 1923, the third anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and only six months prior to the formation of the Turkish Republic.

Ateşten Gömlek (The shirt of fire), adapted from the novel by Halide Edip Adivar. Set during the years of the Turkish War of Independence it remains the "first" of an epic tradition and, furthermore, also the first film allowing Turkish women the freedom to work as actresses.

Neyyire Neyir made two more films with Muhsin Ertuğrul (whoM she was married).

Ankara postasi / The Courier Fom Ankara (1928) (as Münire Eyüp) - adapted from Halede Edip's novel
Atesten gömlek / The Shirt Of Fire (1923) - adapted from Francois de Curel’s “La Terre Inhumaine" and Reşat Nuri Güntekin's play adaptation
Kiz Kulesinde bir facia / A Tragedy At Leander's Tower (1923) Adapted from Pierre Antier's play "Les Gardiens de Phare" and P. Cloquemin's play "Les Gardiens de Phare" by Muhsin Ertugrul as writer.

She died at February 13th 1943. We remember her at her 65th anniversary and thankful for her influences to Turkish women's progress in the society.

Today is also important in history of Turkish women because of two other events. At 1931, Miss Turkey Naşide Saffet Hanım choosen Europe Queen of Beautiful Eyes and at 1951, our great pianist İdil Biret, performed her first piano recital in Paris, while she was only 10 years old. We will always carry them in a special place in our hearts.

HOPE; STILL SET ON FIRE...

2008-02-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

Place: Germany

There is no need to make any comments... they are not first, they will not be the last...

Let's remember what happened at Solingen and Mölln from Human Rights Watch documents of 1995;

· Solingen, a city of 170,000 located near Cologne in the Western part of Germany, was the scene of horrifying violence and death in the early morning hours of May 29, 1993. Neighbors woke to terrified screams and saw flames racing through a house owned by the Genc family.64 They saw a young woman with a child in her arms silhouetted against the flames she was unsuccessfully trying to escape. There were "bone-chilling screams and then silence, just the noise of the flames."

Five people died. Four were sisters: Saime Genc, 5; Hulia Genc, 9; Hatice Genc, 18; Gulfun Ince, 27; the fifth, Gulistan Yuksel, was a 12-year-old visitor from Turkey. Eight others were injured in the fire, including two small children hospitalized in critical condition. Fourteen others inside the building barely escaped injury.

The Genc family had lived in Solingen for fifteen years. Their youngest children were born and had lived their whole lives in Germany.67 They owned their own home. Outside their house, fresh swastikas were painted on nearby buildings and scratched in the dirt.

· On November 23, 1992, two buildings housing Turkish families in Mölln, a town near Hamburg, were firebombed. Screams for help awakened the neighbors, who saw people jumping from the windows. Someone telephoned the Mölln fire department, announced the fire, shouted "Heil Hitler," and hung up. The firefighters could not get there in time to save the victims.

Three people were killed: Bahide Arslan, who died shielding a grandson from smoke; her 10-year-old granddaughter, Yeliz Arslan; and Ayse Yilmaz, a 14-year-old girl visiting from Turkey. Of the forty-five people in the buildings at the time, nine others, ranging in age from eighty-two years to nine months, were injured.

And let's turn to last week;

The Australian -Children were thrown from the upper floors and caught by fire fighters. "Unfortunately, we cannot exclude further victims," Eisenbarth said. Investigators were not immediately able to enter parts of the smouldering building because the structure, much of it made of wood, was in danger of collapsing. The cause of the fire, which started in the afternoon, was not clear and the victims had not yet been identified, Eisenbarth said. Police said 24 people - all Turkish citizens - were registered as living in the four-storey building, but more people had been in the house because of carnival celebrations. Police said the house's old wooden staircase swiftly collapsed after the fire broke out; and that, in some cases, residents threw their children to police officers before jumping out of the building themselves.

CNN - The carnival tradition stems from the Roman Catholic regions in the west and south of Germany. Like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil, it is a time when residents dress up and take to the streets in celebration. The fire broke out about 4:23 p.m. (1523 GMT) on Sunday in a four-story apartment building, city police said in a statement. Its cause was unclear. Firefighters battled through the evening and into the night to bring the blaze under control. Two adjacent apartment buildings were evacuated as a safety precaution, the statement said. Fearing that there may be other victims, rescue crews brought in a large crane that lowered fire fighters into the shell of the building to conduct an initial check for additional bodies. Rescue crews have been unable to thoroughly search because the damage to the building was so severe that authorities think it may no longer be structurally sound.

Today their coffins were lined in front of the mourners from all religions and nationalities, representing the shame of humanity. Photos talk better than any words...

WHAT ARE YOU CELEBRATING?

2008-02-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Turkish people is already victim of PTSD which refers, to the psychological response that can result when a person is exposed to an overwhelming event or series events, that are in many cases both life threatening and catastrophic.

These events don't include only "war", "natural disasters", "rape" or "physical violence" defined in medical sources which intensify their researches either on their homecoming soldiers or individual examples of ordinary citizens in imperialist societies.

Turkish people are not lucky enough to experience only flashbacks or nightmares about the events they lived but they are made to live the same events again and again physically; meaning "layers over layers of PTSD". Their experiences may turn all the scientific foundings upside-down.

They don't easily get startled any more. They often say that they feel "empty" or "dead inside" but it lasts only seconds, at most hours or few days conterary to the thesis. They bury another layer of PTSD inside and stand up to fight again.

Today we are facing another severe trauma.

- In our complete helplessness we are watching 411 treator deputies passing the bill for headscarf from the Parliament founded by bloodshed, by our great War of Independence.

- Individually and genderly I feel myself/ we ourselves in immediate danger but don't feel completely frozen and unable to escape.

- I / many friends I am talking to are reporting that they lose track of time and space and their capacity to use language is compromised. Psychologists explain this as a result, the brain loses its ability to process conscious memory. But still "confusion" can't take our minds over and any attempt to recall the sequence of events.

- We have persistent thoughts or nightmares about the event (but don't surrender our minds).

- We have the sensation of emptiness or “being numb” but an increadable power fallow filling in our veins.

- We perceive the world and especially our country as a dangerous and unsafe place to live but also have a great urge to fight making it safe for our children and grandchildren...

- And yes, most of us also reports chronic anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia or restless sleep, and poor concentration.

Can anybody help us? Did anybody ever helped us?

No...

Having "traumatic life experiences", "traumatic life experience periods" again and again; we very well know that it is, it can only be "us", "ourselves" who can cope this time too.

Defination of "trauma" may change. The "trauma" we are in and the "life thereatining danger" we are facing is; "putting the Turkish women's mind in ugly, dirty, dark pieces of cloths".

That young woman with headscarf on TV last night; you who said; "I am not secular!"; can't you think that you owe even having the freedom to make that announcement to this Republic and it's rules?

Why is it a sin to show your hair? Because your hair may draw "men's mind" to sin? It is not your but the "men's" problem, don't you aware where the sin, dirt lies, made it's place...

Do you think it will stop with closing your hair? Do you think they will not change all the articles of the Constitution one by one? Oh..Sheria is great for them, why should they they give the same share of your father's inheritence to you, they are "men" and Sheria says "men's" share should be more...

You may be used to your husband's infidelity untill now. But there is a better way, Sheria can show that way out of sin. Your husband may have wives up to 4 after you instead of mistresess. Honorable men, they will not sin any more with mistreses and great for you because you will not be an "unhonorable" woman who close her eyes to infidelity anymore...

You poor women who want to close your head, think it is your "religious must or freedom" today; you may be in a fake joy now, you may be so happy with the new passed law today. What a pitty, didn't they played with your mind so many times to prevent it thinking enlightment but put in the darkness of invisible cells. It is not surprizing to withness it once more...

Those who think closing your heads as freedom may be feeling great, while we, the majority are in sadness (also for you). That 90 year old lady who throw away the "traditional" scarf from her head on the podium and let her pure white hair to the wind should be an example with her words; "My forehead is clean, white. Let my life be sacrificied to this motherland!"

Think again; "what are you celebrating?"...

Opening yourselves to so many new traumas, period of loosing all your rights... this time hidden in a piece of cloth?

ALREADY DIVIDED, GET UP....

2008-02-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

There is no more to say....

Turkiye is divided...

Not because of Kurdish issue etc... (in fact Aysel Tugluk made the best talk in Parliament)

Turkiye is divided because of political Islam from tonight and on...

Begining from tomarrow morning, every headscarf cloosing any woman's head means a flag of imperialims's sign of Green Crescedent for us...

And it is our duty to tear it off for women's real fredoom..

We will not surrender to fake religious oppressions...

WOMEN IT IS TIME TO STAND UP...

BİRŞEY YAPMALI...

TÜRKÇE ANLAMIYARSANIZ İNGİLİZCE SÖYLEYELİM...

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!

Preacherman, don't tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don't know
What life is really worth.
It's not all that glitters is gold;
'Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. Come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. Jah!

Get up, stand up! (Jah, Jah!)
Stand up for your rights! (Oh-hoo!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Don't give up the fight! (Life is your right!)
Get up, stand up! (So we can't give up the fight!)
Stand up for your rights! (Lord, Lord!)
Get up, stand up! (Keep on struggling on!)
Don't give up the fight! (Yeah!)

We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can't fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (What you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (In the morning! Git it up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Stand up for our rights!)
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (Don't give it up, don't give it up!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! ( ... )
Don't give up the fight! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! ( ... )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight!

STAY BACK DEATH

2008-02-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

Stay Back Death

fire balls are falling from the sky
I am climbing up to hills with children I have embraced
the sea is boiling far down
green grasses under my bare feet
and fires I am trying to avoid...

“while walking alone with death he was seen
unafraid of her scythe...” says Machado of Lorca in his verses
“death, my beautiful gipsy, you are my death yesterday and today,
Oh! How eased I am when alone with you,
While inhaling the air of Granada
My Granada!”

together, arm in arm with death we walk for long
sometimes death even gets tired and gives the scythe on his hand to us
we are the ones deprived of fear, tired of travel
the ease of being alone with death is distant from us
life catches up from behind
trying to hold our flowing hair
the hills I am trying to climb, under the fireballs
the dark blue boiling up, ready to swallow
the children, the people on my lap
while I am inhaling the air of Anatolia
my Anatolia!
not very different from Lorca’s Granada
yet death, you are not beautiful, were not in yesterday, not in today
I cannot be alone with you, I cannot feel eased with you…

my hands are full
green grasses under my bare feet
and fireballs all over clashing souls
stay back death, didn’t Anatolia suffer enough from you....

1979

ON TURKISH WOMEN

2008-02-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Turkish Parliament is woting on headscarf ban in universities today. Though the main claim they are putting forward is the "freedom of education" for the headscarved females, defended closing their heads as their "freedom of belief"; we clearly aware of the agenda behind.

Turkiye is in another hard period, from economy to international politics and they are obsessed with our hair, heads (or is it what is in our minds)....

There is too much to think on, to remember, to analyze, to get in action etc that one get lost in the daily agenda. I frequently find myself remembering historical events, periods, characters and cant keep from comparing with the days we live in.

Lately I posted two calls to stop executions in two different countries immidiatelly, which are both about women (thanks to international public the execution in Afghanistan stopped today). Now, I want to turn into the labirenths of history a little and tell you the stories of two women from a century ago.

Let's close our eyes and imagine we are back in time... let's see how some events seem so similar to our day...

It was a time anti-Ottoman uprisings occurre in several fronts. Revolts backed by European colonials for the fall of Ottoman, as in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1875 triggered the Bulgarian uprising of 1876. The regular army was not paid for months and financially defunct Ottoman administration had to rely on irregulars (Başı bozuklar) to suppress the revolts. Irregulars suppressed the uprisings brutally, massacring thousands. In Europe, as if their countries didn't have any role in revolts, many dignitaries, including Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo and Giuseppe Garibaldi publicly condemn the Ottoman abuses in Bulgaria. In the United Kingdom, the opposition leader, William Gladstone, wrote a booklet denouncing what he called "the Bulgarian Horrors," and calling upon Britain to withdraw its support for Ottoman.

Strongest reaction came from Russia. It was accompanied by sharp public discussions about Russian goals in this conflict: Slavophiles, led by Dostoevsky, saw in the impending war the chance to unite all Orthodox nations and fulfilling what they believed was the historic mission of Russia, while their opponents, westerners, led by Turgenev, denied the importance of religion and believed that Russian goals should not be defense of Orthodoxy but liberation of Bulgaria.

On December 11, 1876 a conference of the Great Powers opened in Istanbul to resolve the chrisis (which the Turks were not invited). Negotiations was granting autonomy to Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina under the joint control of European powers but Turks, found a way to discredit the conference by announcing on December 23, the day the conference was closed, that a constitution was adopted that declared equal rights for religious minorities within the empire.

On March 31, 1877 Russia persuaded the powers to sign the London Convention, demanding Ottoman to introduce the reforms which she already proposed herself. The powers were going to watch the operation of the reforms, and if they decide conditions remained unsatisfactory they reserved the right "to declare that such a state of things would be incompatible with their interests and those of Europe in general" (do't this remind you the EU countries support to terrorists and demands in the name of democracy from Turkiye of our day..). But Turks rejected the proposal on the grounds that it violated the Treaty of Paris.

At the end, on April 24, 1877, after nearly two years of futile negotiations, Russia declared war upon Ottoman Empire. Some legendery local wars fallowed one another. Many of the commanders under Russian Commander Nikolayevich were of Armenian descent (as generals Beybut Shelkovnikov, Mikhail Loris-Melikov, Ivan Lazarev and Arshak Ter-Ghukasov). Forces under Armenian Lieutenant-general Ter-Ghukasov, stationed near Yerevan, began their first assault into Ottoman territory by capturing the town of Bayazid on April 27. Victory in Bayazid, led Russian forces advanced further, taking the region of Ardahan on May 17; besieged the region of Kars in the final week of May.

It was hard times for the empire at all fronts in short...

There was a young Turkish woman, who born at 1857 in the city of Erzurum and grow up sending male family members to wars, waiting their returns singing laments behind them. Nobody, including herself knew she will become a legend in Turkish history yet.

Nene Hatun was a twenty year old woman with a three month old baby at the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 (which is known as the "The war of 93" / "93 Harbi" in Turkish). She was living in the Aziziye neighborhood of Erzurum, which was close to an important fortification defending the city.

In November 1877 Aziziye Fort was attacked and captured by the Russians (after a sneak attack led by a gang of Armenians) . That treacherous night between 7 and 8 November, a crowded gang moving from two Armenian villages in the vicinity, managed entering famous Aziziye bastion of Erzurum. A few Turkish soldiers defending the bastion were in deep sleep. After they put to sword, fallowing Russian forces placed themselves in Aziziye bastion without any resistance.

A wounded soldier reached Erzurum running, and gave the bad news. According to withnesses of the time, the minarets shouted "Russians entered Aziziye" instead of morning call-to-prayer: "Whole Erzurum heard the news at the same moment. And at the same time, all Erzurum flied into a passion. People having rifles took them, others took what they could find, like scythes, pickaxes, shovels, and sticks, and ran to the streets. All of Erzurum people, both women and men began to run toward Aziziye."

Nene Hatun was a newly married bride living in a humble house. Her brother Hasan was taken home being severely injured the day before, and passed away in the arms of this new bride a few hours ago. Her husband was on the front. Putting her baby to sleep, taking the meat cleaver, she joined the crowd of civilian volunteers who were mostly women running toward Aziziye madly.

Some sources writes; "A bloody and violent fight started in Aziziye. People who did not have any axes, scythes, or sticks, used their claws to throttle Russians. That army with artilleries and rifles, was totally defeated against such rush... The new bride was hitting her meat cleaver on the face and head of any Russian before her. She would never be able to end the pain of her martyred brother even if she killed a thousand Russians..."

"The new bride was among the wounded. She fell down in blood due to an injury she got during her fight with the meat cleaver in her hand. She was unconscious when they found her wounded, even then she did not let that bloody meat cleaver be taken... The name of this young bride was Nene. She got among the people known and respected by all Erzurumers after that day. "

Nene Hatun lived in Aziziye her entire ninty eight years life, and died there at the age of 98. She was named as "Mother of the Mothers" in 1955. Until her death, she was also known as the "Mother of the Third Army" because of her close ties with the military personnel in her region. In 1955, after being elected as the "mother of the year", she died on 22 May because of tuberculosis.

Her fight for the freedom of motherland which began that night went on actively till the end of Natiuonal Independence War. As an iconic Turkish heroine who established her reputation for bravery late in the Ottoman Age, Nene Hatun lived well into the 20th Century, and saw the new Turkish Republic successfully rise from the ashes of Ottoman. Nene Hatun (Kırkköz) earned pension from Serving to Motherland Order at 1953 of this day.

"She told about how Russians were killed in Aziziye to all Erzurumers during her life of ninety eight years. However, she told about herself with only a few words. She told to the NATO Chief Commander who visited her one year before her death that "I did what was necessary then. I would do the same if necessary now too", and stroke him with admiration.."

Certainly Nene Hatun was not the only Turkish woman who wrote their own legends. There were; Kara Fatma, Hatice Hatun, Halide Edib, Corporal Aliye, Tayyar Seher Hanım, Corporal Adile, Black Ayşe and many more we are not able to count.

But, Corporal Nezahet was a unique example between them.

She was only 9 years old when her father Colonal Hafız Halit Bey decided to unite the national resistance forces in Anatolia, with the 70th Battallion under his command. Istanbul was under invasion, her mother was already died and she had to accompany her father from front to front. Learned to fight and became a symbol between the soldiers.

She took part in many main clashes of the Independence war but named between the female heroes very late because of her early age. At the worst minutes of the clashes with Greeks at Gediz, while some of the soldiers even think to run away, Colonal Hafiz Halit Bey saw his little daughter standing on the way of the soldiers on a horse yelling; "I am going to die with my father, where are you going to!.."

This was more than the behavior of a child to help her father but a reminder to all the soldiers, which effected the end of the war at the west front. She recieved her rank "corporal" after this event. They sew her a soldier clothing to the little girl. She had interesting encounters with historical leaders as Inonu, Cerkez Ethem and even with Mustafa Kemal. It is said that, when Ataturk saw her and asked who she is, she replied as; "I am the castle, when the soldiers want to return the safety of their castle they have to find me."

After long discussions at January 30th 1921, Turkish National Assemby decided to honor this 13 year old with Independence Medal. Some deputies disagree giving such a medal to a child but several others told the events they withnessed and how she named by soldriers as "Turkish Jean D'Arch". Bolu Deputy Tunalı Hilmi Bey defended that even the medal was not enough but she should be ranked as "general" too. But though the desicion passed she could never recieve her medal.

The Independence War (1919-1922) marked a turning point for the Turkish women; "Large numbers of women left their homes and made their appearance in public, both as active participants in the war--as nurses, carriers of ammunition, and less commonly, as soldiers--and as replacement workers in the positions vacated by men who had been drafted. The war significantly influenced both the terms in which women's rights were negotiated during the first decade of the republic and the internalization of these terms by many women. When proposing legal reforms concerning women, Ataturk countered the resistance put forth by the conservative constituency in the Parliament by citing the heroic role women had played in the war. For those women, too, who were active public figures during the period, women's contribution to the war became the primary grounds on which they claimed equal worth as citizens. Nezihe Muhiddin, the president of the Women's Association , wrote in her 1931 autobiography.

Turkish woman who proved her self, identity could not be separated from the men in anyway, achieved her share of the work in the battle and the victory. The educated and peasant worked in the same field; one delivered lectures with her mastery of the language, while the other carried ammunition to the front, organized military attacs with their gangs.

Kara Fatmas and their gangs were carrying out operations for independence against the British, Armenian, French, Italian and Greek soldiers (well-known for killing and raping young girls), while another woman, spy author, acheologist, whatever of colonialists was working hard to divide the lands of Ottoman and creating new countries on maps; Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917.

Bell earned the nickname, "the Uncrowned Queen of Iraq." Working with the new king was, however, not easy: "You may rely upon one thing — I'll never engage in creating kings again; it's too great a strain.". On July 12, 1926, Bell was discovered dead, committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills.

An excerpt from Bell's letters also shows us the similarities of the super powers' conspiracies on these lands in time line, it writes: "March 14, 1920: It's a problem here how to get into touch with the Shiahs, not the tribal people in the country; we're on intimate terms with all of them, but the grimly devout citizens of the holy towns and more especially the leaders of religious opinion, the Mujtahids, who can loose and bind with a word by authority which rests on an intimate acquaintance with accumulated knowledge entirely irrelevant to human affairs and worthless in any branch of human activity. There they sit in an atmosphere which reeks of antiquity and is so thick with the dust of ages that you can't see through it -- nor can they. And for the most part they are very hostile to us, a feeling we can't alter…There's a group of these worthies in Kadhimain, the holy city, 8 miles from Baghdad, bitterly pan-Islamic, anti-British…Chief among them are a family called Sadr, possibly more distinguished for religious learning than any other family in the whole Shiah world….I went yesterday [to visit them] accompanied by an advanced Shiah of Baghdad whom I knew well."

Well, let's open our eyes and look around...

Though not possible to compare with Bell, Condi Rice is succesfully performing the plans of the Super Power. The condition of the countries and their people created by Gertrude Bell and friends (drawing the borders on maps) are crystal clear. Shiahs, tribes, Mujahids and even the family called Sadr are still there and worse.

Why they are interesting us, we are not Ottoman Empire any more? We share history and borders, and important than all; we regard women, human rights above all. Middle East and near Asia is a blood dam enlarging day by day. We cant say "lake" but a "dam" because lakes are natural geographic structures while dams are artificial constructions made by human hand.

Unfortunately, that bloody hands and others infected by thoose bloody hands are now trying to reach us. Or should I say "our heads" because they were always between us invisibaly. Most probably, the treacherous deputies of AKP will pass the law about "headscarf ban" from the Parliament in a few hours. We will see the results alltogether.

What a pity for my country but there is still hope. There is still hope because we inherited endless hopes from Nene Hatuns, Corporate Nezahets and nameless thousands buried in these lands (non of them with any medals).

I recieved a comment to my post about Kubilay's massacre, from a reader of my blog asking me; "My brother, how will the Republic help you after you die?" I think this is just the appropriate time/ place to reply;

First of all, thank you asking this question brother. Before any reply, I should make it clear that I am not a "brother" but a "sister". I am very proud of being a female. I am aware of all kind of strenght, power and determination creator and nature gave to women (please dont confuse, I have nothing to do with feminism).

And you ask; "How will the Republic help me after I die?" I will not need any kind of help from any kind of being or concept of meterial world after I die. But as long as I live, I will serve "republic" and "secularism". Republic will see my/ our death but I/ we will not see the death of SECULAR REPUBLIC.

Remember the characteristic of women as "life giver and life takers". Outer and inner forces backed by super powers tested the women of this country all along the history. Not only during the wars but also in times of military juntas, lack of democracy women proved their strengsth and determination several times, under bullets and bombs or surviving tortures and jails.

Headscarved or not the women of these lands has enough intelligence to hug their democracy despite the efforts of radical Islamist pupets and imperialist super powers who pull their strings as they wish, which has nothing to do with real Islam and Kuran.

Karl Marx said; "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce". Let's watch but don't die laughing.

STOP THE EXECUTION OF SAYED PERVAZ

2008-02-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Save an unfairly condemned life in Afghanistan....

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh...
He is a 23 university student living in Afghanistan.
His crime: Downloading a report on women's rights from the internet, and passing this report around to his friends.
His punishment: Death penalty, recently approved by court.
And so now, Kambas is waiting to be executed.

And we are protesting this situation. The whole world is rising up to join together and try to rescue Afghanistan from the archane Taliban regime. We have sent soldiers. In fact, Turkish generals have twice been in charge of defending Kabul.

The reason for Turkish military presence in Afghanistan is to support the United Nations and NATO calls to bring modern democracy into the nation to replace the Taliban regime. This is why Karzai became president of Afghanistan. In fact, even former Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin served as NATO special representative there. But what events like this show is that the Taliban still maintains power here. Girls still can't go to school.

Women can't go out without burkas. And now, we see that a 23 year old student has been condemned to death for downloading a report on women's rights from the internet. It is difficult to comprehend. It is reminiscent of the "witch hunts" from the Middle Ages. And this is the point at which we raise our voices in protest. If defending women's rights brings about the death penalty in Afghanistan, then what are our soldiers doing there? And what are the United Nations and NATO doing there? The first newspaper to start up a campaign to rescue this 23 year old student was started by the British Independent newspaper. And we are joining in.

If we are able to stop this execution from occuring, we will have prevented a giant crime against humanity. If you would like to play a small role in this, please click on either the Turkish or English text below. The signed text will go to the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Turkish military's General Staff headquarters, and the United Nations. So, saving a life is only one "click" away.....

http://proje.hurriyet.com.tr/mailgonder/afganistanen.aspx

STOP STONING TO DEATH OF ZOHREH AND AZAR

2008-02-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

There is much more I want to share about trauma, torture and all related issues. While I was writing my previous post, my main aim was coming to the point of sharing thoughts on the "real trauma" women are facing daily and incredibly in general and especially in Muslim societies.

Now, there is a very common example we all have to act immidiately. Please get in action and spread...

04/02/2008: The Women Living Under Muslim Laws international solidarity network, and the Global Campaign Stop Killing and Stoning Women! urges all concerned citizens to immediately contact the Iranian officials by phone and/or fax to request them to stop the scheduled stoning to death of Zohreh and Azar Kabiri in Iran.

Zohreh and Azar are two sisters from Khademabad, near Karaj, Iran. Both were arrested on February 5, 2007 due to allegations of adultery given by Sohreh’s husband. One month later, they were prosecuted in court, found guilty, and sentenced to 99 lashes. This sentence was executed but however, due to reasons unknown, both were returned to prison. Six months later, another prosecution took place for the same crime. This time, they were sentenced to death by stoning. The Supreme Court of Iran has confirmed this verdict.

Both Zohreh Kabiri, 27 years old and Azar Kabiri, 28 years old, have been sentenced to stoning for adultery. Their sentence is awaiting execution.

At their first trial, conducted in the absence of a defence attorney, the Judge interrogated the two sisters and unlawfully obtained a dubious confession for adultery. The women have reported that questions asked of them were manipulative and ambiguous and they had no idea as to the full consequences of their responses. The Judge then used these illegal confession and statements, along with his ‘instinct’ or ‘knowledge’ in order to justify a sentence of stoning for the defendants.

Mr. Jabar Solati is currently representing the two sisters and hopes to save their lives. He is trying to stop these two sisters’ stoning verdict based on the fact that there was only one accused crime and that its sentence has already been executed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

We urge you to immediately contact the Iranian authorities and the embassies of Iran in your home country, via telephone and fax.

Sample Letter

Your Excellency,

I/we urge you to immediately cancel the execution of Zohreh and Azar Kabiri, two sisters from Khademabad, Iran who have been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, in the name of Islam. We are concerned that such an unacceptable and inhumane punishment is being applied to women who have already had the sentence of 99 lashes imposed and executed and have been denied a fair and transparent trial.

I am / we are gravely concerned that Zohreh and Azar have been sentenced to death for adultery. In Iran, women are punished more harshly than men for having committed adultery; this however directly contravenes article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which provides that “[a]ll persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law.” In a speech delivered on 21 June, 2006 President Ahmadinejad stated that “the country should be built upon the basis of justice, kindness, serving the people, progress and lofty goals.” If Zohreh and Azar are executed, although punishment has already been carried out, then justice will certainly not have been served.

Furthermore, as a state party to the ICCPR, Iran has made an explicit and unreserved commitment under article 6(2) that if the death sentence is imposed it is to be “only for the most serious crimes.” The UN Human Rights Committee (in the case of Toonen v Australia) has made it clear that treating adultery and fornication as criminal offences does not comply with international human rights standards. Therefore the sentence of execution by stoning imposed on Zohreh and Azar Kabari breaches Iran’s commitments under the ICCPR.

We request that you stop the planned executions and take immediate action to remove death by stoning from the legal system.

Yours sincerely,

____________

The Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Khamenei
Tel: +98 21 64412020
Fax: +98 251 7774 2228
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir / istiftaa@wilayah.org / webmaster@wilayah.org
Salutation: Your Excellency

BACKGROUND

Fight to Stop Stoning Sentence of Two Sisters

Zohreh and Azar are two young sisters from Khademabad, near Karaj, Iran. Both were arrested on February 5, 2007 due to allegations of adultery given by Sohreh’s husband. One month later, they were prosecuted in court, found guilty, and sentenced to 99 lashes. However, due to reasons unknown, both were returned to prison. Six months later, another prosecution took place for the same crime. This time, they were sentenced to death by stoning. The Supreme Court of Iran has confirmed this verdict.

Both Zohreh Kabiri, 27 years old and Azar Kabiri, 28 years old, have been sentenced to stoning for adultery. Their sentence is awaiting execution. On a snowy day last month, attorney Jabar Solati met with the two women and became their counsel in the hopes of saving their lives from stoning. The attorney’s effort not only excited the two clients, but their fellow inmates as well.

Jabar Solati accepted to be these women’s lawyer because, as he says, he has strong hope to save their lives.

Jabar Solati signed on to the case at a time when his clients’ verdicts were confirmed by the Supreme Court and were sent to the department for executions. With help from prison authorities, Mr.Solaty discovered that grave inaccuracies and mistakes in his clients’ files. Mr. Solati has asked for more time to explain the matter to the prosecutor, and requested approval from the prosecutor’s first deputy to temporarily stop the executions.

According to Mr. Solati’s statements, the stoning sentences resulted from allegations by Zohreh’s husband and a document that he had submitted to the court. The primary piece of evidence consisted of video footage that was taken by a secret camera hidden in an air duct.

The initial verdict given by Branch 128 court in Karaj on 16th of March 2007 sentenced the women to 99 lashes. This verdict was confirmed and later executed.

But for unknown reasons, the two women were kept in prison detention and in less than six months, were issued to court for a second time.

In face, the second court tried the two sisters for a crime for which they were already prosecuted. Their previous sentence of 99 lashes has also already been carried out. Double-jeopardy is illegal in Iran. Despite this, however, the two women were sentenced to stoning on the 5th of August 2007 for the crime of adultery. Mr. Solati is protesting this verdict and sentence. According to him, the verdict of the initial court is absolute and has been executed, therefore the verdict of the second court, according to law, is not acceptable.

Mr Solati is also protesting the fact that he first trial was held without a defense attorney present. In that session the two women were charged and convicted without being issued a lawyer for their defense.

In the absence of a defense attorney, the Judge interrogated the two sisters and unlawfully obtained a dubious confession for adultery. The women have reported that questions asked of them were manipulative and ambiguous. They had no idea as to the full consequences of their responses.

The Judge used these illegal confession and statements, along with his ‘instinct’ or ‘knowledge’ in order to justify a sentence of stoning for each defendant.

The trial’s second session occurred with a defense lawyer present. Unfortunately, this particular lawyer did not protest the unlawful confession of the first session and did not defend his clients properly.

Mr. Solati is currently representing the two sisters and hopes to save their lives. He is trying to stop these two sisters’ stoning verdict based on the fact that there was only one accused crime and that its sentence has already been executed.

According to his statement, if there were indeed two crimes committed, there must be two separate trials with two separate indictments and processes.

According to Mr. Solati, the judge of the second trial did not notice the mistake in the case examination process. Mr.Solati is optimistic that the stoning sentence will be halted completely once the persecutor acknowledges these facts.

Zohreh and Azar are both mothers; each has one child.

According to Mehr news agency, Alireza Jamshidi, the Judiciary system spokesman, during his weekly press conference on the 15th of January 2008, gave the following statement concerning the stoning verdicts in Iran: “It is unfortunately that these unreal and tendentious reports were given to the UN and human rights organizations. They are absolutely false.”

Main resource in Farsi: http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/15323/ and: http://www.meydaan.org/Showarticle.aspx?arid=453

LET'S REMEMBER; TRAUMA, TORTURE...

2008-02-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

What is trauma?

There are two types of trauma — physical and mental. Physical trauma includes the body’s response to serious injury and threat. Mental trauma includes frightening thoughts and painful feelings. They are the mind’s response to serious injury. Mental trauma can produce strong feelings. It can also produce extreme behavior; such as intense fear or helplessness, withdrawal or detachment, lack of Concentration, irritability, sleep disturbance, aggression, hyper vigilance (intensely watching for more distressing events), or flashbacks (sense that event is reoccurring).

A response could be fear. It could be fear that a loved one will be hurt or killed. It is believed that more direct exposures to traumatic events causes greater harm...
However, second-hand exposure to violence can also be traumatic. This includes witnessing violence such as seeing or hearing about death and destruction after a building is bombed or a plane crashes.

Traumatic response in different people

There is no clear answer to this question, but it is likely that one or more of these factors are involved:

the severity of the event
the individual's personal history (which may not even be recalled)
the larger meaning the event represents for the individual (which may not be immediately evident)
coping skills, values and beliefs held by the individual (some of which may have never been identified)
the reactions and support from family, friends, and/or professionals

Anyone can become traumatized. Even professionals who work with trauma, or other people close to a traumatized person, can develop symptoms of "vicarious" or "secondary" traUmatization. Developing symptoms is never a sign of weakness. Symptoms should be taken seriously and steps should be taken to heal, just as one would take action to heal from a physical ailment. And just as with a physical
condition, the amount of time or assistance needed to recover from emotional trauma will vary from one person to another.

Symptoms of emotional trauma

There are common effects or conditions that may occur following a traumatic event. Sometimes these responses can be delayed, for months or even years after the event. Often people do not initially associate their symptoms with the precipitating trauma. The following are symptoms that may result from a more commonplace, unresolved trauma, especially if there were earlier, overwhelming life experiences:

Possible effects of emotional trauma

Even when unrecognized, emotional trauma can create lasting difficulties in an individual's life. One way to determine whether an emotional or psychological trauma has occurred, perhaps even early in life before language or conscious awareness were in place, is to look at the kinds of recurring problems one

might be experiencing. These can serve as clues to an earlier situation that caused a dysregulation in the structure or function of the brain.

Common personal and behavioral effects of emotional trauma:

substance abuse
compulsive behavior patterns
self-destructive and impulsive behavior
uncontrollable reactive thoughts
inability to make healthy professional or lifestyle choices
dissociative symptoms ("splitting off" parts of the self)
feelings of ineffectiveness, shame, despair, hopelessness
feeling permanently damaged
a loss of previously sustained beliefs
Common effects of emotional trauma on interpersonal relationships:
inability to maintain close relationships or choose appropriate friends and mates
sexual problems
hostility
arguments with family members, employers or co-workers
social withdrawal
feeling constantly threatened

What if symptoms don't go away, or appear at a later time?

Over time, even without professional treatment, symptoms of an emotional trauma generally subside, and normal daily functioning gradually returns. However, even after time has passed, sometimes the symptoms don't go away. Or they may appear to be gone, but surface again in another stressful situation. When a person's daily life functioning or life choices continue to be affected, a post-traumatic stress disorder may be the problem, requiring professional assistance.

Torture in modern society

Torture is widely practiced worldwide: Amnesty International received reports of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in more than 150 countries during the four year period from 1997 to 2000. These accusations concerned acts against political prisoners in 70 countries and other prisoners and detainees in more than 130 countries. State torture has been extensivEly documented and studied, often as part of efforts at collective memory and reconciliation in societies that have experienced a change in government.

Surveys of torture survivors reveal that torture "is not aimed primarily at the extraction of information ... Its real aim is to break down the victim's personality and identity." When applied indiscriminately, torture is used as a tool of repression and deterrence against dissent and community empowerment.

The effects of torture are complex. While wounds, bruises and broken bones heal over time, the deeper psychological trauma often last for a lifetime. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, nightmares, memory difficulties, social withdrawal, irritability, feelings of helplessness, affective numbing, flashbacks, shame, mistrust, ruminations, unexplained pain, the feeling of being permanently injured and changed, many medical complaints, and digestive and sexual difficulties, are some of the most common symptoms. All these, especially the feeling of being permanently changed, are part of the contemporary torturer's objective: to destroy the victim's humanity through a systematic infliction of severe pain and extreme
psychological humiliation.

Survivors of torture frequently have difficulties in trusting themselves and others and in building relationships. A number of therapists hold that disempowerment and disconnection from others are the core experiences of the psychological trauma of torture, which are expressed through depression, fear, feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Thus torture affects not only the individual, but the family and the entire community.

Amnesty International's medical groups discovered three things after collecting and analyzing the findings of twenty-five years of work with survivors of torture:
1. Torture continued to persecute the survivors many years later with its physical and mental sequelae.
2. In modern times it is not aimed primarily at the extraction of information, as commonly portrayed in films. Its real aim is to break down the victim's personality and identity.
3. Torture is aimed at strong personalities, people who have stood up against repressive regimes.

Breaking down these persons effectively cows the rest of the community into silence.

The process of torture is designed to invade and destroy the belief of the subjects in their independence as a human being, to destroy presumptions of privacy, intimacy, and inviolability assumed by the subjects, and to destroy their unspoken trust that these things (or indeed society as a whole) cares, or can save them. Beyond merely invading the subjects' mental, physical independence on a one-to-one
level, such acts can be made more damaging via public humiliation, incessant repetition, depersonalization, and sadistic glee, and, on occasion, their opposites, false public praise, insidious pandering, false personalization, and masochistic manipulation.

Beatrice M. Patsalides, Ph.D describes this process in "Ethics of the unspeakable: Torture survivors in psychoanalytic treatment":[1]

"As the gap between the 'I' and the 'me' deepens, dissociation and alienation increase. The subject that, under torture, was forced into the position of pure object has lost his or her sense of interiority, intimacy, and privacy. Time is experienced now, in the present only, and perspective - that which allows for a
sense of relativity - is foreclosed. Thoughts and dreams attack the mind and invade the body as if the protective skin that normally contains our thoughts, gives us space to breathe in between the thought and the thing being thought about, and separates between inside and outside, past and present, me and you, was lost."

Post-torture psychological effects of torture

Torture subjects often suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their strong feelings of hate, rage, terror, guilt, shame, and sorrow are also typical of subjects of mobbing, childhood abuse, domestic violence, domestic vice, rape and incest. They feel anxious because the perpetrator's behavior is seemingly arbitrary and unpredictable—or mechanically and inhumanly regular.

Inevitably, in the aftermath of torture, its subjects feel helpless and powerless. This loss of control over one's life and body is manifested physically in impotence, attention deficits, and insomnia. This is often exacerbated by the disbelief many torture subjects encounter, especially if they are unable to produce scars, or other "objective" proof of their ordeal. Language cannot communicate such an intensely private experience as pain.

Interpersonal effects

Subjects typically oscillate between emotional numbing and highly sensitive arousal: insomnia, irritability, restlessness, and attention deficits. Recollections of the traumatic events intrude in the form of dreams, night terrors, flashbacks, and distressing associations.

Long-term coping mechanisms include the development of compulsive rituals to fend off obsessive thoughts. Other psychological consequences include cognitive impairment, reduced capacity to learn, memory disorders, sexual dysfunction, social withdrawal, inability to maintain long-term relationships, or even mere intimacy, phobias, ideas of reference and superstitions, delusions, hallucinations, psychotic
microepisodes, and flat affect.

Depression and anxiety are very common. These are forms and manifestations of self-directed aggression. The sufferer rages at their own suffering and resulting multiple dysfunction. They feel shamed by their new disabilities and responsible, or even guilty, somehow, for their predicament and the dire consequences borne by their nearest and dearest. Their sense of self-worth and self-esteem are crippled.

Women: The Forgotten Majority

Of the 23 million refugees around the world today, the majority are women and girls ... a forgotten majority who constitute more than three-quarters of the world's refugee population. Of these a large number will have experienced torture, or will have family and friends who have been tortured or killed.

Women who are tortured because of their political activities often suffer special degradations at the hands of their male torturers. They may also be persecuted by authorities in order to gain information about relatives' activities. Often women suffer inhumane treatment by authorities in order to 'get at' their family, since violence against women can humiliate men who have been brought up to see their role as that of protecting women in the family.

Many children have witnessed the torture, rape, or even killing of family members. The burden of their emotional support falls on women. Men also need their wives for support in dealing with their memories of torture and trauma. Many women who have suffered rape also have to carry the burden of shame felt by their husbands since their ordeals.

Adolescents and Torture

Adolescents are targeted in oppressive regimes throughout the world. Adolescents are often coerced into combat roles by such regimes and forced to engage in warfare. In the best-case scenario, adolescence is a time of excitement, learning, and taking on new challenges. In the worst-case scenario, adolescence is a time of learning also, but learning abot violence, oppression, and murder.

Not all adolescents are impacted directly by torture or other oppressive measures. Some are affected through such traumas as the loss of family members, generalized social violence, and warfare. Direct and indirect exposure to torture can have lasting and devastating effects and without recognition, the future can be extremely bleak.

For many adolescents who have been exposed to torture there is a gap between their age and level of maturity and their academic knowledge and skills. Consequently, many youth who have lived through violent and oppressive regimes are older than their years.

After-Effects of Torture

Psychological symptoms of torture frequently include anxiety, depression, irritability, paranoia, guilt, suspiciousness, sexual dysfunction, loss of concentration, confusion, insomnia, nightmares, impaired memory, and memory loss.

Survivors of torture are often unwilling to disclose information about their experiences. They may be suspicious, frightened, or anxious to forget about what has happened. These feelings may discourage them from seeking the help they need.

Treatment for both physical and psychological after-effects requires a great deal of sensitivity on the part of healthcare professionals. For example, it is important to remember that those seeking psychiatric help are healthy people who have been systematically subjected to treatment intended to destroy their personalities, their sense of identity, their confidence, and their ability to function socially.

http://www.ccvt.org/about_torture.html

http://www.irct.org/

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/

SCARFING UP ICONS, SYMBOLS

2008-02-02T00:47:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan fires the opening shot during his visit to Spain for a solution to Turkey's longtime dilemma: The "headscarf issue".

He says the issue, even if the headscarf is emblematic of a certain political ideology, will be solved as soon as possible. So, one wonders if the headscarf genuinely represents a political symbol. A heated debate has already been brewing for many years. But there is another question. Do any other political symbols exist in Turkey? If so, then, what are their origins

ENİS TAYMAN - H.HÜSEYİN TAHMAZ
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

A man in dark sunglasses was chanting in a strong, deep voice on stage. Packed into the huge stadium, thousands holding their left fists in the air were adding their voices to the chorus of the following folk song sung spontaneously by the artist on stage: They found him lying on the ground, just lying dead in his parka. It was those criminal shootings that left him there with a bullet-riddled parka.

This was a scene in the early 1970s. The artist with the baritone voice was the late Cem Karaca, a sui generis figure, who left an indelible mark on the history of rock music in Turkey. The green parka he symbolically borrowed from Deniz Gezmiş, a prominent Marxist-Leninist activist and one of the founders of the Turkish revolutionary movement of the late 1960s, had already become one of the permanent political emblems of Turkish leftists.

The same period also witnessed the birth of another symbol of people with a distinct political proclivity. Shaped in the form of a crescent, the moustaches of Turkish
ultra-nationalists began curving around either side of the mouth toward the chin.

A couple of decades have passed, and that era has in a way come to an end. However, it was only recently that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while visiting Spain, said, "We will try to solve the headscarf issue within the framework of individual freedoms. They call it a political symbol. Even if it were a political symbol, does that give them the right to ban it?" This paved the way for a serious
discussion about ideological symbols. However, Turkey, despite having many segments in its society, has not yet developed a clear approach to how to side in that discussion. This derives mostly from the fact that while symbols define a certain segment or segments of society, they might also serve as a turnsole that is manipulated to label the very same groups. Given that fact, individual symbols or emblems are sometimes attributed with so many meanings that they further instigate
social hysteria.

Leftists' symbols

Parka-boots-scarf

The green parka was etched in people's memories thanks to Karaca's unforgettable song. Accompanying two accessories, boots and a red scarf, the green parka was a sine qua non. Indeed communist boots were primarily accessories worn by those who would be the vanguard of a guerilla war; that would start either in the countryside or in the cities. The scarf, on the other hand, acquired symbolic meaning thanks to verses of a poem by Nazım Hikmet, the grand Turkish poet. Hikmet said, "He is walking with his forehead up in the air / He is walking step by step, with his red scarf waving in the air."

Thick moustache

There is no concrete information about why leftists in Turkey wear thick moustaches. Is it because Marx and Engels or Stalin used to have thick moustaches? Some say the Alevi faith had something to do with this political fashion statement.

Peace Symbol

Recognized around the globe, the peace symbol appeared 50 years ago. It was created by Gerald Holton, a textile designer and commercial artist from Twickenham, England in the spring of 1958 when a group of peace activists in Great Britain organized a rally against the use of nuclear weapons. Holton created the symbol by combining the letters N and D, for nuclear disarmament.

V for victory

Though the exact birth date of this gesture is not known, the hand gesture in the sign of a "V" might have been made popular by former U.K. Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill used the V sign to symbolize "V for victory" during World War II. However, later on, the sign, ironically, began to symbolize the desire for attaining victory rather than victory itself. In Turkey, V for victory was for a time identified mostly with rallies and demonstrations, but above all, with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Left and right fists

The conventional symbol of leftist ideology around the globe for a long time was a right fist in the air with a slightly bent elbow. Big guns in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union always raised their right fists when greeting the masses gathering in squares. However, the '68 Movement, reacting against the mainstream communist parties as much as it was resisting the global capitalist system, chose for itself the left fist as a political symbol. In Turkey, while pro-Soviet and pro-China leftist groups raise the right fist in protests, other leftists groups use the left fist.

A for anarchy

The initial use of the anarchy sign was during the civil war in Spain in the 1930s, historical documents tell us. According to other historical records, an anarchist group that emerged in Brussels in 1956 began using the sign to express their political discourse. In Turkey, however, the "A for anarchy" sign, symbolizing the anti-stance of anarchists against the hegemonic system, private property, class difference and certainly the state, has recently been popularized again by fan groups of the well-known football club Beşiktaş.

Nationalist symbols:

Full-grown mustache with down-turned ends

The roots of Turkish right wing nationalists' full-grown mustache, the one that turns down at the ends, date back to times when Turks lived in Central Asia. It is said that clans of Turkic origins used to grow their mustache in that style. This type of mustache is also the subject of myriad myths. For instance, it was believed that the owner of a mustache with ends pointing beneath the chin would later become the "tribal leader." In addition, Turkish nationalists' full-grown mustache with down-turned ends at the corners of the mouth, together with the two eyebrows, make "three crescents" which is emblematic of nationalist ideology in Turkey.

Gray wolf sign

The "gray wolf" sign, a hand sign symbolizing the head of a wolf, is an attribution by Turkish nationalists to a Central Asian myth about a gray wolf. In fact, the sign was not originally created by nationalists in Turkey. Entry of the gray wolf sign into Turkey took place in 1991 when Alparslan Türkeş, the late leader of the Nationalist Movement Party MHP) of Turkey, attended a rally in Azerbaijan's capital
Baku. Masses gathered in Baku greeted him with the gray wolf sign and it was from then on that nationalists and ultra-nationalists in Turkey began to make that hand gesture.

String of beads

Turkish nationalists have lately begun resembling a stereotype. And metallic bead strands have become one of the symbols of that stereotype. But the wealthier among them are fond of silver beads. It is said that nationalists, in particular, enjoy sliding the strands between their fingers.

Long coat

Some argue that a dark long coat can substitute an Islamic cloak. Here the reference is mostly to a particular behavior by supporters of the nationalist movement in Turkey who wear such coats. Thus some even argue that this type of coat is a product of Turk-Islam synthesis. Whether it is or not, the long coats are almost the trademark of Turkish ultra-nationalists.

Islamists' symbols

Greetings with index finger

Greeting people by pointing an index finger up in air was an emblem of the Nationalist Order Party (MNP), a conservative party no longer in existence but which was active in Turkey's past political life. The use of the index finger when greeting a crowd in fact traces back to the early days of Islam. When Prophet Mohammed completed delivering his "Final Khutba"(final speech to all Muslims in 632 A.D., he asked all believers who gathered to listen to him to give their blessings to him. They then said they all gave their blessings to him. Then, Prophet Mohammed pointed his index finger up into air and asked for God's testimony.

Beard

Indeed wearing a neat and trimmed beard is a "Sunnah" literally meaning "trodden path" that represents the way Prophet Mohammed lived) in Islam. The mustache, on the other hand, should not cover the upper lip, according to Sunnah.

Takke (Coif)

The etymologic roots of the word takke, or prayer caps, in Turkish trace back to the Arabic word for the verb "protect". White takkes are preferred by Muslims. Coifs and
their equivalents were used even before Islam.

Green cloak (Jilbab)

According to information provided on various Internet sites about Islam, the descendents of Prophet Mohammed's daughter Fatima used to wear a green cloak and green turban, called "Sayyid" (for males) or "Sayyidah"(for females). In contemporary Turkey, green cloaks are mostly preferred by Menzil and İsmailağa groups of the Nakşibendi order of Sunni Islam.

99-bead tasbih

Though generally the Nakşibendi order uses the 99-bead tasbih (string of prayer beads or rosary), other devout Muslims also use such tasbihs. On top of praying five times a day, many Muslims always have their tasbih in hand, similar to the Catholic rosary, but with 99 beads, corresponding to the 99 attributes the Koran gives to God: The "Compassionate," the "Merciful"... or to the 99 times the Koran mentions the name "Allah."

Clogs

It was said when Turgut Özal, a former prime minister of Turkey, was a civil servant in the State Planning Organization, the corridors of the institution were echoing
with the sound of steps taken by those wearing clogs before taking ablution for prayer. Later on, Islamic sect members trickling into the state's secular institutions were called "the ones with the clogs" which was an attribution to those
whose footsteps had resonated in the hallways of public institutions.

Çarşaf (Hijab)

In Turkey, some female members of some Islamic orders wear a large black cloth over their heads and bodies called çarşaf or hijab in Arabic. Similar to the use of prayer beads, women who are not members of particular Islamic sects also wear çarşaf
or hijab.

Headscarf

The latest dilemma in Turkey… Some say it is a political symbol while others say it is worn in compliance with religious beliefs. While the headscarf is described as the "latest fashion symbol" in Turkey, Erdoğan recently said even if headscarf were a political symbol, it does not give anyone any right to ban it. In present day Turkey, many women wear the headscarf employing different styles and degrees of covering.

Kurds' symbols

Green-yellow-red tricolor scarf and other items

Kurds' use of the colors green, yellow and red in a scarf or any other item date back to the Legend of Kawa the Blacksmith, a Kurdish myth that tells the story of Kaveh, written as Kawa in Kurdish. According to the myth, Kawa, who lived for 2,500
years under the tyranny of Zuhak or Dehak, an Assyrian figure, was waving his green, yellow and red leather apron during a rebellion he started and went on to win freedom against the tyrant. The three colors used together are the colors representing Kurdish nationalism.

Puşi-Poşu (Poshu)

Puşi or poşu (pronounced as poshu), the traditional Palestinian scarf or the Arabic head-dress kafiyyah, is also worn by many Kurds. Poşu, which means "to cover" is etymologically a Persian word. Poşu making has been a traditional handicraft among Armenians and Assyrians since the 16th century. Today, poşu is widely used by Kurds as well as by some other Middle East peoples. Poşu is most notably the Palestinian scarf and represents Arabic culture.

Secularists' symbol Atatürk pins

The image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, has always been used, and even sometimes manipulated, as an emblem by pro-Western and modernist segments. Nevertheless, the symbolism of Atatürk is still used by secularists against Islamists.

Symbols feed sense of belonging and identity

Professor Sibel Kalaycıoğlu, Sociology Department, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara

Symbols, ceremonies and rituals cannot be separated from social life. Rituals are what make a society an integrated sum of different segments. Ceremonies like weddings and funerals are special gatherings in which a set of certain symbolic patterns of behavior and rituals are observed. Such symbols and rituals as a whole function to compel individuals to be more involved with the rest of society and increase their adaptability to it through not allowing them to become just atomized persons. Thus, symbols, rituals, and ceremonies as a whole contribute to the survival of a social order. As a matter of fact, symbols are a source of acquiring a sense of belonging to a certain community or a society. They not only serve as transmitters of traditions for subsequent generations but also function as bridges between the past and present of a society. In that sense, symbols are slow to change and they even might create distinct social identities in society. Symbols do not only exist visually but also are expressed in ways of thinking and behaving. In this way, they shape the minutiae of daily life, and might even create further differences on a local level, that is to say, within small communities like neighborhoods.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=95279

UNIVERSITIES AGAINST HEADSCARF

2008-02-02T00:30:00.000-08:00

Turkish university heads warn against lifting headscarf ban.

Turkey’s parliament is expected debate the proposed changes to the constitution to allow the headscarf ban to be lifted some time next week.

ANKARA - Turkey will become a religious state if a ban on allowing women to wear the traditional Islamic headscarf while attending higher education courses is lifted, according to representatives of the country’s universities.

A statement issued after an extraordinary meeting of the Interuniversity Board in Ankara Friday said Turkey’s secular regime would be undermined if amendments to the constitution proposed by the government to lift the headscarf ban were implemented.

“These amendments will encourage attempts to abolish the principle of secularism, and in the end, our universities will get away from rationalism and scientific freedom and Turkey will turn into a religious state,” the board said. “It is inaccurate to assume that the changes will only cover university students and the remarks of some executives that headscarf should be allowed in all public institutions confirm our assessment.”

Universities are places where people enjoy scientific freedom, not freedom of belief, the statement said, warning that there was no doubt that real discrimination and unethical behavior will appear after the headscarf ban was lifted.

“We think that these legal changes will affect all academic studies and the acquisitions of the Republic will be lost with these changes,” the board said.

The board issued a warning to the members of the commission who had prepared the draft constitutional amendment allowing for the lifting of the headscarf ban, along with those who sport these views and who remain silent, that the proposed changes would abolish the secular order and harm the educational peace in Turkey’s universities.

Women not satisfied with headscarf criteria

The women who have been fighting for headscarf are not satisfied: "they should stop playing games on us. This adjustment makes discrimination legal."

Women organizations fighting for freedom of headscarf wearing did not find satisfactory the constitutional law amendment agreed by MHP and AKP. The women defend that this formula will create a control mechanism at university gates and will mark women. The women wanted an adjustment to make them equal with other citizens in this country.

Zeynep Göknil Piyade from Başkent Platform said: "we do not want this to be limited to only education. What's going to happen in business life? Will the women wearing headscarf go abroad to wear headscarf while working? This ban should be lifted completely. Everyone should accept that it is against democracy and human rights. They should quit playing games on us."

LET OUR HAIR FREE!

2008-01-19T04:25:00.000-08:00

I met this mind for the first time at 15, when I fall ill and taken to Medical Faculty Hospital. The mind was in the form of an elder professor, MD, who tried to examine me with his eyes (avoiding eye contact), avoiding to touch with his hands.

MD aunts and uncles explained that he is very religious but a great doctor at his area, and brother of our famous religious party leader Erbakan.

My 15 year old mind couldn't understand how his religious beliefs could prevent his mind examining me by his hands, but put a dot there in the memory. Thanks god, there were other doctors and I survived. But the question put in my mind with this experience made me reject the religion from politics or any area of life from that day on.

Was it a sin to be a female? Was I a sin to stay away, even to treat? Was it a sin to be beautiful to look at? Which was sick; my young and science hungry mind or his old mind rejecting even his own scientist identity? They were big questions for a 15 year old mind to answer but good to think on.

Though, it was not possible to recognize them for sure during those days. They breed like crabs while people was dealing with fascist attacks, military rules and anti-democratic laws. Suddenly we looked around and realized we are surrounded with black beetles reducing democracy, democratic rights we fought for decades; to the black sheets they cover themselves, to turbans to cover their hair.

So, they politicized the religion, Islam, and standing in front of us...

Last week Prime Minister Erdoğan blurted his already known aim out at last. He remarked on whether the ban on wearing headscarves at universities should be removed or not in his usual language; "Even if it [the headscarf] is worn as a political symbol, can you consider wearing a political symbol a crime? Can you bring in a ban on symbols?"

So, Mr Erdogan knows better than the founders of this Republic...

Conservative media stepped immediately; "His remarks renewed hope that the government will finally take the necessary steps to resolve Turkey's seemingly endless headscarf problem through the new constitution."

So; their endless problem is with hair...

Yesterday top prosecutor warned that "easing restrictions on wearing the Islamic headscarf could lead to civil unrest and undermine the secular nature of the Turkish state". Supreme Court Chief Public Prosecutor Yalcinkaya said political parties cannot have the goal to change the republic’s secular character; "Disregarding the main principles of the republic and 85 years of achievements and providing certain rights to ethnic groups, sects and racists will divide the people and lead to clashes."

So, Mr Erdogan can forget the character of this state easily (or he thinks he is able to change anything he wish or worse; dreaming caliphate)...

That is right; Turkiye bans women from wearing the headscarf while attending schools or universities, or while working in state positions. Turkiye is a secular democracy with a predominantly Muslim population. Turkish women have many good conditions than any Islamic or Muslim dominated countries.

When the Turkish Republic formed in 1923, clear choices made by secularizing the country. Equal rights and the right to vote are given to Turkish women. All kinds of turbans and religious clothing banned from government institutions and women liberated from the darkness (we didn't know burkas even then).

Thanks to the political Islam; more than 80 years after the liberation from the veil, some can take to the streets for the right to wear the Islamic headscarf. Even Mrs Gul, now first lady, applied to Europe Human Rights Court but took her case back when her husband won the elections (don't even mention how they shame Turkish women around the world).

If you visit Anıtkabir, mosoleum of Atatürk, you can see the set of statues of a group of three women. Three women represent the common people and are wearing traditional clothes, not veil or turban. Two of them holds a large wreath that reaches the ground and is made up of sheaves of grain, symbolizing Turkey’s fertile land. The woman on the left holds a cup in her hand, asking in earnest for God’s blessings for their great leader. The woman standing in the middle has covered her face and is a symbol of national grief. They reflect the pride, serenity and determination of Turkish women who made countless sacrifices in the struggle for national liberation.

Some may need to remember;
Recognition of equal rights to men and women (1926 - 1934)
Reform of Headgear and Dress (1925)
Closure of mausoleums and dervish lodges (1925)
Law on family names (1934)
Abolishment of titles and by-names (1934)

In these short years of reforms Turkish women transported from the harem and veil to membership in Parliament, to which seventeen women were admitted in 1935. Reforms also stripped the imams, mollas, hodjas from their privileges. The old order changed; traditional fez was abandoned, harems banned and monogamy became the law. Social and cultural reforms, included banning religious schools, revoking the Shariah courts, and abolishing religious titles and orders.

There is no need to remind the history of veil or what happened when or why once more, but better to look at the higher literacy and professional-employment rates for Turkish women compared to anywhere else in the Middle East and even the developed countries in Europe and America: "In the fields of architecture, science, medicine, pharmacy and law, at least one out of three employed is a woman. In colleges women constitute about 35 percent of the faculty. Almost 40 percent of all young traders at the Istanbul Stock Exchange are women. Even in the technical world of engineering, with a participation level of 12 percent, Turkish women are slightly ahead of their American counterparts."

While Turkish women granted the right to elect and be elected at 1934, French women gained the same rights in 1944, Italian women in 1945 and the Swiss in 1971. In Iran in the 1930s, Reza Shah Pahlevi issued a proclamation banning the veil outright but Shah went and we can see the situation of women thanks to Islamic revolution.

So...

What they want from us now? Turn back to darkness? Having democracy by closing their hair? Making 8-10 year olds close their heads?

Will headscarved doctors serve 15 year old boys? Will 15 year old girls have treatment by male doctors? How will headscarved teachers, judges, polices etc serve to public while trying to avoid touching? Headscarf is not only a religious symbol but a symbol of fanatic behavior, mentality.

How would closing their heads bring them freedom? Some say it prevents men looking them as sex objects but recognize their personalities, bullshit... If it is "what in or on a man's head" or "not", you can't change it by closing your head or opening your ass (just as "what is in a woman's head" or "not")...

Of course this ill mind is explaining it from the point of "freedom of education", explain it to my shoes...

We certainly don't have anything to say about the freedom of education but we have a say about "the freedom of having services". What would a diploma on the wall can bring to an ill mind who would avoid to touch the opposite sex in any area of life, science...

It all begins and ends in the mind. Now Mr. genius PM Erdoğan blurts; "Even if it [the headscarf] is worn as a political symbol, can you consider wearing a political symbol a crime? Can you bring in a ban on symbols?"

Those words are enough to show that their aim is not limited with education in universities. Yes Mr. genius / idiot, we can... carry your symbol "in" your heart and mind and take your minds "out" of women's body...

Educated population, youth is our "national treasure". We neither have enough "sources" to waste for their uncertainty on their "own" beliefs nor enough "time" waste for our future.

Political Islam is the plague cherished by imperialism. They shouldn't’t confuse us with the women of Arab or any other Islamic countries and take their hands and minds from our hair...

And those women who want to close their head; would you stroke our boys' heads as teachers when we send them to schools, would you treat our sons when they get wounded fighting for our country as doctors, would you carry their burned bodies after terrorist attacks as police officers, would you fight side by side with them or be bussy with closing your heads, not touching them under the rain of bullets to our freedom?...

Or just; "what is freedom" for you?... Or just, “what” is in your mind?...

What is in our mind is the "clear and clean" wind of civilisation, humanity, equality, respect waving our hair free for both our daughters and sons...

This is a photo of Afghan King Amanullah Han during his visit to Turkiye at 1928... Think about the Afghan women in burkas now, 80 years later...

Well, Allah gave you the intelligence, think on...

JANUARY; MONTH OF LOSTS

2008-01-17T07:18:00.001-08:00

January is one of those sad months for us. I can't begin with Mustafa Suphi and his 14 friends, even my parents were not born yet. Though mom used to transfer quotes from grandpa's stories about them during her own childhood, they are just a light shining in our far history for me.

It is not possible to count all we lost so far, better not to loose my self in the dark labyrinths of the history. The years we lived, witnessed our selves are hard enough to describe.

It was the first week of January 1976 when I get acquainted with death. Şükrü Bulut was a Hacettepe University Medical Faculty student murdered by fascist. It is not possible to forget how the news spread to all universities in Ankara, how thousands gathered, shouted slogans and walked after his coffin in respect and determination.

His name is one of the dozens which are still in my mind because his murder was the first after March 12th Military Memorandum. Fallowing years took so many from us that we are not able to remember all their names any more.

Sometimes memories of a death or funeral rush out from darkness. It is possible to remember every detail closing your eyes only for a second. It is not hard to remember everything from the marches sang to the routes fallowed but mind fail when it comes to names. I don't know why, may be because they were so many. So many that days came when the news begun to give numbers instead of names.

The dark forces, fascists couldn't satisfied with the murder of students, youth who was in love with their country and freedom. Mass murders are another story. Their bullets were/ are always hungry for the blood of our academicians, teachers, intellectuals too. Dr. Orhan Yavuz, Dr. Server Tanilli, Att. Doğan Öz, Dean Prof. Bedri Karafakioğlu, Dr. Necdet Bulut, Prof. Cavit Orhan Tütengil, Writer Ümit Kaftanoğlu were some of their targets.

So came and passed September 12th, 1980 Military Coup. But treacherous murders don't end. January is one of the months of loss. So many anniversaries we have to remember, so many we have to show respect in memories..

Last week it was young journalist Metin Göktepe's anniversary who found dead after his arrest at January 8th, 1996. His elder, writer and journalist Onat Kutlar lost his life a year before him, a bombing to The Marmara Hotel took his life at January 11th, 1995.

The day after tomorrow, January 19th people will meet at the same place, at the same time for Hrant Dink. Time made us accept the death of others but Hrant is so new. Journalist Hrant Dink was an Armenian origin citizen of Turkiye, editor of Turkish/ Armenian newspaper Agos, writer in many newspapers and defender of human rights and freedom of speech.

It is as only yesterday I learned his assassination from TV. Getting dressed in hurry and calling friends with my wounded arm in hanger, rushing to the area to meet the people mourning for him. One by one people from all ages gathering under the rain, night falling on the candles in their hands.

The lines in my note book; "I lost myself at the flame of the blue candle in my hand last night. I found myself at a peace conference 3 years back, then I step to an interview ten years ago. Than, suddenly; I realized the candle in my hand don't have only one flame, as if it has hundreds of reflections around it. And every single lightened candle, every single fading light, every single life shot behind I witnessed during the last 32 years passed in front of my eyes one by one. I wished our country's lights don't fade, dreams don't end any more. Gandhi said "God don't have religion", I wanted to shout "Does humanity have nationality?" Mercy and grace upon you Hrant Dink!"

And notes to a friend from his funeral;

"That was one of the slogans of the crowds last night; "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism". "We are all Turks, we are all Armenians", "We are all Hrants " and many more. People carried flowers, candles, poster, peace flags. I first called a close Armenian friend, other than family friendship who was a member of the Party which we were both member and worked together during last elections. He was already at Agos newspaper's building, told there will be a march from city center at 8 pm. Then I called another Armenian friend when I get closer and see the crowds already gathered. To my surprise she rejected to came. It made the reality hit me once again; it is not a matter of nationality but who you are. Hrant Dink was so courageous in his beliefs that he didn't hesitate to criticize the Armenian diaspora and even the Patriarch in Istanbul as well as the governments of Turkey and Armenia. There were also many Armenians against him as well as the ethnic fascist Turkish groups. It surprises me to the reaction of Armenian diaspora now, he was the first one who oppose the genocide laws in France etc. criticizing them hard.

It was too cold. Though I put on the thermal underwear my son used at military, I freeze to my ass. At first it was possible to enter the cafes etc but in time they closed. I should seem so bad that some friends insisted to turn home. I left nearly 10pm but I saw from TV that the crowds were still there at midnight. It was the most emotional event of the last years. I wonder how his burial will happen. He was a patriarch, who ever shot him shot Turkey. Shot Hrant and us from BEHIND."

"This assassination may seem something extraordinary to many but not to us. We lost so many of our people, students, professors, intellectuals in similar cruel murders. I even forget how many times I walked behind coffins, how many funerals I attended, how many slogans I shouted at uncountable marches in the last 32 years. Only difference is; it was more during mid 70s - 80s. When one witness so much, she can remember only the first 2-3 but last one always make you remember all one by one again. I was only 17 when I witnessed a friend's death and marched that city square for the first time, and here I am still marching, still shedding tears, still attending to funerals of people who only wanted peace, human rights and freedom. Some call my generation as "the lost generation" in my country, but I don't think so. We still managed to live and go on. I saw two old friends yesterday, one said his son is in prison because of an event in the university. It seemed so ironic; we went to prisons ourselves for the future of our future children. And look, that future already come and those children we sacrificed for are in prisons now. Same prisons which hosted us decades ago."

And next week it will be Journalist Ugur Mumcu who we will remember once more. He assassinated January 24th, 1993 with a bomb placed under his car by Islami Cihad. He was the courageous columnist of Cumhuriyet newspaper and writer of many books about the dark relations behind terror.

At the last day of January we will commemorate our Law Professor at Political Science Faculty of Ankara University, Muammer Aksoy. He shot in the backhead in front of his house at 1990, like many of his former students.

Than we will welcome February with the assasination of journalist Abdi İpekçi, editor and general director of Milliyet newspaper. Though, unlike others world knows his assassin very closely. World acquinted with the assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca when he tried to assassinate the Pope, John Paul II in 1981, two years after murdering Abdi İpekçi.

In fact January is not guilty. Losts don't belong only that month but all months of this country...

IRAQI WOMEN UNDER OCCUPATION

2008-01-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation

Souad N. Al-AzzawiAssociate Professor in Environmental EngineeringBaghdad, Iraq
Abstract: For centuries, Iraqi women struggled for their human rights. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that some improvements in constitutional women’s rights were implemented. During the seventies and eighties, women’s rights improved significantly, providing better educational opportunities, political involvement, equal job opportunities, health care and development of laws and regulations to ensure a better life for Iraqi women and girls. Deterioration of women’s rights in Iraq began during the US-UN comprehensive economical sanctions imposed on Iraqi during the nineties. In 2003, the invasion of Iraq by the USA and its allies resulted in the descent of the rights of women just like other elements in Iraqi society, infrastructure and the general quality of life. To define the extent of the USA occupation impact on women’s rights and living conditions, a survey composed of 21 questions was distributed in two major cities: • Inside Baghdad, Iraq in the Karada District, and • Kudsiya area in Damascus, Syria where more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees live.
The 150 women who answered the survey were a part of 150 families or households composed of a total of 502 Iraqis. Statistical analysis of the questions of the survey indicated dangerous trends in the security status that drove Iraqi women out of their jobs, where 85% of the studied women are unemployed (taking into consideration that the large majority of this percentage have a formal education). The study also indicated that 36% of the studied families lived with no income or a very low income of $100/month or less which has lead to women and children doing menial labor or begging. Also, it was found that 87 families have a victim of either occupation forces or sectarian violence. The mortality rate among this targeted displaced population is 193 per 1000. this high mortality rate is an indication of genocide existing amongst the migrated and displaced population. Missing family members rate at 12.7, and it is also estimated that 20% of the students of the studied women’s families are having difficulties and failing schools. A percentage of other students quit school altogether. The occupation is totally responsible for the deterioration and destruction of women’s lives and rights in Iraq. Iraqi women under occupation need the help of their sisters in international women’s organizations abroad to help protect them and protect their rights. They also have the right to resist the occupier in every way available to reclaim their lost lives and ensure a better life for themselves and their families.
Introduction
Prior to 1920, Iraqi women’s rights were not truly recognized under the Ottoman Empire rule. Iraq was occupied for four centuries under this rule which saw virtually no advancement of rights for women. The situation did not improve much under the tribal, religious ruling during the British occupation and colonial period of 1920-1958.
In 1958, Iraq became a Republic and for the first time ever, women’s rights began to improve, when the government of General Abdul-Kareem Kasim supported by the Iraqi Communist Party amended Personal Status Law to grant equal inheritance and divorce rights. This Personal Status Law also relegated divorce, inheritance and marriage to civil, instead of religious, courts, andprovided for child support.
After that, Iraqi women and girls began enjoying relatively more rights than many of their counterparts in the Middle East1.
The primary underpinning of women’s equality is contained in the Iraqi provisional constitution, which was drafted by the Ba’ath party in 19701.Article 19 declares all citizens equal before the law regardless of sex, blood, language, social origin, or religion1.
Enrolment of women and girls in rural areas in literacy centers under the illiteracy eradication legislation of 1979 transferred women in Iraq into a new level of education, labor, and employment. With other employment laws, the opportunities in the civil service sector, maternity benefits, and stringent laws against harassment in the work place allowed Iraqi women larger involvement in building their careers1.
Women attained the right to vote and run for office in 1980. In 1986 Iraq became one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
During the 1990’s, the (US-UN) sanctions imposed on Iraq had a great impact on women and children in Iraq. The financial crippling of families resulted in an increase of female illiteracy as many families could not afford to send their children to school.
To compare through numbers, according to (UNESCO) by the year of 1987, approximately 75 percent of Iraqi women were literate, but by end of 2000, the percentage of literate women dropped to less than 25 percent1.The criminal comprehensive economic sanctions imposed on Iraq not only prepared the situation in Iraq for the American aggressor to occupy the country and take over the oil reserves, but it also put a halt to the significant advancement in women rights and the improved living conditions they had struggled hundreds of years to earn.
By the end of the nineties, the economic constraints pushed women to leave their jobs and return to their traditional role in the home. The tremendous pressure and burden the Iraqi women have gone through since the illegal sanctions is indescribable, where she has had to feed the children with no food, take care of ill family members with no medicine, and bury her loved ones as an advanced sacrifice to the US invasion of Iraq.
Iraqi women proved to be reliable, enthusiastic and hard workers when given the chance to have a proper education and human rights.
By the end of the year 2000, many Iraqi women who worked as scientists, engineers, medical doctors, artists, poets, journalists, and educators proved that they not only can be equal to their counterparts, but more responsible to their historic challenge as an important integral half of society.
Iraqi Women Under Occupation:
Like other parts of society, Iraqi women lives, rights, and living environment was drastically changed by the military operations during the invasion of Iraq in March-April 2003.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi women, children, and men were killed, injured and families were shattered as a result of using conventional and internationally banned weapons like White Phosphorous, Napalm, Depleted Uranium, Cluster Bombs, chemical agents and gasses2 3 4 5. About 100,000 deaths were estimated as a result of occupation military operations for the period from March 2003 and August 20046.
Due to the continuing existence of US-led occupation forces and the intentional collapse of security, the economy, and civil services, women’s lives have become worse than ever. One reason of many is the new amendments made under the occupation government to the constitution and personal status laws. The majority of occupation assigned political parties are composed of religious clerics and fundamentalists who have their own sectarian explanations and interpretations of Islamic Sharia. These interpretations are often conflicting or contradictory from one faction to another. The new USA-written Iraqi constitution includes laws and regulations that leave much room for conjecture and interpretation by clerics and religious figures. This has resulted and will continue to result in a sure and swift deterioration of women’s rights as most of the old laws protecting women are now arguable under this more ‘flexible’ constitution. The occupation is responsible of the deterioration in women rights and living environment through the following:
1. Contrary to Geneva Conventions, Iraqi women are arrested, detained, abused and made to collaborate with the occupation forces and to inform against resistance7.
2. There has been an increase of sexual assaults, torture and violations of women’s right by US forces in Iraq8.
3. The majority of women lost their jobs. Seventy percent of the previously working Iraqi women today are unemployed for different reasons. Before the invasion, women formed more than 40 percent of total workers in the public sector1.
4. The dismantling of Iraqi security forces and police led to an increase in violence and crimes against women. Women are no longer leaving their homes unaccompanied by the relatives.
5. Women suffered from great loss of their loved ones through the unjustified killing of Iraqis by the “self-immune” from prosecution US soldiers. The total number of deaths in Iraq since the start of the invasion in 2003 is estimated to be 1,127,55210 due to different causes. The majority of these deaths are due to the troops use of excessive force and violence and the intentional creation of a sectarian civil war by the occupier to control the country.
6. Iraqi women are losing basic rights under the new constitution where women’s rights are implemented only if they don’t contradict the Shariaa, which is interpreted differently by each sect11.
The Struggle of Iraqi Women Under the Occupation: Numbers and Statistics
To investigate the effects of the occupation and its related political, economical, educational and social consequences, a survey through the questionnaire shown in Appendix [1] was conducted. The selected population of the survey was divided into two categories:
1. Iraqi women within families in the largely refugee area of Kudsiya in on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. This population is largely comprised of Iraqis who were under high threat for various reasons.2. Iraqi women within families in Karada District on the Rasafa side of Baghdad, Iraq. This area is considered a relatively stable, safe area.
The author and her assistants carried out the questionnaires and randomly distributed them to women within the families in these areas, and asked them to fill it out, and finally collected them for analysis. Due to the great fear of the women, the study team collected only 70 questionnaires from the women or families in Karada area in Iraq, and 80 questionnaires from the women in the Kudsiya area in Syria. In other words, the survey included 150 Iraqi families. Statistical analysis of the survey was split into the following categories:
A- Marital StatusB- Educational LevelC- Age DistributionD- Employment StatusE- Reasons for Current UnemploymentF- Family Provider (Guardian)G- Monthly Income of the FamilyH- Family Members Killed During Violence or ConflictI- Circumstances of Family Member DeathsJ- Missing Family MembersK- Existing Chronic Illnesses Needing TreatmentL- Existence of Chronic Illness Amongst the WomenM- Displaced Families – Causes of DisplacementN- Education and School Attendance Status of Students in the Families
Methods of Conducting the Survey:
The survey is population _based to prove what has been published regarding the deterioration in living conditions and women’s rights under occupation in Iraq since 2003.
The technique used to analyze the results of the survey was descriptive analysis of the information or descriptive statistics. The data was collected, summarized and percentiles were drawn up based on this and compared to certain previously published statistics. Finally, for the results regarding the larger population of the threatened and migrated populace, inferential statistical analysis was used whereby conclusions were drawn regarding the larger population according to the smaller one surveyed.
A survey of 150 households randomly selected within two major population clusters. The first population cluster is in the Kudsiya area, a suburb of Damascus, Syria where about 200 000 Iraqi refugees live.
The second cluster is in Karada District, within the Rasafa side of Baghdad, Iraq.
Between the period of August to October of 200, a population based two cluster survey was conducted to define aspects of the deterioration of Iraqi women’s living conditions and rights under the USA occupation of Iraq.
A questionnaire that covers different life aspects of a woman within any Iraqi family were put together (in the Arabic language) including the following:
- Marital status, educational level, age distribution, employment status, reasons for current unemployment, monthly income of family, family members killed during violence or conflict, missing family members, existing chronic illnesses needing treatment, existing chronic illnesses amongst women, displaced families( causes of displacement), family education and school attendance status.
The questionnaire was then distributed in the selected areas by two teams. Each team consisted of a PhD, MS, and a B.Sc. holders who work, or used to work with the author in Baghdad University. The assistants refused to publish their names from fear of getting killed or kidnapped by the Militias.
Members of the two teams personally distributed about 300 questionnaires randomly within each area code of the geographical extent of these areas.
What made it easier for them is the fact that they are residents of these areas. They answered the questions of the household women whenever it is needed and checked related document.
The team collected only 80 answered questionnaires from Kudsiya area and 70 from the Karada area although the residents were assured that their names and addresses would remain anonymous.
The Selection Criteria of the Areas:
The selection criteria of these two areas are based on the following:
1- A well known fact that Kudsya Area in Syria is an Iraqi refugee-like area for those families who escaped killing, kidnapping, death threats, and forced displacement. Thus this cluster is considered as a bias one in terms of exposure to violence. Distribution of questionnaire among this cluster was random.
2- The Karada area in Baghdad is considered relatively secure. It consists of a majority of Shia Muslims with minority Christians and Sunni Muslims. Covering such an area within the survey would give balanced results that might comprehend major aspects related to the subject.
Analysis and simple straight forward statistical representation were all done by the author.
Results of Statistical Analysis
A- Marital Status: The marital status of the women in the studied population is presented in Table 1:
Table (1) : Marital Status of Iraqi Women in the Studied Population
Status of the Women Number Percentile – Married 80 53 % – Single 21 14 % – Divorced 5 3 % – Widow 44 29 %Total 150 100 %
The above graphical representation of Table (1) gives a very clear idea regarding the high increase in the number of widows amongst the women answering the questionnaire. Causes of this sharp increase in widowed women are due to the excessive killing by occupation forces and occupation created sectarian violence as we will show later on.
B- Educational Level
Table (2) : The Level of Education of Women in the Studied Population
Education Level Symbol Number of Women PercentileIlliterate I 2 1.333 %Reading and writing only R 4 2.67 %Elementary school graduated E 11 7.33 %Junior high school graduated J 27 18 %High school graduated H 35 23.33 %Post high school diploma D 12 8 %B.Sc. BSc 48 32 %Higher diploma HD 3 2 %Master degree MS 2 1.33 %Ph. D. holder PhD 6 4 %Total 150 99.999 %
As we can see from Table (2), women with higher education degrees represent 47% of the studied population. If we combine this number with high school diploma holders, the percentage rises to 70.6% which proves the great potential of educated women within the studied population, most of whom were driven out of work due to the previously mentioned reasons.
C- Age Distribution Amongst the Studied Population
Table (3) : Age Distribution Amongst the Women of the Studied Population
Range Number of Women PercentileLess than 20 6 4 %20 – 29 20 13.33 %30 – 39 28 18.66 %40 – 49 46 30.66 %50 – 59 36 24 %60 – 69 12 8 %70 and above 2 1.33 %Total 150 99.98 %
As can be seen, the age distribution is normal, with a domination of the ‘employment ages’, 30 – 60, which represents 73.32 % of the studied population of women.
D- Employment Status of Women in the Studied Population
Table (4) : Employment Status of Women in the Studied Population
Employment Status Symbol No. of Samples PercentileCurrently Employed E 14 9.33 %Retired R 6 4.00 %Unemployed U 78 52 %Left work L 50 33.33 %Student S 2 1.33 %Total 150 99.98 %
This data shows that out of 106 women eligible for employment within the studied population; only 14 of them are currently working. This proves that less than 15 percent are employed and about 85 percent are unemployed.
E- Major Reasons of Current Unemployment
Table (5) : Reasons Behind Current Unemployment of Women in the Studied Population
Reasons No. of Samples PercentileLack of security 29 42.6 %Closing down of private sector jobs 5 7.3 %Dismantling of certain public sector jobs/offices 2 2.9 %Debaathification 7 10.3 %Sectarian favoritism 3 4.4 %Other reasons 11 16. 2 %Threatened by militias 9 13.2 %Remain at home to take care of occupation victims 2 2.9
It can be noticed that a major reason of women leaving the work force among the studied population is a lack of security due to sectarian violence, occupation forces, and criminal militias.
F- Family Provider (Guardian) Amongst the Studied Population
Table (6) : Family Provider of the Families of the Studied Population
Provider Number PercentileFather 79 52.66 %Mother 30 20 %Both parents 5 3.33 %Son 14 9.33 %Daughter 1 0.66 %Relatives 4 2.66 %No provider 12 8 %Self provider 5 3.33 %Total 150 99.97 %
As can be seen, there is an obvious retreat of women providing, or helping to provide, for the family even though the family standard of living is within the low-income to poverty level, as we will see from next category.
From the survey, it was also seen through the survey that only 73.3 % of the family providers live with the family, but 26.7 % don’t live within the family for security reasons. This represents an extra burden on women in handling the family necessities where there are no services available and there is a collapsed economy and lack of security to deal with.
G- Monthly Income of the Families of the Studied Population
Table (7) : Monthly Income of the Families in the Studied Population
Monthly Income ($) No. of Studied Samples Percentile100 23 15. 33 %200 – 300 71 47.33 %400 – 500 8 5.33 %600 – 700 11 7.33 %800 – 900 None —-More than 1000 6 4 %None 31 20.66 %Total 150 99.98 %
We notice from Table (7), that 54 families live with no income or virtually no income with an income of less than $100. This income level comprises 36% of the studied population. In studying the table with some depth, it will be noted that 70% of the Iraqi population currently lives below the poverty level in one of the richest oil countries in the world12.
Again, Iraqi women are suffering to feed and take care of the family members under these harsh financial conditions. Children in these conditions leave schools to support the family or women are made to beg for charity or do menial labour or other low paying jobs. An increasing number of Iraqi women abroad and inside Iraq are being coerced or forced into prostitution or even slave labour in order to support children or family.
H- Family Members Killed During Violence or Conflict
Out of the 150 studied families, 87 of them have family members who were killed with a total number of (97) killed family members out of 503 total persons of the studied population (comprised of 150 households). This represents a morality rate of 19.3 %, or 193 per thousand. This high mortality rate is understandable among highly affected bias population of the refugees who ran away as a result of being targeted by the occupation forces or sectarian militias. When asked about how many family members were killed, the results showed:
Table (8) : The Number of Family Members Killed Within the Families of the Studied Population
Number of Killed Family Members * Number of Families Percentile1 74 49.33 %2 8 5.33 %3 + 5 3.33 %None 63 42 %Total 150 99.99 %
This question was asked regarding first degree family members only- not extended family.
If we consider the estimated mortality rate a representative one for the two million internally displaced Iraqis, and the 2.5 million refugees abroad, the total number of deaths amongst these highly affected by occupation and sectarian violence categories is 868,500 deaths. This number looks reasonable compared to what Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated: a mortality rate of 654,956 up until July 200613. If we consider that the period from July of 2006 to July of 2007 was the bloodiest of the occupation years, the estimated total number of deaths through this study is reasonable compared to other estimated numbers for the whole country’s population. This number is estimated at 1,127,55210. This drastic increase of mortalities is due to violence which can be considered a trend of the existing ‘Genocide’ in Iraqi comparing only to other Genocide rates in history.
I- Circumstances of Family Member Deaths
Table (9) : Circumstances of Family Member Deaths Amongst the Studied Population
Cause of Death No. of Victims PercentileOccupation forces during torture 16 16.5 %Occupation forces during random shootings 1 1.03 %Ministry of Interior torture victims 6 6.2 %Target killings by militias 40 41.12 %Random killing by militias 19 19.6 %Lack of security (raped and killed) 2 women 2.06 %Lack of security 4 men 4 %Car bombs 9 9.27 %Total 97 99.88 %
As we can see, the highest percentage of deaths by killing is by the sectarian militias, followed by occupation forces excessive use of violence.
J- Missing Victims
The total number of missing members within the families of the studied population are 66 victims. When asked about the circumstances of their disappearance, the following was shown:
Table (10) : Circumstances of the Disappearance of the Missing Family Members
Circumstances of Disappearance No. of Missing PercentileWent out and never came back 35 53.3 %Sectarian kidnappings 6 9.09 %Accidents due to a lack of security 7 10.6 %Unjustified imprisonment 15 22.72 %Women were taken in place of other family members 3 4.54 %Total 66 99.95 %
Table 10 shows that the majority of missing people cases are due to undefined reasons where young men leave the house for schools, colleges, work, etc. and never return, such a terrible way to lose a loved one.
Again, missing victims represent 13.12 % of the studied population. Missing husbands, brothers, sisters and children are a source of real trauma to the women in the family.
K – Existing Chronic Illnesses that Need Special Continuous Treatment
Table (11) : Chronic Illnesses Within the Families of the Studied Population
Patient Status within Family No. of CasesFather 18Mother 69Both Parents 13Children 11
Chronic illnesses within the women’s families are an additional burden and a source of constant stress considering the inadequate health care system or lack of financial support for Iraqis inside Iraq and abroad.
L – Existence of Chronic Illnesses Amongst the Women in the Studied Population
Table (12) : Type of Disease Some Women in the Studied Population are Suffering from
Type of Disease No. of Cases PercentilePsychological 16 10.6 %Psychological with another disease 28 18.6 %Thyroid 3 2 %Ulcer 1 0.66 %Blood Hypertension 1 0.66 %Sterile 1 0.66 %Migraine 1 0.66 %Paralyzed 4 2.66 %None 95 63.33 %Total 150 99.83 %
A continuous change of the living environment, losing family members and harsh living conditions all contribute to extra stress on the women in the family. This has resulted in many psychological disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), etc.
M – Displaced Families – Causes of Displacement
Table (13) : Primary Causes of Displacement of the Families in the Studied Population
Causes of Displacement No. of families PercentileForced Displacement 18 12 %Lack of Security 40 26.66 %Personal Threats 12 8 %American Troop Raids 4 2.66 %Assassinations of Scientists/ Professors 6 4 %Internally Displaced 11 7.33 %Not Displaced 59 39.33 %Total 150 99.98 %
The 80 displaced families in the Kudsiya area in Syria are amongst thousands of other similar families currently in Syria, Jordan and other countries. Most of them live without financial support, insignificant health care that cannot cover long term disease and disabilities. Wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are sacrificing their education, social life and careers for the basic survival of their families. Thanks to George Bush and the American occupation of Iraq, the condition of Iraqi women inside the country and abroad is worse than it has ever been in the history of Iraq.
N – Family Education and School Attendance Status Indicators
The total number of family members involved in the studied population is 502.
Males : 248 Females : 254
Number of students amongst them: 318 (172 males and 146 females)
Total number of failing students among the above number is 64:Male : 40 (which represents 23.2 % of the total male students in the studied population).
Female : 24 (which represents 16.4 % of total female students in the studied population).
Inside Iraq, the higher number of failing male students is largely due to the fact that they are being targeted for kidnappings, imprisonment, raids, assassinations, etc. so they constantly have to move or go into hiding. In refugee areas, male students tend to miss school attendance in order to help support their families financially by taking on menial labor jobs.
Table (14) : Major Causes of Student Failure in Schools Amongst the Families of the Studied Population
Causes of Failure Number %Missed attendance 7 10.94 %Poor teaching techniques 5 7.81 %Distraction and inability to focus 10 15.62 %Curriculum differences 15 23.43 %Emotional damage as a result of having one or more family members killed 19 29.68 %Raids and imprisonment of a family member 8 12.5 %Total 64 99.98 %
Table (14) shows that a major factor or cause of students failing school is the emotional damage of having close family members killed and the inability to concentrate due to the violence the children and teenagers are subjected to constantly.
Number of dropouts from school
Students amongst the studied population are 160: 94 Males, and 66 Females.
Table (15) : Causes of Dropping Out of School Amongst the Students in the Studied Population
Cause of Quitting School Number %Lack of Security 60 37.7 %Financial Need 15 9.37 %Forced Displacement 37 23.12 %Migration 33 20.62 %House being bombed (US troops) 5 3.125 %Killing of a family member by militias 8 5 %Learning disability 2 1.25 %Total 160 99.98 %
Male school dropouts make up 54.6 % of the total male students in the studied population. Female school dropouts are 45.2 % of the total female students in the studied population. Again, we notice that the percentage of male student dropouts is higher than female student dropouts because the males do not stay in their residential areas and keep away from militias and American troops and police.
It is also noticed that the condition of children in forced displacement families inside of Iraq are worse off than the children of the families who migrated outside the country because the latter have their children register in school once again in neighboring countries while the former prefer keeping them out of school for their own safety.
Concluding Remarks:
Statistical analysis of the collected data from a population of 150 families composed of 502 members indicated the following:
1- Major causes of displacement amongst the studied displaced population include personal threats, lack of security and forced displacement through militias or occupation forces.
2- The unemployment rate is 85% amongst women in the studied population.
3- 47% of the women in the study hold some form of higher education degrees including Ph.D.s. When this number is added to high school graduates, the percentage rises to 70.6%.
4- The biggest reasons of unemployment are a lack of security and sectarian violence in the country.
5- With all the degrees and work experience, only 20% of the families rely on the mother providing an income for the family.
6- About 36% of the families have with no income or an income of less than $100/month. Women and children are made to beg or do menial labor or even work as prostitutes to feed their families.
7- Out of the 150 studied families, 87 of them have family members who were killed. There is a high mortality rate of 193 per 1000, indicating the existence of genocide amongst the migrated or displaced population. The studied population is a bias group targeted by the occupation forces and sectarian militias. The total number of deaths amongst the 4.5 million internally displaced or force migrated people both inside and outside the country is estimated to be 868,500.
8- The highest percentage of killings occur due to sectarian militias, followed by occupation forces excessive use of violence.
9- The 66 missing members of the studied families represent 12.69% of the members of the studied population, most of who left home for schools, colleges, work, etc. and never came back. Others were captured by guards and security forces and there is no information regarding their current whereabouts.
10- The burden of ill family members with long-term illnesses lies directly on the women’s shoulders, since the healthcare system in Iraq has been non-existent since the beginning of the invasion.
11- About a third of the studied women in the group have developed some form of psychological or other stress related illness.12- 20% of the students in the studied families are failing school. Major causes include emotional damage as a result of having one or more family members killed and an inability to focus.
13- 50% of the students in the studied population are school dropouts. Major causes of quitting include a lack of security and forced displacement or migration. Male student dropouts are higher in number than females.
The major conclusion is that the USA occupation of Iraq has intentionally created a catastrophic collapse in the social interrelated structure, infrastructure services, education and healthcare system, and security. All of which have a direct detrimental impact on women’s living conditions and women’s rights in Iraq. The occupation of Iraq has taken women back to the dark ages. By ending the occupation, Iraqi women have a better chance to earn back what they previously accomplished.
References:
1 Human Rights Watch, “Background on Women’s Status in Iraq Prior to the Fall of the Saddam Hussein Government”, Nov. 2003
2 Sarah, M. “What Kind of Incendiary Bomb Was Used Against People in Iraq”, Global Research, Ca. , Nov. 14, 2005
3 Flounders, S. “Iraqi Depleted Uranium Nightmare” , Portland Independent Media center, Aug. 2003
4 “War in Iraq Forces : Weapons “ , http://cnn.com/specials/2003/iraq/weapons/index.html
5 Peterson, S. “Remains of Toxic Bullets Litter Iraq”, May 18, 2003, Christian Science Monitor
6 Douglas, I. “Notes on Genocide in Iraq”, http://brusselstribunal.org
7 Hassan Ghali, “Iraqi Women Under Occupation” , http://brusselstribunal.org
8 Dahr Jamail, “The Desperate Plight of Iraqi Women Under US Occupation”, The Easter Republic, Volume 6, Number 4, 2004
9 Marjorie P. Lasky “Iraqi Women Under Siege” , Code Pink, Women for Peace, Global Exchange, 2005
10 “Total Number of Iraqi Slaughters”: http://www.justforeignpolicy/Iraq/iraqdeaths.html
11 Khalif Deen, “Women May Lose Basic Rights Under New Constitution”, Inter Press Service, July 22, 2005
12 Damien Cave, “Oxfam Report Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq”, The New York Times, July 31, 2007
13 Gilbert Burnham, Riyadh Lafta, Shannon Doacy, and Les Roberts, “Mortality After the 2003 Invasion of Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Cluster Sample Survey” Lancet, Oct. 14, 2006
Annex 1
This questionnaire is for research purposes. Please answer all questions honestly and clearly. Thank you.
1 – Sex : Male □ , Female □ 2 – Marital Status : Single □ , Married □ , Divorced □, Widowed □3 – Age : 4 – Educational Level : Illiterate □ , Read/Write only □ , Primary School □ , Junior High School □ , High School □ , Diploma □ , B.Sc. □ , M.Sc. □ , Ph.D. □5 – Employment Status : Employed □ , Retired □ , Housewife □ , Unemployed □ for the following reasons : Lack of security □ , Dismantling of public sector institutions □ , Debaathification □ , Other □ Explain:
6 – Family Provider : Father □ , Mother □ , Son □ , Daughter □ , Relatives □ , None □7 – Is the Provider living with the family ? Yes □ , No □ . If ‘no’ are they currently inside Iraq □ , or abroad □ ?8 – Number of family members : Male , Female 9 – Source of Family Income : Salary (daily, weekly, monthly) □ , Retirement □ , Charitable aid □ , Other □ : 10 – Family Income Level : Under $100 □ , $200 – $300 □ , $400 – $500 □ , $600 – $700 □ , $800 – $900 □ , $1000 and above □11 – Number of children currently at an age of studying : Male , Female 12 – Number of failing students : Male , Female For the following reasons: Missed attendance □ , Poor teaching techniques □ , Lack of concentration due to poor security □ , Difference of curriculum for migrating or displaced family □ , Other □ Explain : 13 – Number of student dropouts in the family : Male , Female For the following reasons: Security □ , Financial □ , Health □ , Migration □ , Forced displacement □ , Change of curriculum □ , Other □ Explain:
14 – Were any of your family members killed ? : Yes □ , No □ . If ‘yes’, was it because of : Explosions □ , Random killing by occupation forces □ , Random killing by governmental forces □ , Random killing by militias □ , Killing due to a lack of security □ , Other reasons □ Explain :
15 – Are any of your family members missing ? : Yes □ , No □ . If ‘yes’ , was it: Sectarian abduction or lack of security □ , Forced detention by occupation or governmental forces □ , Went out and never returned □16 – Were any women in the family detained in place of wanted family members? : Yes □ , No □ . If yes, was she detained by US forces □ , Governmental forces □ , Militias □17 – Are there any critical health conditions in the family that need special treatment ? : Yes □ , No □ . If ‘yes’, who is the sick member : Mother □ , Father □ , One of the children □18 – Is the nature of the illness/ condition : Cancerous □ , Congenital malformations □ , Amputation of limbs □ , Chronic illnesses (heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma) □ , Psychological disorders □ , Other □ , Explain: 19 – Date of discovery of illness: Before the occupation or after ? 20 – Is there a party helping with the cost of treatment? Yes □ , No □ If ‘yes’ , please specify the party : 21 – Did you leave Iraq due to : Forced displacement □ , No security □ , Personal threat □ , Other □ , Explain :

...SO WHAT!...

2008-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

Operations fallowing the Diyarbakır massacre named after 'Melek' (Angel) who died at the bomb attack. Nine PKK members including the one who is responsible from the bomb attack have been arrested at the operation of Melek. Photos of Erdal Polat taken in Kandil and his testimonies arouse reaction between the people. Though Polat showed where he hid the bomb to be used for another attack in Silvan and another massacre prevented, he stated in his testimony that he has no regrets about the attack.

Another bomber who caught at the last minute with explosions enough to destroy Istanbul subway was also saying he has no regrets while he was taken to custody between policemen.

On the other hand two bombers surrendered themselves and one who surrendered some time ago set free the day before by the court. One who set free said, he decided not to carry the bombing when he saw the children playing at the area.

Not having regret being a murderer of innocents... is it an indicator of braveness, limit of belief, showing the rightness of one's cause, sign of misused lives and minds or what...

Let's have a look at the dead and the wounded; Melek who died and gave her name to the operation have a brother who went to mountains to join the PKK, arrested and stayed in jail for 6 months. Öznur Beyaztaş who is wounded and in hospital has a brother who arrested at 1990 because of his activities in the organisation and spent 6 years in jail. Another wounded Vedat Baran’s brother is a member of the organisation and at the mountains from 2000 to today. Other wounded student Süleyman Özdoğan’s brother also had been in jail for years for PKK.

How should we read these examples? How could one feel if h/ h little brother, sister bombed, murdered wounded by the organisation h/s believed, fight for? Can it be enough to read an apology from that organisation? Try to read the Kurdish news, webs, watch the opinions of Kurdish intellectuals etc.. They discussing enough between them, can't make any positive comments, know what to say too.

While murdering innocents at one side, at the other side they are trying to put a campaign for the terrorist leader as "Ocalan's health is our health". Here is what his lawyers say; "Gunes, who claims all Ocalan’s rights are being stripped from him, also said ‘during these cell punishments Mr. Ocalan does not have access to books, newspapers or radio. He is also not allowed familial visits. According to the law, cell punishments should be between 10 and 20 days. However, all of the cell punishments handed down to Mr. Ocalan are of a 20 day period, which means he is always subjected to the harshest possible punishment’."

Exalting the leader? He is able to write books, talk and give orders, make comments and all from the prison. What about all the others who are still in worst prisons for years? What about all other who stayed (some died) in prisons for years without any little human rights?

They very well khow the luxury of the conditions of Mr. Apo compared to any political detainees. But they don't care human life whether it is their followers in prisons, at mountains or innocent civilians. What is important for them is protecting organisation, themselves, the leading staff whatever it coasts.

Latest official reports gives thrilling facts on the living conditions of the members at mountains, how they are threatened, controlled, judged and executed. Though people tend not to believe all official reports, it is not hard for the people of this country to imagine what can be right or wrong in such reports.

Whatever...

I wonder why all those human rights organisations which volunteer to visit and give reports on the condition of Mr Apo etc don't visit the mountains and terrorist bases, civilians and prepare reports on them too.

Of course while questioning these, we should never forget the decades long oppression, cruelty of the military or non military administrations in this country (on the whole population). How we come to this point? It is not easy to describe, tell in another language than one's mother language. I am not able to tell in any language other than Turkish, as another can only tell in Kurdish.

I can't translate (and don't know if I have any right to translate) but here is a very striking example from Kurdish Rizgari news web, for Kurdish speakers in Turkish; "Oğlum Kürtçü, alevi, kominist olmiş! Olmiş.. Ne olmiş!?" (My son became a Kurd, Alevi, Communist! He became..So what!"
http://turkish.rizgari.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=11814

There tells the story of a little child beaten by the teacher because he couldn't speak Turkish enough, in a little Kurdish - Alevi village of Anatolia. One of the many stories of a father whose son beaten, grow up and fall into jails at his university years. A call of "enough" as hundreds of thousands of others echoed around this country.

This is the end we reached being a third world country from the beginning and thrown to one military coup to another for decades by the help of "their boys"!

When will we admit, say; We cant define "death" in any language any more...so what!...

PTSD IS STEALING FUTURE

2008-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

US is dealing with a military hospital scandal for some time. It may be better to say “a scandal in a scandal”, because the scandal is not limited with the old hospital but the insufficiency of US dealing with the traumatized veterans turning back from one unjust war after another.

Washington Post article at June 17, 2007 gives thrilling facts; “One of the bitter legacies of Vietnam was the inadequate treatment of troops when they came back. Tens of thousands endured psychological disorders in silence, and too many ended up homeless, alcoholic, drug-addicted, imprisoned or dead before the government acknowledged their conditions and in 1980 officially recognized PTSD as a medical diagnosis. Yet nearly three decades later, the government still has not mastered the basics: how best to detect the disorder, the most effective ways to treat it, and the fairest means of compensating young men and women who served their country and returned unable to lead normal lives.Cruz's case illustrates these broader problems at a time when the number of suffering veterans is the largest and fastest-growing in decades, and when many of them are back at home with no monitoring or care. Between 1999 and 2004, VA disability pay for PTSD among veterans jumped 150 percent, to $4.2 billion.”

Most of the people, including the victims don’t know what is PTSD. It is generally described as in Washington Post’s “Walter Reed and Beyond” special report:
“You have experienced a traumatic event, or a series of traumatic events. The event may be over, but you may now be experiencing or may experience later some strong emotions or physical reactions. It is very common, in fact, quite normal for people to experience emotional shocks when they have passed through a horrible event. Sometimes the emotional aftershocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately after the traumatic event. Sometimes they may appear a few hours or a few days later. And, in some cases, weeks or months may pass before the stress reactions appear.”

PTSD’s physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral signs are listed as; fatigue, muscle tremors, twitches, chest pain, difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, thirst, visual difficulties, vomiting, nausea, grinding of teeth, weakness, dizziness, profuse sweating, chills, shock symptoms, fainting, blaming someone, confusion, poor attention, poor decisions, heightened or lowered alertness, hyper-vigilance, poor concentration, memory problems, poor problem solving, difficulty identifying familiar objects or people, increased or decreased awareness of surroundings, loss of time, place, or person orientation, disturbed thinking, nightmares , intrusive images, poor abstract thinking, anxiety, guilt, grief, denial, uncertainty, severe panic (rare), emotional shock, fear, agitation, depression, apprehension, irritability, inappropriate emotional response, intense anger, feeling overwhelmed, loss of emotional control, change in activity, change in speech patterns, emotional outbursts, suspiciousness, withdrawal, inability to rest, change in usual communications, hyper-alert to environment, loss or increase of appetite, alcohol consumption, antisocial acts, non-specific bodily complaints, startle reflex intensified, pacing, erratic movements, change in sexual functioning, etc.

Though PTSD is not a new disorder and accounts of similar symptoms that go back to ancient times, it come to serious attention only after the Vietnam War. A study in 1988 estimated that the prevalence of PTSD in that group was 15.2 percent at that time and that 30 percent had experienced the disorder at some point since returning from Vietnam.

Unfortunately it is still thought as a problem of veterans including World War II, Korean Conflict, and Persian Gulf populations, and in United Nations peacekeeping forces deployed to war zones around the world. However it is not only a problem of veterans but more of unseen, undiagnosed civilians.

My understanding of human rights don’t let me think it may be a kind of punishment to soldiers in return of their participation to wars. Let’s wish healing to all the veterans around the world (now defined with millions) though we don’t approve wars and look at the other side of the problem; civilians.

As PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed life-threatening events such as terrorist incidents, war, or violent personal assaults like rape beside other (natural, ordinary criminal and accidental) reasons; it would not be be wrong to think that the Cold War policies of imperialism fueled it among civilians all around the world.

Thanks to the scientists who are working on trauma and related issues who created dozens of questionnaires to diagnose trauma victims but it is a dilemma for me “who” are the victims they are able to reach. There may be some few researches on war thorn societies as Kosova or Iraq but I don’t think it is possible to reach the ordinary people of countries like us.

We neither have the possibilities of researches and treatment as western countries’ rather common trauma victims nor live under the conditions of declared wars to attract enough attention. We are not facing only personal but also mass-violence and mass-trauma for decades.

I don’t even wonder if there are any special researches for example about the difference of the trauma on an usual rape victim and a torture rape victim (especially with the fact that the females effected more than males). Or, what is the difference between one who witnessed h/h home took fire because of an ordinary reason and another whose house, school etc put fire on purpose and have to live under persisting threat etc...

According to scientific researches, even the hormone levels of PTSD patients show abnormalities: for example, high levels of thyroid, epinephrine, and natural opiates coupled with low levels of cortisol. Blunted, or depressed, responses to a trauma may be the result of the body's increased production of opiates (narcotic-like hormones that induce mental lethargy), which masks the emotional pain.

It may take a book to write on this topic but this is only a blog.

Reading Washington Post’s special report took met o my childhood; summer and autumn of 1968. I went back to the corridors, rooms, gardens of Walter Reed and young soldiers on wheel-chairs or with bandages came into life in front of my eyes. Only they were less than the numbers I read now and from a different war; Vietnam.

My journey to the past did’t stop at that fascinating years of 68s, hippies, revolutions etc. That child remembering the young Vietnam veterans’ empty eyes, crossed roads with them for a short time, grow up into her own traumas. Her own traumas lived at the other, civilian side. She had witnessed and experienced all creativeness and tricks of Cold War era as an anti-imperialist youngster of a developing country.

Neither anybody told, nor we knew anything about “trauma” let aside PTSD. We thought whatever we were living was normal, welcomed deaths or tortures as tests of our beliefs. It was not a conscious or unconscious decision but fact of life.

When we faced several illnesses years later, we could never think they may be related with our past experiences. It was not possible to think the cortisol etc level in one’s blood and it’s effects may be a result of decades past traumas.

Yes, this is only a blog.

What a pity PTSD is still not known enough, not put on the first lines in the agenda of anti-war, human-rights etc activists. It is great to do our best to help war thorn societies, especially children in the means of staying alive but I am not sure about the question of real survival. Is there a way to help wounded souls, heal them, protect the future of the ones who survived death… what a pity having no answers…

RECORDED MOMENTS

2008-01-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Those moments were full of deaths for the freedom of our country. Lived under the shadows of guns targeted on socialists, youngsters by nationalists, fascists, puppets of imperialism. Who could guess times will come and children will be the target of ethnic nationalists... We recorded so much in our souls and still recording...

Record The Moments

remember my soul; all the moments, everything lived
do not miss one, record them one by one
as sorrowful as the fall of an autumn leaf
as enthusiastic as the emotions a poem arouses
as deep as the ruin of a rape in unknown places
as fast and tranquil as the start and ending of a love…

record all the memories, do not ever forget…
forget the names, people, all gone down their own path
dive into the memories, let the faces be forgotten
dive into the feelings you felt
forget the names, the faces
it was your heart to tremble, your hands to burn
snowflakes melted on your cheeks
your tears were cooler than rains
assume the hope chest left from your grandma
keeps, protects all the memories
get them out at times, spread all around
sometimes under the sun, sometimes under the moon
say, you walked alone under the snowstorms, under the showers
you were alone with your wounds, in the loves like dervishes
my heart, keep what you lived like a treasury
leave the nonexisted people, names
you were the one to talk to winds, sending your regards on them
you were the one in conversations with flowers, trees, birds
you knew how the songs you sang ended
you knew the strength and beating of the waves you jumped in…

heart…
you are bounteous, you know
you were not beaten, you passed through many storms
leave the adjectives to the eternity, let them fly away...

1984

MURDERER OF CHILDREN, FLOWERS

2008-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the murderer of children. Terrorist PKK member Erdal Polat confessed his crime. It is reported that he is crying in spittles during interrogation and said; "I couldn't guess the explotion will be this big. I am sorry."

FOR THE FALLEN FLOWERS

2008-01-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

Engin will not sail to open seas
Eren will not reach and fly with falcons
Rıdvan's courage will not test in battles
Melek will not dance in silks as angels
Ferhat will not pierce mountains
cruelty took lives, they are now fallen flowers..

how many fires
how many massacres
we witnessed in our own teens
how many we entrusted to our tears
how many times dark forces
demand our lives and dreams...

our youth was already gone
sacrifices were done all alone
at times you were not even borne
how many Engin, Eren, Melek, Rıdvan, Ferhat
this country lost, you may not know
yet not in the way evil made your fate blow...

a fireplace this country is
a graveyard of endless sins
hungry for our eyes' greens
blood flowing red from our veins
our souls leaving our bodies
with best songs at our lips...

don't think you are alone children
you have ageless brothers, sisters there
once caught in that treacherous fire
you are now ageless as they are
your names will be carved
faces engraved in minds with care...

children, you are not alone
we were lack of support
parents without power to ask our account
you are the children of a generation
witnessed devastation over devastation
who can't stay without getting even for your blood...

enemy is talented in change as everything else
new scorpions breed at the old lands
seduced by old fickles, past time traitors
new fascists breed betraying the old ideals
don't worry, they are sentenced in our judgements
they are stinging themselves in helpless attempts...

children sail to the seas, fly with falcons
test your skills, dance for hope in silks
in memory of fallen flowers pierce the mountains
a new generation is fallowing your footsteps
donated with unforgettable experiences
listening the tales from their grandparents...

Storm

PEOPLE ALREADY SENTENCED

2008-01-09T03:34:00.000-08:00

I received a mail from G only minutes after I wrote "One More to Unforgattables" about the Diyarbakır blast.

G was writing; "... My aim is definitely not to upset you, remind your pains. The Last messages of 17 young men executed during September 12 period are at today's Vatan newspaper. I wanted to inform you thinking you may be interested. With love and greetings. G"

I replied him; "Thank you very much G, it was in my mind too... Anyway, one can't feel upset or pains anymore, only sorrow..."

I was given the video of their last messages in this blog, putting the Diyarbakir blast as "one more to unforgettables" in our memories but disgusting and condemning the responsible; "We get used to these events. We wrote one more to our list of unforgettables. Child murderers can't take place beside the freedom fighters, at the list of honorables. We will not remember them as others...U was not able to talk when I called. His voice was shaking trying to describe the scene. We both murmured once more; "Damn fascims! Where ever it comes from!" It don't differ either if it come from state or from an ethnic group, ethnic nationalists. We know how and who to remember. Five of them executed at this month, January of an endless year... "

One more wounded teenager joined with the martyred yesterday. He was 17, an orphan who worked at constructions whole summer to gain money for the university prep school. When DTP member mayor of Diyarbakir went to visit the mother of the other 17 year old martyr she turned him back saying; "I don't accept your condolence or anything. Leave here!"

There are no photos at newspapers today but I am sure the face of the burned ten year old at hospital will haunt all. He was hardly breathing, eyes fixed to a kind of toy in his hand but in fact to emptiness and all face burned. Who can make these other than monsters? They lost the possibility to call themselves as freedom fighters once more.

23 years old PKK bomber caught yesterday too. PKK and it's propagandists were trying to confuse people's mind as usual. First they described the blast as a show of their power and later, when they saw the powerful reaction of people, they changed language.

HPG issued a statement which Even crows would laugh; "There is a possibility that the explosion in Amed Yenişehir on 3 January 2008, in which a military vehicle carrying lieutenants, including some pilots, was carried out by one of our units' own initiative. We have not received exact information about this operation yet."

There are some comments from their propagandists at the internet; "So the bombing was not carried out on the orders of PKK or with the approval of the leadership. PKK's investigation should find, as far as possible, which city guerrilla unit carried out the bombing and why. Was the unit compromised by the Ankara regime? Or were its members operating strictly out of anger over the US-Turkish bombing of South Kurdistan? We shall see."

A member named Bozan Tekin, apologised to the people of Diyarbakir and said that the attack on a Military vehicle was not centrally planned; “This action was not planned by our Movement. After our investigations it has become clear that a local autonomous group carried out the attack... The death of civilians is increasing our sorrow. Our Movement has never targeted civilians. Anyone who is part of our Movement and with our People, whether independent or not, has never targeted civilians. We want to convey our sadness at the loss of civilian life and apologise to our People."

Come on, are they kidding? Who do they think they are dancing with? Do they think the people of this country are stupid enough to fool by their criminal minds? All the logical people are against them.

At least they should listen Professor Baskın Oran who they supported during the elections. What he said when he visited DTP at the Parliament yesterday; “We are here to support you against Kurdish nationalism too… They put bombs killing children and say ‘We put it for the military bus.’”

The bomber already revealed everything. He, Erdal Polat said he is a member of PKK and trained at Kandil Mountain; "I was targeting a military bus carrying officers. I am sorry that students died in the attack." He caught after his fingerprints were matched to those on the explosive-laden car used in the attack and the banknotes used at buying the car two days before explosion. Police records showed that he was arrested in 2002 on charges of PKK membership and served five months in prison. He was still in Iraq prior to the bombing and crossed into Turkey to carry out the attack.

It is sure that Diyarbakır bombing will be in the “unforgattables” of our minds as Maraş, Çorum, Malatya, Bloody Mayday Massacres, as the bombings of Istanbul University, Anafartalar, Istanbul etc.. But it is also sure that the bomber will not take a honorable place but forgotten in the darkness…

G is right; we lived so many upsetting, painful events. We learned how to interpret the backstage of those events. We learned how to mourn or remember, get our lessons. Whatever PKK and it’s fascists says, however they try to make excuse; they are already sentenced in our minds.

Being sentenced in the minds of people has no similarity with being sentenced by any courts, official institutions or state. It should be remembered that it was not the government’s free will to decide bombing terrorist bases in northern Iraq but people’s pressure on being fed up.

Once you sentenced by the people will, there is no way to prove any rightfulness in your cause. They did’t kill, burned those children, teenager, soldiers but dig a larger hole for their own grave.

They know how to kill, they know how to teach children to kill children but do they know how to die as the ones in our “unforgetables” or at least as the children they train, create murderers and send to death?

No G, I don’t feel upset or pain anymore, only sorrow… sorrow…

PKK MURDERED AT 17, 18, 19

2008-01-05T11:52:00.001-08:00

They were only students yet, waiting the last bell, with their hopes for future, for univercity... Martyred by PKK ethnic nationalist terrorists by a coward bombing in Diyarbakir... Look into their eyes and try to imagine their dreams if you can...

REMEMBER THE DOVE

2008-01-05T01:05:00.000-08:00

A Dove's Skittishness in My Soul
"Yes, I can feel myself as restless as a dove but I know that in this country people do not touch and disturb the doves. The doves continue their lives in the middle of the cities.Yes indeed a bit frightened but at the same time free".

Following is the quotes from the last article of Hrant Dink, Turkish-Armenian writer, that appeared on his newspaper Agos the day he was assassinated. Above is the call...

Agos
22/01/2007 Hrant DINK

In the beginning I was not concerned about the investigation initiated by Şişli Public Prosecutor under the pretext "insulting Turkish identity".

This was not for the first time. I was familiar with a similar case from Urfa. I was being prosecuted since three years because of my statement at a conference in Urfa in 2002 where I said that "I was not Turk but an Armenian and a citizen of Turkey" and there was again the accusation of "insulting Turkish identity". I was completely unaware of the trials, I was not interested at all. Some of my lawyer friends from Urfa were dealing with the case in my absence.

I was completely indifferent too when I gave my interrogation to Public Prosecutor in Şişli. In the end I was trusting to my article and my good will. If Public Prosecutor evaluated the whole of the series of my articles and not this single sentence which alone did not make any sense at all, then he would easily understand that I had not an intention of "insulting Turkish identity" and this comedy would end, I thought.

I was completely sure that after the interrogation I would be not be sued at all.

I was sure of myself

But to my surprise, the case came up in court.

Still I didn't lose my optimism. So I even told to lawyer Kerinçsiz who accused me during a live Tv program that "he should not be so eager that I would not be punished due to this case and that in case of punishment I would leave the country." I was sure of myself, I really did not have the will or intention to "insult the Turkish identity". Everyone reading the whole of the series of my articles would understand this.

And indeed the committee of three academicians from Istanbul University who were appointed as experts submitted a report to the court revealing this understanding.

I had no reason to be concerned, in this or that stage of the case this mistake would be erased.

While remaining patient

But it wasn't erased.

The Public Prosecutor wanted to penalize me despite the positive report of the expert committee.

Then the judge gave me six months imprisonment.

When I first heard the verdict I found myself under the bitter pressure of my hope that I kept during all the months of trial. I was stupefied... I was hurt and the feeling of rebellion reached its climax.

"Let's wait the verdict, let them prove me not-guilty, then you will regret all that you talked and written about" I had told myself for months just to hold on.

During each hearing of the court there were statements published in the news and columns of the newspapers and broadcast in the TV-programs claiming that I said "Turkish blood is poisonous."

Each time I got more popular as an "enemy of the Turk".

At the corridors of the Law Courts fascists were attacking me with racist curses.

They were humiliating me with pancards. Hunderds of threats via e-mail, phone calls an letters were pouring down and they were incresing day by day in number.

I was bearing all this and remainig patient with the expectation of verdict of not-guilty.

When the verdict was declared, the reality would be understood and all these people would be ashamed.

My only weapon is my sincerity

But now the verdict was there and all my hopes were lost.

From that time on, I was in the most embarrassing situation a man can experience.

The judge gave the decision in the name of "Turkish people" and legally registered that I had "insulted Turkish identity".

I could bear everything but not this.

In my view, to humiliate people who we live together on the basis of an ethnic or religious difference is called racism and this is something unforgivable.

Just under the influence of such a psychology, I told to the members of the press who were waiting for me at the door to check "whether I would leave the country or not" the following statement:

"I will consult my lawyers. I will go to the Court of Appeal for cassation and if necessary I will also apply to European Court of Human Rights. If I am not acquitted at any stage, then I will leave my country. Because in my understanding a person sentenced to punishment with such an accusation does not have the right to live with other citizens whom he has humiliated."

As I said this all, I was emotional as always. My only weapon was my sinceretiy.

A bad joke

But the deep force determinant as it was to alienate me and to turn me to an open target found again a pretext to my statement and this time sued me stating that I was trying to effect the jurisdiction. This explanation was published and broadcast in all means of media but only the one in Agos drew their attention. This time responsibles of Agos and I began to be sued under the pretext of effecting the jurisdiction.

It should be a bad joke.

I am a defendant. Who else should have more right to effect the jurisdiction rather than a defendant?

But look at the comedy, that this time the defendant is once again sued as to effect the juridiction.

'In the name of Turkish State'

I have to admit that my confidence to the "justice system" and to the concept of "law" was shaken to a large extent.

It meant that the jurisiction was not independent as many state officers and politicians dared to say.

Jurisdiction did not defend the rights of the citizen but the State.

In fact I was totally sure that even if it was said that the decision was taken in the name of the people, it was actually taken in the name of the State. My lawyers would apply to Court of Appeal but who could guarantee that deep forces would not be effective there again as determinant as they were to make me down? And were all the decisions of the Court of Appeal right indeed?

Was it not the same Court of Appeal having signed the unjust decisions confiscating the real estates of the Minority Foundations?

Despite the efforts of the Attorney General

We applied indeed but did it make sense at all?

.....The diary and memory of my computer is full of messages from citizens of this circle full of rage and threats.

(Let me note that I regarded one among them posted from Bursa as a close threat and submitted it to Public Prosecutor's office in Şişli but got no result.)

To what extent are these threats real and to what extent unreal? In fact it is impossible for me to know this.

What is the real threat and what is unbearable for me is the psychological torture of myself.

What I have always in my mind is the following question: "What do these people now think of me?"

Unfortunately I am more popular nowadays and feel the look of the people telling each other: "Look, isn't it that Armenian?"

And just as a reflexaction, I start to torture myself.

One side of this torture is curiousity, the other uneasiness.

One side is caution the other side is skittishness.

I am like a dove...

Like a dove I have my eyes everywhere, in front of me, at the back, on the left, on the right.

My head is as moving as the one of a dove... And fast enough to turn in an instance.

Just look at the price... This is the price

What did Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gül say? What did Minister of Justice Cemil Çiçek say?

"The issue of Article 301 should not be exagerrated. Is there someone found guilty and sent to prison?"

As if paying a price always means going to prison...

Just look at the price... This is the price...Do you know Ministers what a price it is to imprison someone to the skittishness of a dove?.. Do you know it?..

Don't you look at the doves at all?...

The thing they call "life and death"

What I all experienced was not an easy process... Neither for me nor for my family.

There were times when I seriously thought about leaving the country.

Especially at moments when the threats focused the ones close to me...

At that point I always remained helpless.

What they call "life and death" should be such a thing actually. I could be the warrior of my own will but I had no right of exposing the life of near relations to danger. I could be my own hero but I had no right to reveal courage at the expense of another person let alone a kin.

Just at these helpless moments I found shelter around my family and children. I found the greatest support from them. They were trusting me.

There would be together with me wherever I went.

They would come when I said "Let's go" and stay when I said "Let's stay."

To stay and resist

But if we go, where then?

To Armenia?

But to what extent could a person like me tolarete the injustice as intolerant as I am at this issue? Wouldn't I find myself in greater troubles there?

To go and live in European countries wasn't my style either.

I know myself. After three days abroad, I miss my country. What should I do there?

Ease makes me uneasy!

To leave "boiling hells" and go to "ready heavens" was against my understanding.

We were sort of people desiring to turn hell to heaven.

To stay and live in Turkey was our real wish and and also a must of respect towards all of our known and unknown friends giving the struggle of democracy in Turkey and supporting us.

We would stay and resist.

However if someday we had to go, then we would go like in 1915... like our ancestors... Without knowing where to go.... Walking on the roads they had walked.... Feeling their pain and agony...

With such a reproach we would leave our country. And we would not go to the place of our heart but where our feet went. To whatever place it was.

Frightened and Free

I hope that we are never obliged toexperience such an abandonment. We have enough hope and reasons not to live such a thing.

Now I am applying to European Court of Human Rights.

I don't know how many years this case will take.

What I know and what relieves me to some extent is the fact that at least I will continue to live in Turkey until this case comes to an end.

When a positive verdict is declared I will surely be happier and then this will mean that I will never have to leave my country.

Probably the year 2007 will be a more difficult year for me.
Trials will continue, new cases will came up in court. Who knows which kind of injustice I will encounter.

But while this all will happen, I will regard the following fact as my guarantee.

Yes, I can feel myself as restless as a dove but I know that in this country people do not touch and disturb the doves.

The doves continue their lives in the middle of the cities.

Yes indeed a bit frightened but at the same time free.(

ISTANBUL UNDER SNOW

2008-01-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

I walked at the sea side, along the Asiyan cemetery today. Cafes already changed names at Rumeli Hisar. There is no Ali Papa to welcome with his hot tea and smile nowadays. I turned my face from the sea not to see the bridge over the Bosphorus which we shared our dreams for years. It was snowing hard, I had to wink my eyes. It was as if I was in one of days we were trying to hide friends whose photos were on the wanted posters all around. I came face to face with Orhan Veli. He was sitting without his seagull on his shoulder, his book open on his lap. I dove into blues with his lines in my mind, I listened the years of Istanbul we already lived and saved in our memories under snow with Orhan Veli...

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed:
At first there is a gentle breeze
And the leaves on the trees
Softly sway;
Out there, far away,
The bells of water-carriers unceasingly ring;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Then suddenly birds fly by,
Flocks of birds, high up, with a hue and cry,
While the nets are drawn in the fishing grounds
And a woman's feet begin to dabble in the water.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
The Grand Bazaar's serene and cool,
An uproar at the hub of the Market,
Mosque yards are full of pigeons.
While hammers bang and clang at the docks
Spirng winds bear the smell of sweat;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Still giddy from the revelries of the past,
A seaside mansion with dingy boathouses is fast asleep.
Amid the din and drone of southern winds, reposed,
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
A pretty girl walks by on the sidewalk:
Four-letter words, whistles and songs, rude remarks;
Something falls out of her hand -
It is a rose, I guess.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
A bird flutters round your skirt;
On your brow, is there sweet? Or not ? I know.
Are your lips wet? Or not? I know.
A silver moon rises beyond the pine trees:
I can sense it all in your heart's throbbing.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

ONE MORE TO UNFORGETTABLES

2008-01-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Death toll from the bomb explosion in Diyarbakır yesterday rose to five, including three children. There are 110 wounded. News sources reports eight of the injured are in serious condition and the death toll could increase further.

The bomb targeted a service bus carrying the military personal and their children. The car filled with explosives parked in front of a university preparation school for high school students and set off by remote control.

Last week a suicide bomber caught with explosives enough to destroy Istanbul Subway at the last minute. Two others surrender themselves. Two other bomb cars stopped by police in Van and Bursa today.

Warplanes took off from an air base in Diyarbakır just minutes after the attack. State prosecutors granted security forces "unlimited search" powers for 16 days, enabling them to search homes, offices and vehicles in Diyarbakir, a city of 1 million people, without seeking prior permission.

Are these freedom fighters or child murderers? Is this guerrilla war for a right cause or mass murder of innocent civilians in pathetic disparate conditions of an ethnic fascist group?

Nearly 40 years passed after Carlos Marighella’s description of terrorism. Even the terrorist events carried 40 years back did’t target children. They are counted neither honorable nor revolutionaries in any context any more.

How some things can change so easy and some never; as a false leftist group became an ethnic nationalist with their pathetic leader in front of our eyes and real revolutionaries still same in our minds.

Is there anything else they teach the children they took to and rose at mountains more than to kill children, to kill civilians? Oh yes, pardon; there is also drug traffic, money laundering.

40 years changed so much. Change is the heart of dialectic materialism but it needs enough mind and logic to understand the world of 2008.

Some people and events always remain unforgettable. We are and will remember some with respect and some with disgust.

January is a sad month for Turkiye as all others. Our people shed so much tears at Januarys of 70s, 80s. So many murdered, many sentenced to death, many executed, uncountable left in tortures, prisons at this month along the years.

They were all for freedom but what was it we witnessed yesterday… dead and wounded children, fire swallowing cars and hopes, fathers thorn into pieces, daughters crying to reach their fathers...

It was not only a shame but also a sign of injustice, unfairness and loosing claim…. We get used to these events. We wrote one more to our list of unforgettables. Child murderers can't take place beside the freedom fighters, at the list of honorables. We will not remember them as others.

U was not able to talk when I called. His voice was shaking trying to describe the sceene. We both murmured once more; "Damn fascims! Where ever it comes from!" It don't differ either if it come from state or from an ethnic group, ethnic nationalists.

We know how and who to remember. Five of them executed at this month, January of an endless year...

THE BOY ON ALTAR

2008-01-03T05:27:00.000-08:00

2007 was a year with so many important events to think and discuss but I entered the new year with something very ordinary disturbing me; the sacrifice of a teenager.

It is ordinary because we are sacrificing them daily. They are being sacrificed by goverments, states, religions, ideologies, beliefs and even by their own parents' hands. Many enter their teens with lost childhoods in poverty, hunger, abuse and wars, and ended lost in life. They are already in the agenda of our minds as well as international human rights organisations.

This particular teenager is rather privileged. He is given a name meaning "unique" / "without any equal".

He spent his life in richness, at the luxury of big cities around the world. He is described as a keen sportsman, enjoying cricket, shooting, horse-riding and Taekwondo. He is in the middle of his wonderful education at Oxford.

His mother was describing her own teens at 16, when she attended to Harvard University as; "I cried and cried and cried because I had never walked to classes in my life before, I'd always been driven to school in a car and picked up in a car, and here I had to walk and walk and walk. It was cold, bitterly cold, and I hated it ... but it forced me to grow up." It shouldn't be much different for him.

When Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made his first public appearance before the world, his father announced the boy would from now on be known by his mother's name - Bhutto. Bilawal found himself inheriting one of the most celebrated and cursed names in politics only 3 days after his mother's assassination.

He had borned at the year Soviets begin Perestroika and withdraw from Afghanistan after 8 year long war, Saddam government carried out the Halabja chemical attack on Kurds and ended the war with Iran which costed a million lives. Mordechai Vanunu who sentenced to 18 years in prison for disclosing Israel's nuclear program at the same year already get out of prison. Saddam who was supported by US at the time of his birth, executed only a year before his mother's assassination.

It was the year father Bush became the President of US and his mother became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. It is ironic that the son Bush is still in power while Bilawal is preparing to take his mother's place.

He was at the family home in Dubai for the winter break from university when he learned his mother's death. He is chosen as the chairman of the Pakistan People's Party in a few days, with his father's support and mother's will. It is a party founded and always led by a Bhutto. So his father decided to change his name immediately to Bhutto Zardari.

His mother was 25 when her father executed and 34 when she begin leading the PPP. He is only 19 facing his mother's assassination, at the beginning of his education. His mother had an arranged marriage for the sake of her political activities. God knows what kind of arrangements are waiting him.

Bilawal cannot run for office until he is 25. He will be used by his father and PPP as an image and heir to political dynasty. Will he be a tool of nepotism without his own will? A tool for his father's greed? Will he be able to become a healthy man with such a family inheritance, what he had to live and will live with the threats to his life and under strict protection? Time will show.

Carl Jung says; "Nothing has a stronger influence on their children than the unlived lives of their parents."

I am not sure if there is a name given to family wide political greed. It is reported that Mumtaz Bhutto, head of the Bhutto tribe is against Zardari's rise using his son; "Zardari is an illiterate man. He has no political background or experience. He will not be able to conduct himself as the same level as Benazir,
most unfortunate," he announces; "He is a Zardari (Bileval), you can't just change it like that. The mantle should have passed to a Bhutto, because it came into existence and survived on the name and sweat and blood of the Bhutto family."

Not only Pakistan is in deep feudal conflicts as a country but those feudal tribes have their own inner conflicts too. Benazir fall in conflicts with other family members including her own brothers. It is still a mystery if she had a role in her own brother's assassination.

Conflicts inherited in the family beside their bloody fate. Bilewal is not the only one from the new generation. For now there is Fatima Bhutto (Murtaza Bhutto's daughter) who is a poet and political writer at the age of 25, and known with her strong critics to her aunt. Her brother Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior is only 18 yet.

She is described as clever and impassioned. Some consider this young beautiful Columbia graduate as possible heir to the Bhutto political dynasty. She didn't entered politics and even her step-mother's party, a splinter from Bhutto's PPP-SB (Shaheed Bhutto). She was already considered as a thread to Benazir's political future while she was still alive.

After Benazir returned to Pakistan, surviving a suicide bombing, Fatima criticized her aunt, referring her as "Mrs Zardari" and accused bearing the responsibility for all deaths and injuries, named her as "the most dangerous woman in Pakistan". But still traumatized with her aunt's assassination she wrote; "Honestly, I am at a loss. I am compounded in a state of shock... I have yet to bury a family member who has died a natural death," recalling her father, who was shot, her uncle Shahnawaz who was poisoned, and her aunt Benazir, assassinated, "This isn't about me, it's about those whom we have lost. It's about the graveyard ... that is just too full".

Whether it is because she is 6 years older than Bilewal, or lived a harder life, or she had a good education and interested in politics for a time... or whither it is because her eyes shines with intelligence, she is certainly clever in her interviews; "I don't believe my name automatically qualifies me, or makes me the best person. In a country like Pakistan where is politics is often an art form of the elite, and it's often very dynastic, it's hard to explain to people why I don't think it's a birthright. But no, I'm not going to run for elections this January or February whenever Musharraf claims its going to happen. I'd only do it if I felt I could make a positive difference. But I feel like writing is best for now."

Fatima already announced how wise she is saying she wants to"learn the ropes before climbing the electoral ladder". Nowadays, at least, all 3 of them Fatima, Bilaval and Zulfikar Junior told not to give any interviews by the family. Zulfikar Junior has the moral protection of mother Ghinwa, not even letting mentioning his name as the heir of dynasty. Though he must be the real and only heir according to the feudal and Islamic understanding of the family.

Bilawal put on the altar of politics to sacrifice by his father. Who may now when the gods will claim his life or if it is already gone.

Ever body discuss Pakistan's future, I can't keep my self thinking Bilawal's. And remembering the poem of Khalil Gibran;

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

ASK YELLOW FLOWERS

2007-12-27T00:47:00.000-08:00

We were sitting in the living room watching TV news. They were giving the news with same images.

İ turned me with questioning eyes; “This means the caves collapsed on them by bombs?”

I looked a few seconds in silence before answering him; “Sure, they send the bombs, caves collapse, they die.”

That stealthy burning begin to invade me as usual. I was not able to hear or sea the TV in front of me. I was not in the warmth of the living room anymore but shivering with cold.

“Do you know what, that is why they can’t give body count. They are bombing the unreachable points. Even PKK may not reach different bombed points at this winter time and know about the number of their lost. I mean, if no one left alive to inform with radio.”

All I can think of was the wall like mountain slopes, full of thousands of caves at our both sides which enchanted me during my last visit to border area. The images on TV were wilder, same caves bursting were on abysses, hard to imagine they can be reached on foot.

“Their bodies will freeze till the spring if they will not be eaten by wild animals by than. They can be reached may be only after spring” was my voice so chilling or could he get my meaning immediately, I am not so sure.

“Okey, okey don’t begin. I don’t want to hear your usual remarks!”

“Why don’t you ever like to hear realities? It must be what is happening. Bombs are raining on them. They get trapped dead or wounded. If anyone survive they may communicate by other groups, if not nobody can hear from them any more.”

“It is horrible.”

“What were you thinking it will be? They will land the areas, take the bodies, give them to their parents or take photos, show the world?”

“No, but…”

“Are there any photos of dead soldiers at the place of the events? It is a psychological part of this, not to give any photos of death. But this is another matter of fact, though they gave the photos of some bodies of PKK members lined side by side in the past, these must be really unreachable, at least for now.”

“But it is very… I mean… I don’t want to… this is horrible…”

“Yea, it is horrible. It is inhuman, is there any thing human in any kind of war?”

“But the people were fed up, they killed so many in years, they created so many pains…”

“Whatever, murder is a great crime but we don’t approve death penalty. “

“This is more than death.”

“Every death is unique. Nothing can justify death. We, unfortunately not everybody but, at least some of us can make empathy because they are our people, could we make this much for Iraq, Afghanistan for example…”

We sit silent until others come. Images fallowed one another in my mind. God, it is not always good to have an active imaginary…

I wrote dozens of scenarios in my mind as if I am still young and one of them. I wrote other dozens as if I am the mother of one of them. I could’t write even one as if I am one of their leaders deciding on their fate or sending bombs for their death. Even putting my self in the shoes of one of their mothers was easier because there was only unbearable pain to face, but no responsibility of murder.

Dreams woke me up several times until morning. I was at several places in wild nature. We were in preparation to spend winter in caves. I was not able to detach any feelings but longing. Bombs were beginning to rain on us. So much voice, so many explosions… Then silence and darkness…

I died so many times in my dreams before but last night it was not possible to differ if I was dead, wounded or one of few survived. It was such darkness and silence that even the living was dead and dead was alive. They were not nightmares, it was not my imagination.

All were more like a sacred ritual. Every dream ended with silence becoming alive, darkness turning to uncountable colors. I was bodiless whirling united with colors, as dervishes made of particles. Embraced with psalms, in every dream beginning with “Sordum sarı çiçeğe, sizde ölüm var mıdır? Çiçek eydür derviş baba, ölümsüz yer var mıdır?” (I asked the yellow flower, do you have death? Flower is fine dervish father, is there any land without death?)

Last time when such dreams invaded me I was in Diyarbakir, after witnessing the evacuation of dead and wounded soldiers from helicopters, in blood, over their friends’ shoulders from my hotel room.

There is a rebellion rising in me I am not able to control against death, death culture. I can’t understand how come death can be tried to be justified in any way. There is a point where no point of views, no beliefs, no ideologies, no politics works. I don’t know why can’t we see that, why can’t we resist the brainwashing politics of any kind.

When will the children of this country dance, whirl with all colors, with all folk songs, in all languages, all together? We can experience it only in our dreams after witnessing so much pain, but our children, grand children deserve to live it out of dreams.

Yellow flowers in our mountains, valleys are dying, wish earth will save their seeds. Some are terrorists , some civilians, some are soldiers. Forget the names, we have uncountable colors of flowers. Purples, voilets can also make you dazzle...

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Benzin neden sarıdır?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Ahım dağlar eritir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Sizde ölüm varmıdır?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Ölümsüz yer varmıdır

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Kışın nerde olursun?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba::
Kışın türab oluruz

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Tamuya girer misiz?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Ol münkirler yeridir.

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Uçmağa girer misiz?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Uçmak adem şehridir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Gül sizin neniz olur?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Gül Muhammed teridir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Ademi bilir misiz?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Adem binde birdir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Kırkları bilir misiz?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Kırklar Allah yâridir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Rengin kandan alırsız?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Ay ile gün nurudur

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Boynun neden eğridir?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Kalbim Hakka doğrudur.

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Annen baban varmıdır?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Annem babam topraktır

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Sen Kâ'be'yi gördün mü?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Kâ'be Allah evidir

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Bahçene girsem nola?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Kokla beni geri dur

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Sen sırat'ı gördün mü?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Cümlenin ol yoludur

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Gözün niçin yaşlıdır?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Bağrıcağım başlıdır

Sordum sarı çiçeğe:
Sen beni bilir misin?
Çiçek eydür derviş baba:
Sen Yunus değilmisin

ALWAYS A LITTLE LATE

2007-12-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

Operations are fallowing one another. This morning, only 4 hours ago, Turkish planes hit 8 caves and winter hideouts at Zap area. God knows where they are hitting at this minute. We try to comfort ourselves thinking it is a “no mans land”, with the words of a Northern Iraqi Kurdish official “where only PKK and bears live”. We try to think that the northern Iraq Kurdish Authority already evacuated the villagers from the area, no civilians may hurt, no children would cry.

We are against the terror but we are against the war too. We can’t tear of that sadness burning deep inside. What makes me worried most are the “opinions” of the readers under the news articles. Though there are still many logical ones, “nationalism” and “hate” are increasing at both sides. One can’t stop to think if this is planned and how far it may go. It is obvious how we come to this point but we are that kind of people who can realize a little late.

There is an interview with DTP deputy Fatma Kurtulan (whose husband is a PKK leader) at Radikal newspaper today. She says (sorry for mistakes in translation);

"In front of television at every operation, every dispute I am holding my breath while the lists are announced, thinking if my surname would be read too. Fire burn where it falls... Watching TV holding your breath thinking 'If he is there too?', only people who lived it may understand that situation. In the result, I also worry against operations. I feel carried away worrying for his life. I mean I hope, I wish nothing would happen. I know he is living. They give the names. Some news papers, Roj TV announce the names, ID of the ones who loose their lives. So, I know he is not between them. I would hear if it happens...

I am a result created by Kurdish problem. I am one of the rumpled, extinguished house's fires, one of the victims, strugglers. Children didn't see the parents. Fathers didn't see his children. Spouses separated. Mothers left without their children. We are the product of such a reality. I am sure no families with children at military service can find any peace whenever they hear new operations. They also look for theirs in the lists of names in front of TVs just like me, or any one with husband, daughter, and any relative in PKK. They say 'Thanks God' when they don't hear the name... Lists are announced. At the other hand, you live both the happiness of ‘not mine' and the sadness one in other. Of course it is important for me that my husband is alive...

…. We stayed married with Salman Kurtulan for 1.5 years. I know the conditions which sent my husband there very well. He lived a period like September 12, 1980. Introduced to jail, torture at an age of a child. We are a generation who lived Maraş Massacre with that child heart of ours. We are relatives... All along our togetherness, what he lived at September 12th 1980 stole my peace like dark clouds. He is somebody who was recorded as dead as soon as he was taken in custody at September 12th. Somebody directly listed as dead. What happened at the end... He found himself at the mountains... I continuously saw him in my dreams in blood when he shared his departure for the first time. Saw him dead. It was hard for him too. At the end it is a road which may end with death. It was not something he preferred, loved so much. It is vital for me. At the end he believed he can express himself there. There was nothing I can do... (with tears in her eyes) It was too hard for me too. Anyway, I couldn’t stop even if I want…”

Is there anything one can deny in these words? Not one other than the choice and consequences. But if she thinks these experiences lived, belong only to the Kurdish citizens or performed by only Turkish citizens of this country, she is totally mistaken...(BTW some news reports says that CIA will/ is ? release the documents between 1973- 1979 ?, should fallow and read, may give important hints on all these massacres, military coups etc)

Didn’t we all lived similar experiences, experienced similar feelings? Didn’t the mothers of thousands waited in front of only TV channel worrying for their sons’, daughters’ fate all before, along and after the September 12, 1980? Didn’t/ don’t we check the news several times a day for our sons at military service? We love our country but do we love death? Didn’t we all lived and wounded with all those massacres in Maras, Malatya, Çorum, and Bloody Mayday of Istanbul? Will we ever able to erase the images from our minds? How many people of this country visited and spent years in jails? How many survived the tortures? How many left the country as refugees? How many took, how many dreamed the mountains? Didn’t… How… What… etc… again endless questions with clear answers.

Wishes are always limited with possibilities and choices belong to people’s own logic. One may “wish” best but can “choose” the best only between the “possibilities” using h/h “logic”. It is also for human to make mistakes. Ideologies are complex things for mind and logic to put in action, perform or participate. How much political education we have, we can be still open to mistakes. It is same for individual and groups.

It is right that it was a time, a period with little possibilities to choose. It was an unlucky (or lucky depending to point of view) generation to be a member. But, why passing the burdens from generations to generations? Why turning it to a bloody feud, loosing the political grounds, forgetting the ideological bases? Making new generations share our fates, condemned to your past experiences?

This lady is neither alone to feel sorry for, nor her experiences are excuse for reaching the end of terrorism. It is not a must to take arms and join the groups in the leadership of ex revolutionaries to give political struggle. The time of that generation is passed but that generation is insisting on throwing next generations into a worse fire. They insist because they don’t know anything else to do, any other life to live. There is no difference with them and bloody nationalists any more.

There is also another question disturbing the mind; did any PKK leaders ever dead in any clashes? Are there any from the leaders who died under hot fire, fighting? Are there any leaders other than the ones executed by the orgonisation itself because of inner conflicts? We didnt/ don't hear any while young ones are dying everyday. We can't even have time or possibility to know their names, numbers. But Mr. leaders are under an invisable protectinon of mysterious forces, God knows what.

A third but very short news of today is about a phone from a PKK militant to his mother. At the captured phone talk he said they lost 346 friends and have many wounded. When his mother begged him to surrender, he replied he can’t. He can’t because 6 were executed by the leadership only a day before the operations began. PKK ordered execution for all who try to run away.

It is not written in any guerilla handbook to keep members against their will, to make children to fight in any wars, to target innocent. Feel sorrow, worry a lot because there are children trapped in mountains and there are adults with mysterious plans, mysterious interests. We are that kind of people who realize a little late, wonder what the youngsters of our day will realize in future. Now is the time of our grandchildrens' generation, leave them free..

THIS AND THAT...

2007-12-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

While I am writing these lines, Turkish jets are bombing terror bases of PKK in northern Iraq once more, according to Reuter's last minute news.

Operations inside the border are also going on. Some sources say hundreds terrorists are exterminated, some say no serious number of deaths. Military announced that they will release evidences and information about the results of the operations this week.

On the other hand, there are no reliable announcements from PKK. Neither their famous leaders (wonder how/ where they are) nor their spokesmen in Europe makes any comments other than a new campaign for Apo's transfer from Imrali prison and another to call help to stop Turkiye from operations. As usual they are confusing stem and straw in their useless calls.

Statements of northern Iraq Kurdish leaders are neither coherent nor realistic. There were some photos showing cement tombs, told to be the cemerery for dead terrorists instructed by Talabani but not confirmed. While Talabani, leader of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, condemn the cross-border attacks 16, claiming that numerous Iraqi Kurds have died in the operations; Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who is also the leader of one of the main Kurdish political parties, is cautious in criticizing the Turkish military attacks, saying that Turkey had the right to defend itself against the terrorist threat; "We understand Turkey defending itself against the terrorist organization... We are aware of Turkey's sensitivities. We are not remaining silent, but we are not going to declare war, either."

Wish they they think on declaring war... In all their pathetic state under invasion, non existing sovereignty it is not even funny. They still can't differ the target of Turkiye, PKK and Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq. Forgetting the days they fought beside Turkish army against PKK or it was Turkiye who opened it's border to tens of thousands Iraqi Kurdish refugees during Saddam.

PKK and some other sources are trying to show Turkiye's operations are only in military attacks context. The international media says nothing about the political, economic, social and cultural packages which are planning to accompany the military actions.

One of the steps is he draft of the “Witness Protection Program Law” which will be presented to Parliament. According to some mediaıa reports, like similar to US and many EU countries, witnesses who provide valuable information about crime and crime gangs would be provided with new IDs, financial support and even a new look through plastic surgery. It will be an addition to current Article 221 of the Penal Code. Some terrorists already surrendered to security forces were questioned briefly and set free under the benefits of a “protection program.”

There are news about PKK taking away the portable radios from the militants to prevent them learning the law and thinking to surrender. Pardoning all the militants other than the 150 or more leading group is also in rumors. Of course, it is not something that leading group would prefer. There was even a comment of Talabani on this issue, in the news today.

I found an interesting survey by National Police Department today; "Over 50 percent of PKK terrorists below 25." Better put some parts below;

"Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the most violent terrorist group staging attacks against Turkey, aged between 14 and 25 constitute 54 percent of the organization's members. High school and university students are the biggest sources of recruitment for terrorist organizations. There are 12 active terrorist organizations with leftist, separatist and fundamentalist ideologies."

"... They even recruit children. According to the survey, of the 262 PKK terrorists in prison, 54 percent are aged between 14 and 25, 34 percent between 26 and 37 and 12 percent between 38 and 58. A breakdown of PKK militants according to level of education reveals that 11 percent are university graduates, 16 percent high school graduates, 13 percent have finished secondary school and 39 percent have finished primary school while 12 percent are only literate without any formal education and 9 percent are completely illiterate."

"... A survey on 826 members of leftist terrorist organizations has shown that 65 percent are aged between 14 and 25; 16.8 percent between 25 and 30; and 17.5 percent are aged over 30. Furthermore, 20.4 percent of members of these terrorist organizations are college graduates or college students; 33.5 percent are high school graduates or students; 14 percent secondary school graduates; 29.9 percent primary school graduates and 1.9 percent are illiterate."

"... Security authorities assert that parents have a significant responsibility in terms of protecting youth from the grip of terrorism, emphasizing the fact that puberty is a critical period for young people as physiological changes seen in this period may have negative effects on them. Adolescents may become extremely sensitive and direct harsh criticism toward other people while not tolerating any criticism directed at them, experts say, and add that they tend to rebel against authority and the state."

A study from University of Ankara study also gives striking results; "PKK is known to use children within its militant force and a recent study by the University of Ankara’s Health Sciences Institute has examined the motivations of some children captured from the organization. Of those surveyed, 86% had joined the PKK to bolster their families incomes following offers that it would provide for their families in return. All of the children reported that these offers were not fulfilled. 80% of those surveyed also reported that they had actively stopped other family members—usually younger brothers—from joining the organization too. The study also reported that 60% of those surveyed had an education level below high school level. When asked why they stayed in the PKK rather than turning themselves in to the authorities, two thirds stated that they were afraid of being caught by the PKK as reprisals are not just limited to physical harm towards the militant; their families would be at risk as well. Five percent said that it was from fear of punishment by the Turkish Republic. The study also examined attitudes toward gender equality within the organization. 88% of the subjects reported that, despite its Marxist ideology and claims that equality is a key objective, there was no equality within the organization."

Although politics accepts that the terror may be used as a tactic in armed struggle, the line between armed struggle and terrorism is a thin point. International community' has an increasing role in conflicts resolution in any part of the world now and today's armed rebel groups are handicapped more than ever before the advanced military technology.

As the role of NGOs and international community gets more and more powerful, governments or countries can't stay immune to the opinion of the world. It is one of the changes globalization and internet bring. Not only the states, countries, nations but also the rebel (or terrorist) groups have to take the world, peoples' opinions. If the point is "human rights", "using violence", "using children soldiers", "traumatizing the society", "violating the innocent civilians" or any similar thing, cause doesn't matter whether it is a state or a national group.

During the Cold War era, struggles for national independence of oppressed peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America was totally different. In our knowledge, armed struggle or guerrilla warfare is essentially a political war but if you try to give political war today, with the tactics of yesterday you are obliged to be defeated. If the target is the minds of the society, and the systematics or the values of the society changed, an armed struggle can't bring the same results as yesterday. You can't justify yourself in the eyes of that society, or in general any more. It is not possible to resist the change whether it is a state or an armed group.

There are other things involving in this resistance to change in PKK; domination of leaders, worshipping to leader Apo, preventing ideological flexibility, not carrying out inner freedom of speech, threatening innocent targets, not gaining base between oppressed workers but gaining base between peasants by oppression, giving importance to the support of tribal leaders more than the people, putting the ethnicity forward not caring the class struggle as it deserved and distancing from the Turkiye's left etc.. etc... Does these remind a national independence movement or a "nationalist movement" more?

In a way, this is also a great injustice, insult to Turkish left, history of Turkish left. We lived the times when there were no separation as Kurdish groups but all were Turkiye's revolutionaries. Before 1980 military coup, all leftist Turkish groups, organisations had their counterparts among the Kurds. When Turkiy's left was under the blow of the junta, PKK formed and most Kurdish leftists decided to join the PKK rather than remain in contact with Turkish left parties. They seem to forget the Turkish left's struggle history. They seem to forget the support and analyses of Turkish left to Kurdish problem.

While Turkish left is more interested in ideological matters (and lived divisions on ideological bases) PKK as the most powerful group between Kurds, lost interest in ideological matters. While, in years they turn more and more chauvinist, they also loose good relations with the Turkish left. They didn't use violence only to their own members, silence the different voices by murders but they also targeted many socialists from Turkish revolutionary groups.

Many researches put forward that, as well as receiving revenues from legitimate businesses owned by the organization, PKK also has been financing its movement by "taxing" narcotic traffickers and engaging in the trade themselves. Heavily involved in the European drug and human trafficking, especially in Germany and France. French law enforcement estimates that the PKK smuggles 80% of the heroin in Paris.

Between many more, there is one thing which is so disturbing and need questioning. They began to shift from conventional bombing to suicide bombing, launched fifteen such attacks between 1995 and 1999. The majority, more than 2/3 (11 of 15) of the suicide bombers were women; why? Again most of the suicide bombers caught by the officials before they could perform bombings in the last two years are females, why? One sad example was; telling the bomber she has ovary cancer and she better die as a national hero to convince her.

Well, military announced the result of operations before I could end writing. Military said; Turkish forces have killed hundreds of Kurdish rebels and struck more than 200 targets in northern Iraq in the past 10 days. 175 rebels were killed on 16 December alone. Targets hit include three command centres, two communications centres, two training camps, nine logistical areas, 182 living quarters and 14 arsenals, the statement said. This is an important logistic loss.

And what we are dealing with are; car burnings, suicide bombers caught at last minute (one they caught yesterday was able to destroy the Istanbul subway), bombs exploding in trash basins etc... As usual they are trying to send the militants to cities when they get in trouble at montains. As if it is urban gerilla warfare...

MARAŞ MASSACRE

2007-12-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

1978 was one of those sad and deadly years.

We were used to deaths, bombs and funerals. Fascists, backed by secret police, were everywhere. They bombed revolutionary students at Istanbul University leaving 8 dead, 47 wounded in spring. They were assassinating our professors, academicians. We were afraid to take the public buses, open the doors. Abducted buses, raided houses, tortured and murdered youngsters were daily events. Newspapers were giving daily death tools as meteorology reports.

Autumn passed by similar events. Istanbul was cold and snowy. We were waiting at the lines for oil, cigarette etc and hurrying to demonstrations, boycotts, school distractions. News from the central Anatolia was terrifying.

At December 18th a theatre bombed at Kahramanmaraş. It was given as the leftists were responsible. Leftists denied and insist that it was a provocation of the right (fascists).

It was like we were living in hurry. In two days it turned to street clashes between Sunni and Alevi citizens. Police was not able (or didn't want) to control the events. At 21st December fascists murdered two teachers and next day, at 22nd they attacked to people who participated the funerals. At 24th they begin to set fires at some neighborhoods. In four days, between 22-26 December 105 dead and more than a thousand wounded.

It was not a simple incident, neither a clash between Right- left, nor Alevi- Sunni but a planned mass murder, massacre of fascists. We were watching the dead bodies on TV screens in shock, we were marching at streets, universities to protest the events but not able to reach.

It was so obvious from the beginning, from bomb boxes posted to certain people like the mayor etc that all was organised, planned and supported for economic interests. We had been witnessed other examples at Malatya, Erzurum a few months before but they were not comparable with Maras.

They were all like footsteps of fascism. Police was not interfering to evnts. They were all beginning with "Allahüekber, death to communism" calls. We were hearing new and stupid names as; “Turkish Thunder Commandos” or “Army of Rescuing Prisoner Turks". Fanatic Islamist imams were giving fetvas as; "Feast and namaz is not enough, one who kill an Alevi would be counted as he went Hac 5 times."

While Islamists were in such provocations, fascists didn't have any problems like Haj or paradise etc as their religious allies. All served to declare martial law at cities of Adana, Ankara, Elazığ, Bingöl, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, İstanbul, Kahramanmaraş, Kars, Malatya, Sivas, Urfa and Hatay.

Investigations showed the explosives used in the bombs were from Nuclear Research Center. Police said; nationalists were bombing their own organisations for provocations and blame the "infidel leftists".

Their deputies were threatening judges, prosecutors, chiefs' of police. When the government begin to investigate the relation of National Movement Party and ts youth organisations; their leader Alpaslan Türkeş threatened the PM Ecevit with similar incidents at other cities.

Massacre engraved on our minds and become the clearest description of the reality of fascism. Sunnis in Maras were stirred up against the Alevi people and many were savagely slaughtered under the supervision of fascists. There was no limit to their violence. They killed even the fetuses in young women's wombs.

Maraş was on fire, cities of Anatolia were on fire, or hearts were on fire. We were walking on snow not being sure about life. But we were still hopeful, not aware of the time. It was less than two years before junta, there was much more to see, to live.

And here we are after 29 years. Time passed, world changed, we have changed. It is not possible to change or forget some things. S is serving his military term in Maraş, it is a city famous with it's orchids, sahlep and ice cream. I can't think them without blood, I won't visit S.

Smell

do you know the smell of blood?
do you know smell of death?
do you ever think that blood and death could have odors
that those odors could be discerned and could be remembered in spite of years?
blood smells!
sometimes of whom it is
even the time it had dropped the smell carries...
death smells!
sometimes the numbers of the deaths
and even the moment of their death the smell reflects...
of most beautiful flowers
of sea, dews, of rains
even the smell of fresh earth cannot suppress the odor
once would be enough for it to get into your mind
once you smell the odor
it would be carved into you mind...
then you can never control it
no matter from where, how it comes, it reaches you
and you can never stay disinterested
before the flowing blood and deaths...

KUBILAY INCIDENT

2007-12-23T02:27:00.000-08:00

Today is the anniversary of some sad events in our history, which we should always remember and make right interpretations.

One is the "Murder of Kubilay" (or Menemen Incident). Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay (1906-1930) was a young lieutenant in the army of the new founded Republic. He is considered as Turkish national hero, a martyr of Turkish revolution.

Kubilay was the son of a Cretan Turkish family, born in İzmir, Ottoman Empire in 1906. After completing his education to become a teacher, he was sent to Menemen for his military obligation. Lieutenant Kubilay murdered by a group of fundamentalist rebels in the Menemen Incident.

Menemen Incident was a chain of incidents starting with the rebellion of Islamic fundamentalists in Menemen, a small town in the Aegean region of Turkey, in 1930.

On December 23, 1930, Dervish Mehmed, a Sufi and self-proclaimed prophet, a hashish addict arrived in Menemen with six followers in an attempt to incite a rebellion against the secular government and reestablish Islamic law. Mehmed and his enthusiastic supporters overwhelmed the local army garrison and killed the commander, Lieutenant Kubilay. Kubilay's severed head was put on a pole and paraded
through the town. The army soon regained control, killing Mehmed and several of his followers.

Incident was a serious threat against secular reforms. After a series of trials, 37 sentenced to death and later hanged in the town square; and several others were sent to prison.

The anniversary of the murder of this 24 year old teacher, lieutenant should remind us especially two things. First; "fundamentalist Islam is the danger number one for the Republic from the beginning to our day."

Second; always "try to look at the backgrounds and relation of events". Kubilay murdered by the "fundamentalists who wanted Sharia", is / was that all? Unfortunately not!

Though Menemen Incident and Kubilay have a symbolic value in the collective memory of Turkish citizens, though Kubilay, has been portrayed not only as a 'victim' of 'religious fanatics' but also as 'the model' for the Turkish youth; it was not the whole story and it is not the end.

It was the second important incident after the 1925 "Sheik Sait rebellion". The leader of the murderers, Shaikh Mehmet was a Nakshibandi of Kurdish origin and he is mostly referred as an hashish addict.

Shaikh Esad who also took place in the trials was from the Erbil of southern Kurdistan. He was a scholar and poet, a friend of Said-i Kurdi. He stayed in Erbil for ten years in exile and turned back to Istanbul. He was taken to custody with his son.

The ban of "Tekkes" (religious schools) all around the country by the secular state was perceived as a threat to Kurdish education by Kurdish Nakshis. They said there was no evidence against Sheik Esad Erbili (other than the two of the murderers being his murids / students) but this incident served the state to count Nakshibandi Tariquat as an illegal organisation.

1930 was an interesting year at the east Anatolia too. While western parts were shocked by the "Menemen Incident", at the east another group was in rebellion for "The Republic of Ararat", a self-proclaimed Kurdish state. The Republic of Ararat was declared independent in 1927, during a wave of rebellion among Kurds in south-eastern Turkiye.

After the failure of Shaikh Said and Azadi at 1925, some Kurdish leaders continued to plan for an independent Kurdistan. Establishing a leadership, they sought the aid of many influential European forces to help. They received little aid from Europe, but had the support of the Armenian Dashnak Party, the Shah of Persia, and fellow Kurds such as Shaikh Ahmad Barzani, leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Barzani tribe and Syrian Kurds; cutting railroads, pillaging Turkish villages, and conducting guerrilla assaults.

Strongest blow to Ararat revolt, came from Persia at 1930. a few months before Kubilay's murder. Persian government decided not to resist Turkish military advances into Persia to surround Mount Ararat. Persians also began to close the Persian-Turkish border to non-essential travelers, including Kurdish tribes attempting to reinforce the revolt. And eventually completely submit to Turkish operational demands, trading the land surrounding Mount Ararat for Turkish land near Qutur and Barzirgan. The rebellion of Mount Ararat defeated at the fall of 1930.

It is up to you to decide if these rebellions, incidents were based on extremist religious origins against secularism or Kurdish - Turkish nationalism. An important note at this point is; Nakshibandis are still on the stage and stronger than ever, feeded by all kinds of "nationalism". Teachers and lieutenants younger than Kubilay are still at the target.

NO FINAL EQUATION

2007-12-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

I sent a PowerPoint presentation attachment to some friends (which I couldn't manage to attach here) the day before. It was about the terrorist events, similarities between different groups and double faced politics of imperialist powers but mainly on PKK in Turkiye.

An Iraqi friend wrote; "The final equation is very correct.. what is really amazing is the foolish double standards of the Invaders......

What I meant by the Invaders was the American forces.....I mean they supported the Kurds in North Iraq against the legitimate government of Iraq through out the insurgency interval that started in the 50ths of the last century....Now...they consider portion of the Kurds as terrorists and worth demolishing... American war planes bombed Kurd's villages in North Iraq as the Kurds there were accused to have relation with al Qaida...and the civilians lives lost were very numerous... Once more, the Americans brought to power in Iraq now a bunch of criminals and outlaw gangs that had nothing to offer to Iraq but death squads and assassination of brainy people......

I know well that the world knows but little about what is going on in Iraq... death and violations of human rights carried out by gangs supported and backed by collation forces of the free world.....!!!!! To heal American democracy and American death troops !"

Once more, I thought how complex the WHOLE Kurdish problem is. They have many institutes etc and I am sure they are making deep, intellectual researches. We might not able to make such intellectual analyses but at least we are capable of questioning and perceiving what is going on around.

Maybe the worst thing for Kurds is, being divided mainly between four countries, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. It can be a good example for imperialism's major policy of divide and conquer from a point of view.

Today's political geography of the Middle East is the product of deals made between Allies after the 1st WW. Maps of the countries in the region decided, draw by the British and the French according to their colonial interests. The people of the region other than Turkiye had nothing to do for their future. It began a dramatic period for the Kurds in area. While they were living different processes according to the countries they became citizens, they counted as major problem for every country.

Not only the English and French but also Soviets and United States used them according to the politics of Cold War era. Super powers simultaneously supported or opposed the Kurdish national struggle depending on the nature of the state of the country in which they were living.

It is like a misfortune combined with their history. In the 10th century, Kurdistan was shared amongst five big Kurdish principalities. But it was the time of massive invasions of tribes migrating from the steppes of Central Asia. After conquering Iran, Seljuk Turks invaded the 5 Kurdish principalities one by one. Only around 1150, the last great Seljuk monarch, created a province on these lands and called Kurdistan.

At 12th century, great Saladdin- i Eyyubi founded dynasty of Syria, and Kurdish chieftainships were established as far as Horasan. All Kurdish lands devastated by Mongols at 13th century. In 14th century, Timur conquered most of Kurdistan and destroyed Kurdish tribes. Although the Karakoyunlu rulers helped Kurdish tribes to recover, they were defeated by Akkoyunlu dynasty at 15th century and Kurdish tribes destroyed once more. etc...etc..etc..

Sultan Abdul Hamid ordered the establishment of an irregular mounted force in eastern Anatolia at 1891 and named them after himself, the Hamidiya Cavalry. He was trying to copy the Russian Cossack regiments which were so effective in the Caucasus. Hamidiya was raised from selected Sunni Kurdish tribes of proven loyalty. Some of the regiment were totally from one tribe, and its commanded by the tribal chief.

At 1895 Britain, France and Russia wanted reforms for the Armenian provinces: an amnesty for Armenian prisoners; 'approved' governors; return for victims of the outrages. Kurdish nomadic movements would be allowed only under surveillance and to encouraged to settle; and the Hamidiya to be disarmed. Abdul Hamid agreed but neglected these demands. After a short silence, at September 1895 a violent incident took place between Armenian demonstrators and police in Istanbul. It was the beginning of widespread attacks to Armenians all around Anatolia by Muslim Turks and Kurds, Ottoman soldiers, including the Hamidiya.

When Abdul Hamid overthrown by Ittihat ve Terakki (Committee of Union and Progress) in 1908, Hamidiya regiments renamed as 'Tribal Regiments' (ashirat alaylan). But the regime was becoming weak, Empire was in disorder; including Kurdistan itself, Bulgars of Macedonia, the Catholic tribes of northern Albania, in Yemen where a new Mahdi proclaimed himself, and Durzis the Syria. Tribal regiments sent to some of these trouble spots with regular troops. They gave heavy loses at Yemen and Albania, acquiring a reputation for savagery while restoring order.... etc...etc...

And the Ottoman Empire fall, lands invaded by English, French, Italian, Greek etc. Kurds took part in The National Independence War beginning in Anatolia. New borders drawn by Allies created new countries as Syria and Iraq on the lands of old empire.

Turks, Kurds of Anatolia, Turkish Alevis and many other groups supporting the independence war took part in the foundation of the new secular Republic. As Kurdish uprisings fallowed the declaration of the Republic, Turkish government became firmer. While the Republic of Turkiye was rising at Anatolia; tribes of Kurds stayed at the Iraq side of the border, British controlled Southern Kurdistan were raising a military force from their Iranian tribal followers.

The success of the Kurdish fighters’ anti-British revolts forced the British to recognize Kurdish autonomy in 1923. When the uprisings were settled a little, the British government signed Iraq over to King Faysal and a new Arab-led government. Settling at mountains, Sheik Mahmud signed a peace agreement with the new government and stayed in the new Iraq.

One important upraising after Sheik Said in Turkiye was "Mouth Ararat Revolt". Turkish forces attempted to suppress the revolt as early as 1927, but there was no cooperation from Persia. Mount Ararat was in the Turkish-Persian border. By 1930, went on the offensive, surrounding Mount Ararat with over 10,000 troops and as Kurdish tribes were recruited to join the cause, 60,000 more soldiers were called up by the Turkish government.

The biggest blow to Ararat revolt, came from Persia. Persian government did not resist Turkish military advances into Persia to surround Mount Ararat. Their guardsmen began to close the Persian-Turkish border to non-essential travelers, including Kurdish tribes attempting to reinforce the revolt. Persia eventually completely submit to Turkish operational demands, trading the land surrounding Mount Ararat for Turkish land near Qutur and Barzirgan.

In 1941 Britain and the USSR partitioned Iran into two zones of control in order to prevent the country from entering the war on the side of Germany. In the Soviet zone, the Kurds of northwest Iran enjoyed de facto independence. At wars end, Teheran pressured the Soviets to leave, which they did in December 1945. As they left, the Kurds formally proclaimed themselves independent in January 1946, with their capital at Mahabad. The government included many Kurds from Iraq, including Mustafa Barzani, the army commander. Their forces were Soviet-equipped and uniformed, but they owed no ideological allegiance to the USSR.

I am not trying to repeat the historical events many already know. Just remembering how history is repeating itself. If you take of the dates, they may all seem about close events. Support..withdrove...give hope...leave alone... Only thing which don't change must be "disappointment" and "suffering". They were invaded and sold again and again.

Even in one single country; economic, politic, social, cultural, traditional etc implementations and tendencies may strongly differ. Can the Kurdish people living mainly in four (but more) countries meet at a common ground?

As many many historical turning points show, Kurdish people didn't betrayed only by other nations again and again but also experienced several self betrayals. Pesmerges fighting beside Turkish Army against PKK in the past or differences between Barzani and Talabani are simple examples.

Do they (Iraqi Kurds) think US as an invader or fine with their new found status? Would they help PKK (not Turkish Kurds) and put their status in any kind of danger?

As those questions are their problem, becoming another invader or not is our problem. Of course we should and would fight with terrorism, but we should also take lessons from history and be careful in our steps not to became any kind of invader. We should provide the equal human rights and democracy with the same determination of fighting with terror. More over, human rights and democracy should be the priority at this multi problematic point (without any final equation)...

FROM PKK'S HISTORY

2007-12-21T01:40:00.000-08:00

More than 37,000 people have been killed in the Turkiye-PKK conflict since 1984. Nearly 200 were teachers.

PKK has targeted primary school teachers working in the village schools. PKK's efforts against these teachers started in the early nineties and continued on a recurrent basis.[

After armed PKK members abducted and killed 19 teachers in the autumn of 1994, Amnesty International's 1995 report on Turkey mentioned that "It appears that the Kurdish Workers' Party, PKK, is resuming its repugnant policy of murdering teachers in southeast Turkey".

It was not only teachers; doctors lost their lives trying to bring health, engineers trying to build roads, schools too.
According to Amnesty International, as of 1997, 124 teachers were killed by members of the PKK.

Number of murdered children is unknown. They didn't lost only their teachers, right of education but their lives too.
Governments, officials, death squads? They were there too...

SITTING BULL'S LEGACY

2007-12-20T12:37:00.000-08:00

While I was checking my old journalist note-book just a few days ago, I saw it was the anniversary of Sitting Bull's death. Remembering his importance in Native American history, I read my few notes and checked some groups which I turned to "no mail" long time ago. I was thinking to search about the "Ghost Dance" and later write a short note for his memory and Indian massacres in history.

I forget it as many other topics I am thinking to write but can't have time. A few minutes ago I received an interesting mail based on PravdaRu, saying; "Reports circulating in the Kremlin today state that an enraged President Putin has ordered Russian Foreign Ministry Officials to begin the processes needed for Russia to recognize the Lakota Sioux Indian Tribe as an independent Nation, and who have now broken away from the United States by renouncing their treaties with their occupiers, and as we can read as reported by the AFP News Service..."

Receiving my share of funny news everyday, I thought it is one of them. But to my surprise mails fallowed one another from different sources.

Native American Shamanism always reminded me old Turkish religions before accepting Islam. Sitting Bull's most interesting side for me (other than his struggle against white men) is his status as holy man. Sources describe him as; "Sitting Bull became a Sioux holy man, or wichasha wakan, during his early twenties. His responsibilities as a holy man included understanding the complex religious rituals and beliefs of the Sioux, and also learning about natural phenomena that were related to the Sioux beliefs. Sitting Bull had an "intense spirituality that pervaded his entire being in his adult years and that fueled a constant quest for an understanding of the universe and of the ways in which he personally could bring its infinite powers to the benefit of his people." However, Sitting Bull also knew techniques of healing and carried medicinal herbs, though he was not a medicine man. Because of his status as a wichasha wakan, Sitting Bull was a member of the Buffalo Society, a dream society for those who dreamt of buffalo. He also was a member of the Heyoka, a society for those who dreamt of thunderbirds."

I wish Sitting Bull is resting in peace.
And look what his grand grand sons and daughters are doing;

"Sitting Bull's people break away from US - starting new country
www.theaustralian.news.com.au
Dec 20, 2007
From correspondents in Washington

THE Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the US.

"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,'' long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means said.

A delegation of Lakota leaders has delivered a message to the State Department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the US, some of them more than 150 years old.

The group also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.

Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free - provided residents renounce their US citizenship, Mr Means said.

The treaties signed with the US were merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the Lakota freedom activists said.

Withdrawing from the treaties was entirely legal, Means said. "This is according to the laws of the United States, specifically article six of the constitution,'' which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land, he said.

``It is also within the laws on treaties passed at the Vienna Convention and put into effect by the US and the rest of the international community in 1980. We are legally within our rights to be free and independent,'' said Means.

The Lakota relaunched their journey to freedom in 1974, when they drafted a declaration of continuing independence -- an overt play on the title of the United States' Declaration of Independence from England.

Thirty-three years have elapsed since then because ``it takes critical mass to combat colonialism and we wanted to make sure that all our ducks were in a row,'' Means said.

One duck moved into place in September, when the United Nations adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples -- despite opposition from the United States, which said it clashed with its own laws.

``We have 33 treaties with the United States that they have not lived by. They continue to take our land, our water, our children,'' Phyllis Young, who helped organize the first international conference on indigenous rights in Geneva in 1977, told the news conference.

The US ``annexation'' of native American land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the Lakota becoming mere ``facsimiles of white people,'' said Means.

Oppression at the hands of the US government has taken its toll on the Lakota, whose men have one of the shortest life expectancies - less than 44 years - in the world.

Lakota teen suicides are 150 per cent above the norm for the US; infant mortality is five times higher than the US average; and unemployment is rife, according to the Lakota freedom movement's website.

Well, isn't it an interesting news? Here are some quotes from Sitting Bull, from my old note- book;

“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”

“The white man knows how to make everything, but he does not know how to distribute it”

“Each man is good in His sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”

FEAST OF SACRIFICE

2007-12-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of Eid el Adha. In Turkish "Kurban Bayramı", in English "Feast of Sacrifice".

I am not sure if "sacrifice" in English (kurban in Turkish)has any relation with "sacred" as a word, but the tradition takes place nearly in all religions including Pagan beliefs. The practice can be seen all along history, whether in the form of offering offering food, or the lives of animals or people to the gods, as an act of devotion or worship. It is also described selfless good deeds for others.

Jews, Christians and Muslims all considers Abraham in high regard. Abraham’s faith tested when he was told to take his son up to the mountain and sacrifice him to God. When he laid the boy on the altar and slay him, God provided Abraham with a ram to kill in the place of his son. All three monotheistic religions agree on this.

Genesis 22:13-14 say; "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

"Korban" in Hebrew ("Kurban" in Turkish) refers to any one of a variety of sacrificial offerings described and commanded in the Torah that were offered in a variety of settings by the ancient Israelites, and then by the Kohanim (the Jewish "priests" only) in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Telling the story of Abraham, Quran states; (Quran 22:37): "It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches God. It is your piety that reaches Him..."). The sacrifice is done to help the poor, and in remembrance of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command. The sacrificial animal may be a lamb, a sheep, a goat, a camel or a cow.

"Kurban" has other meanings than it's religious concept in Turkish. "Kurban" is the "subject" of the "sacrifice". In other words; in daily life "kurban" is the "victim". Journalist Bekir Coşkun reminds it in his column today; "Kurbans of destiny..", "Kurbans of traditions...", "Kurbans of unemployment", "Kurbans of poverty..." or "sacrificing ourselves" to "patriotism", "friendship, "love" etc... He is congraculating our Feast, reminding we are all "sacrificial" beings. He is right!

How many sacrificed voluntarily for the love, interest, future of this country, for democracy, for better days? It is enough to remember the 1980 military coup. We were talking with V a few days ago, at the party of a friend. We were certainly happy to be with our friend while she was turning 50 but we were not able to let the circumstances of the country leave our minds.

I said; "Our generation lived in hurry. No generation witnessed more than us."
V replied; "Certainly; 3 coups, many military memorandums, Cold War, fall of Berlin Wall, end of USSR, several hot wars around us, globalisation, technological revolution and so on..."
I went on; "Sometimes I envy our parents' generation. They also lived what we lived, plus 2nd WW but they stayed as viewers. They neither needed to involve, nor effected other than what we made them live."
V said; "They didn't need to in the past and they don't need now. They are contented with having cable TV, but look at us, while we didn't have even normal phones in every house only 20 years ago, we learned computer after the age of 35, we are struggling to race with the technology. They are contented with the news they read or watch, but look at us, we still try to embrace the whole world, do our best to understand and fight for truths, our beliefs.May be we became victims (kurban) in every aspect of life but don't you agree it is better how we lived.."

V is right too. I looked around me. The singer, dancing people, rich food on the table, jewels on the women, beautiful faces of our friends. They are beautiful, some get rich some poor but every one of them lived what this country passed in decades. Some hardly, some easily but they all lived and can think. Although some life styles are not for us, it is good to have such friends. To enjoy all together and to worry for our country all together. To dance all together and to march for democracy all together. To work to death and sacrifice all when needed.

Possibly what I wanted to say yesterday was not easy to understand. I mean; not being able to forgive the institutions, military, state, regime's preferences of "sacrificing" it's own people to the interests of imperialism. Being "victims" (kurban), to be "sacrificed" is not easy to forget or forgive.

We are intelligent enough about the dangers, to differ the enemy and foe, to interpret any political development, to foresee the future possibilities. But there is a psychological, unseen bond on our minds. We are fine with "sacrificing volunteering" for our country but we can't accept to be "sacrificed" by our state.

I wonder if other people in different countries who lived similar experiences are having similar feelings. At least Chile tried to take Pinochet to courts till he die. There are so many accounts to settle for us. Our Pinochet, General Evren and his companions are out of question. He became a painter in his villa, opening exhibitions. This is a big social and psychological barrier for people

There were dozens of leftist groups during those open fascist regimes, which they hunted and destroyed the members, accusing with "terrorism". People didn't counted according to their ethnic identity in those groups. Yes, Turkiye's socialists always supported the right of self-determination but was/ is it only the Kurds who were/ are violated.

An error may happened at the process of elimination of feudalism and development of capitalism at the different parts of the country. The policy of nationalist persecution also helped the rise of counter nationalist winds. Attention diverted from social questions, questions of the class struggle, to national questions, questions "common" to both / all population.

Kurdish nationalism begun to take place of socialist demands. Danger of nationalism(wherever it comes from) begun to threat the country more and more. Great part of the people squeezed between their beliefs and changing Kurdish demands, realizing where it is heading to.

Big brother like to play with tribes, small nations and use them according to their interests. Kurds lived this closely in the past.

We are all witnessing how easily they can change behavior. Intelligence is coming, support to Turkish army is open, Condi's visit and language about Kirkuk is different, Barzani is in useless talks, Neçirvan Barzani's meeting with Shite leader Ayetullah Sistani is interesting about postponing the referendum, Iraq's note to Turkiye over the operation is funny, European countries' silence is clear and PKK's obvious defeat is pathetic.

This is the point where the importance of "people". This is the point why "state, military and all institutions" should be in peace with people. This is the point where radicalism, loosing the ropes of nationalism turns "freedom fighters" to "terrorists". This is the point where support can be gained or lost.

Many of us sent our sons to military service with the same words; "Promise me, you will not shot even once to our people. Otherwise I won't give you my mother's blessing!"
They asked; "What if they attack us?"
We said; "Never, if needed aim to the sky but not on people?"
Some questioned; "What if they are aiming on me?"

We stayed speechless. As the bodies of martyrs fallow one another we lost our voice. Terror's bullets was not differing ethnic origin or ideology. We fed up with the bloodshed. We fed up with groundless demands.

And the state? People can't still believe, support it either. Though there is one question I hate to ask or answer; What about the military? For a second forget how they trained by and acted on demand of US, just try to be honest at least only one thing; Did army ever break any word? To be fair, never!

They made military coup...best. Put people in military jails...best. Torture..best. Told they will go, bring back parliament...yes. Won't stay in power...yes. Guarantee the secularism...yes. Guarantee our independence...yes.

So, what is missing? Making peace with people, settling the accounts is missing. It is the problem of state. There is still the love for motherland but not enough thrust to state.

So, what is rest? Rest is "terror". It is not an old but increasing account, increasing with every bomb, every murder, every threat to people, every martyr funeral. I am not sure if such an account can ever settled. The love for motherland fires back on terrorists.

It is already hard to be sacrificed, it is already hard to be victim/ kurban. Ethnic nationalism is ethnic nationalism. There is no difference with PKK or Turkish fascist groups. Made in USA or not...

It us who send our children to military service. It is us whose children are taken to mountains. It is us who welcome dead. It is us who decide to support whom. We are the people seeing red.

Holy Feast of Sacrifice! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!

ANSWERS AND SORROWS IN US....

2007-12-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, let's make it clear that;
"I love my country :
I have swung on its plane trees,
I have stayed in its prisons.
Nothing can overcome my spleen
as the songs and tobacco of my country... "

as Nazim wrote and begin to question what is going on...

(We Anatolians like to use idioms, proverbs, sayings in our conversations. Excuse me if I may not translate them very well but I have to use some here to explain myself. )

Neither the questions in my mind are as difficult as those which would be asked at the gates of heaven, nor I am loosing my reason but all I can repeat again and again is; "May God give intelligence to all of us!"

I am thorn between many feelings. Like the elders said; "if you spit down it can hit your beard, if spit up hit the mustache." There is no option of taking a side and rejecting other. This is "our" country and all is "our" people. This republic is founded altogether and so hard that we neither have the luxury nor any rights to say anything like "the ox is dead, the partnership is broken" or "herd these camels or leave this lands".

We all know the theory and practical explanations of fascism, anti fascism, nation, nationalism, ethnic nationalism, capitalism, communism, state, democracy, ethnicity, self determination, economics of ideologies- regimes, revolution, national liberation, their relations with religion, sex and gender or war, guerrilla war, armed struggle, strategies, tactics, urban, rural etc..etc...

I am putting the facts side by side, as much as I can under the light of above definitions and can't reach any ends. Put any other information aside and have a look to wikipedia (a source where anybody can edit); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKK Anybody who can read behind the lines and curious enough to fallow the foot notes, references and external links might easily find h/ h self confused, lost in making any analyses, reaching conclusions.

Every little development is surprising me one after another for months. Even in my dreams, I wouldn't believe I will really witness all these in my life time. PKK was already an ethnic nationalist organisation in many people's opinion but now, more and more are taking a step further and beginning to use the term "ethnic fascist".

Here is only one example to think on and try to get out if you can;

This is the death threat mailed by PKK to CHP, MHP, DYP and AKP to withdraw their Van and Hakkari candidates allowing a DTP dominance during the 2007 elections, a few months ago.

"With the exception of DTP all candidates in Van and Hakkari from CHP, MHP, DYP and AKP must withdraw themselves and offer their support to Kurdish people. Our people must demonstrate their Kurdishness in the elections. If any different approach develops, our approach will also be different. [...] Whoever continues the activities we mentioned here will be punished. Who ever damages our movement or our party [DTP] will not be forgiven in any way. They should know that they are facing death."

Forget any attacks to military or civilians, forget any murders and all, stop and think only above threat on "people" of the area; the Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Suryanis...

One may ask;
- "What is the state, military, government, political parties etc (like them or not) are doing?"
- "But we are criticizing the Article 301 of Turkish Penal code, seeing it as a 'threat to freedom of expression' and working for it's removal. How can the the treat for such a 'Kurdishness' can be explained?"
- "But we are wanting the government to think on a new amnesty for PKK, how come such 'punishment and death threats' and 'forgivenesnes' can be explained?"
- "Which is more democratic; PKK's death threats or Turkiye's calls to benefit from existing amnesty laws?"

It is so esy to differ the difference between the tactics of and armed struggle and terrorism. Questions can go on for pages. Answers are there, clear in front of us whether we want to see them or not. That is right; "whether we want to see them or not!"

Unfortunately; this state, military, many governments fallowing one another hurt us very much for decades. The deep psychology created in us, chronic trauma we faced for generations don't let us want to see, voice some of those answers.

It was this state, this military who made us live 3 military coups, put millions to prisons, tortures in intervals, automatically hate police, change our way not to pass police stations.

There is no doubt that every honest citizen regardless to their age, belief, ethnicity, ideology or age love this COUNTRY, MOTHERLAND. But we are treated so roughly, so cruelly for decades that we are not able to heal yet, to make peace with our "state" and "military" yet.

Love is there, buried in us. It was our love to this country what made us to survive and will survive. As always, we may give our lives, heads but not our country, our people. But about our state, military, what about facing our past altogerher and closing the old books. It is not enough for people to love, they need to be loved too.

Times have changed, things aren't what they used to be (or as in Turkish proverb; old raw glasses became drinking glasses). Can't it be the time to recognize real enemies and forget illusions? Can't it be the time for this state, this military to make peace with the people they wounded first? Don't the whole people (Turkish, Kurdish whatever) of these lands more important than any fake organisation we already know what it is? Can't we unite and overcome the whole world than?...

Answers are shining in darkness. Whether seen or not we, people are here, holding the whole answers but in sorrow... It passed so long but we are still in the same sorrow of Nazım's...We, people have their answers but will our "state", "military" ever answer us about past in any language?..

You are my enslavement and my freedom
You are my flesh burning like a raw summer night
You are my country
You are the green silks in hazel eyes
You are big, beautiful and triumphant
And you are my sorrow that isn't felt
the more I feel it.

PAIN UNDER RAIN

2007-12-16T06:35:00.000-08:00
I forgot the boys in the hurry of daily life. They sent to rather safer areas for now but who knows where they may be sent after training period.

Life is going on as any metropolises. Buildings, roads illuminated for the new year. Bars and entertainment centers are full as usual. I am not sure how come a group of people living on this lands can be so strange to the problems of the country.

Turkish Air Forces bombed northern Iraq mountains last night. Turkiye and Iran reached an agreement about PKK. A priest stabbed in Izmir. Some still sleep and wake up with football.

I was moaning with pain at my left side when I woke up and entered the internet. When I saw the breaking news about the bombing, I threw myself outside.

Unbelievably, all I was able to think was the smell of earth under bombs. As I took the smell of the rain with every breath I was feeling as my pain was healing. But it didn't took long to realize the real pain was not physical. A strange smell took the place of rain that I didn't want to breath anymore. I sat there in the cold and darkness listening unheard voices.

I don't want to talk about war today, I am still in pain...
it is after midnight
I am sleepless, in pain
the news is breaking
"our jets took off for bombing"
now pain is at my heart burning
I can't sooth it even with rain...

waves dancing under moonlight
moon is on Bosporus, on Tigris
youngsters awake to fight
children sleeping to unknown dreams
all Anatolia is in blues
I am not alone in my pains...

darkness is not so tight
my eyes are looking for stars
they are hidden as the fireflies
sorrow is in invasion again
hope is racing with losses
mind is resisting horror to gain...

it is after midnight
time is pregnant, impatient
children waking up from deep dreams
not to watch the stars nor fireflies
not to thunders but explosions
I am helpless to stop them learning pain...

it is after midnight
I am sleepless, in pain
why pain, why always with rain
you invade the nights, leave in vain
how will I keep hopes not to fade
"our jets just turned from a successful raid"...

TO HIT THE ROAD ALONE

2007-12-16T02:28:00.000-08:00
Sometimes we all need to hit the road alone if we believe it is time for us to put a dot or comma to time. Famous Turkish composer Fazıl Say was on the headlines yesterday. He said; "The Islamists have won. We are about 30 percent, while they are about 70 percent. I am thinking about moving elsewhere. Our dreams are somewhat dead in Turkiye. All ministers' wives wear headscarf."

He was chosen to be a "European ambassador for intercultural dialogue" in May this year as part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, along with other figures considered to have left a mark on European art and culture.

Minister Günay responded the statement of the composer made in an interview with the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung as; "Fazil Say is a valuable musician. He has created great works. There is absolutely no reason to be concerned about Turkey's future. Turkiye is moving forward in every sphere. We are achieving some great things. We need to be more tolerant" and stated that he did not think it was right to engage in polemical conversations about politics with artists.

I wonder how Mr Minister decided "we are achieving some great things" and what are the issues "we need to be more tolerant". And I would like to ask, why it may not be right to "engage in polemical conversations with artists".

You can read Fazıl Say's bio and works from his official web; http://www.fazilsay.net/bio.php

Fazil Say wrote the work Black Hymns at the age of sixteen. My favorite work of him; his oratorio Nazim, based on poems by the famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet and commissioned by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, was premiered in Ankara in 2001. His other great oratorio "Requiem for Metin Altiok" was premiered in 2003 at the Istanbul Festival before an audience of 5000 and censored by the government.

Censorship is the reason behind Say's statements. Though he represents the European musical culture, he never give up the Anatolian folk culture. Beginning as; "I am against Turkiye slipping into the darkness of middle ages", he claimed during "Requiem for Metin Altıok" he faced the censorship of Culture Ministry; "I am waiting for the dialogue of the counter part for six years. There are some things that annoy me. Turkey's music lover characteristic is being destroyed." In his press release he changed the words about "leaving the country" to "we will not surrender".

I think he did good and just in time, with the sensitiveness of an artist. Just yesterday all country heard the words of the head of High Educational Committee, thanks to a mistake, a microphone left open. He was saying, both PM and President warned him not to talk so open and much about the headscarf or "They would hang us".

If I have to explain "they" in this sentence means us, seculars while "us" they feared to be hanged mean "them, islamists, one who use religion for politics etc".

Conservatism may be a local and global trend. I may not believe that Turkiye will ever become an Islamic country yet. Still it is a fact that the wives of the majority of the ministers are covering their heads. It is a fact that there are nearly 120,000 students at the Imam Hatip (theological) high schools. It is a fact that they are taking over the constitutional institutions one by one and giving in the hands of islamists.

Soon, girls wearing turbans may be allowed into universities and and state institutions. We may better prepare ourselves waiting our turn for headscarved physicians instead of a good male one or entrust our children to such teachers or even have to make our daughters close their heads from the early ages. Certainly these are their dreams and Turkish people would never let it happen. Problem is not the piece of cloth on their heads but what is IN their heads.

Let's see why Fazıl Say censored? Who was Metin Altıok he needed to compose a requiem for? Which event lies behind all?

Metin Altıok (b 1941- Izmir) was a philosophy teacher and poet. He was a member of Turkish Workers Party and columnist. He was one of the 37 intellectuals, writers, ashiks, poets, Alevis BURNED to death by radical islamist during the "Sivas Massacre".

On July 2 1993 during Sivas Pir Sultan Abdal Festival, after the celebration radical Islamists walked to Madimak hotel where the Alevis lodged after the festival, shouting for death of infidels. The Madimak hotel was pelted with stones for hours after the hotel was set on fire. The fire was erased after two hours.

Truths behind the incident have never been fully revealed. But the arrest and trial of dozens of Islamic terrorists did not dissuade more extremists from continuing to attack Turkish intellectuals fighting for the democracy, secular state and values. Aziz Nesin, one of Turkey's leading literary figures, was the main individual target of the fundamentalists. He was accused of intending to publish Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses." Aziz Nesin and many guests succeeded to escape from the murder. Poet Metin Altıok was between the 37 death.

Fazıl Say didn't compose the Requiem especially for "Sivas Massacre" but Metin Altıok, his life and poems. First ten parts of the requiem are all bout the poets life and poems. Only the last part was about the Sivas massacre and Madimak burning. The slide show was containing the photos from the fire, burned bodies and Metin Altiok at death bed while he was still in coma.

It is not hard to guess why this (or previous) government of ruling AKP put cencorships to any activities or art events mentioning any actions, murders of radical Islamists. What they don't think is; it is not possible to erase the history.

People still reading the poems of Metin Altiok, politic- humor stories of Aziz Nesin as they will listen Fazıl Say long after many goverments come and go. Children are laughing at the Aziz Nesin Foundation. He left nothing to his own children other than his memory but all to children of Turkiye by his foundation. He is listening their laughter from the unknown part of the garden he was buried.

Children are singing Nazim Hikmet poems with Fazıl Say. Not only Turkiye but the whole world is listening them. AKP government and their supporters can close their ears but children voices are telling all the stories.

Well, do some still think only danger is terror or terror is only from PKK? Come on, try to compare the religious terror criminals and PKK members who benefit from the past amnesty laws. "Irtica", religious fundamentalism had been the danger number one for this state from the beginning.

If you ask "why", have a look at the religious tendencies between Turkiye's various populations including Kurds too.

In one of his poems Metin Altıok says;

Long back
I had a voice;
Far off now
Might be it rings
Under a bridge somewhere.

I’ve taken losses
Alongside of my gains.

Long back
I had a heart;
Far off now
Might be it beats
In a child’s room somewhere.

I’ve taken losses
Alongside of my gains.

There’s just me now
Left to be close to me.
I always
Was the kind, though,
To hit the road alone.

RETIREMENT

2007-12-12T03:27:00.000-08:00
Last few days are rather silent but news are still sad.
The day before (at the day of World Human Rights) a boat carrying around 70 illegal immigrants, who were trying to make their way to Greece, sank at the Aegean coast resulting with 51 dead, 6 rescued and unknown missing. Rescued Palestinians said there were around 70- 80 immigrants on the 15-meter long boat. It is another example of endless tragedies of illegal refugees we witness every year. Generally their journeys of hope to seek shelter from poverty or violence in their homelands cut short violently. UNHCR Turkey office said; about 60-90,000 refugees who enter the country illegally are detained in Turkey and when the ones that are not apprehended are considered, the number of refugees that pass via or seek shelter in Turkey reaches half a million.

Another news was about the new spying satellite adjudication. Turkiye refused to agree the condition of not spying on Israel, refusing to purchase the advanced Ofek satellite from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Turkiye decided not to accept the IAI offer due to a restriction the Israeli Defense Ministry inserted into the deal, according to which Turkiye would not be allowed to use the satellite over Israeli airspace, the daily said. Though the Israeli proposal is expected to come up in talks Defense Minister Ehud Barak will hold when he is scheduled to visit Ankara
in January, it seems Italy, Germany or UK will get the 250 million $ satellite contract. It is good to know Israel will not take part in such a sensitive project.

An interesting announcement came from Papadopoulos. Greek Cypriot President said in a statement that even though some EU countries are against Turkey's EU membership, they would not step forward to block the process. Explaining that blocking Turkiye's membership would eliminate Greek Cyprus' upper hand against Turkiye, Papadopolous said he did not view the use of veto as an appropriate policy.

Iraqi Kurdish leader Barzani turned back from his mysterious 17 day trip and appeared before cameras. He assured that Iraqi Kurds did not seek independence by the words; "Some neighboring countries say Kurds will set up an independent state if Article 140 [of the Iraqi constitution that calls for the referendum]is implemented, but there is no such thing. I am an Iraqi. I am an Iraqi citizen of Kurdish origin."

Maps showing so-called "Kurdistan" including certain cities and areas of Turkiye removed from the Kurdish traffic police cars and other official vehicles in northern Iraq. Maps was made public when photographs appeared in newspapers last week. Regional Kurdish authority ordered the removal of the maps as a precaution against violent reactions during the "sensitive" period in the region.

At the same time regional Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, held talks in Baghdad on Kirkuk and disputes between the Kurdish region and the Iraqi central administration concerning oil contracts the regional government has signed with foreign companies. Kurdish authorities signed more than a dozen contracts with foreign companies despite the objections by Oil Ministry officials in Baghdad, who consider the deals illegal.

The dispute between the Kurdish territory and central management in Baghdad is obvious. Turkiye is insisting on relations over Baghdad, refusing taking the territorial management as equal. There were many rumors about the mysterious trip, disappearance of Barzani, including he might be in Turkiye. Though he refused them all and said he was in Austria for dental treatment, he should have some important official meetings to make such announcements and take actions immediately after his return.

Some other international and local news are; Iran's call to Turkiye to invest, Ahmedinejad's coming visit to Ankara, the new pipe agreement opportunity of Iran- Turkiye- Syria, the newly appointed head of Higher Education Board who is against headscarf ban, Chinese - Iran oil contract etc.

One columnist attract my attention more than all. Journalist Rusen Çakır had an important article in Vatan Newspaper at 09.12.2007. There is no English version so I have to summarize the article. His topic is; "Karayılan and Bayık's retirements is a must!"

He gives the fact that PKK is controlled by the same names for its nearly 30 years history; Öcalan, Bayık, Karayılan, Altun, Kalkan, Karasu... He is expressing Turkiye had many elections and a post- modern military intervention at the same time line, changed 6 presidents and many prime ministers, several ministers and army chiefs, generals. He shortly says;

"But when we look at the control of the PKK in the last 30 years, we see;
1) Fallowing 1984 when the organisation begun armed struggle, PKK’s leading staff other than Şemdin Sakık and Abdullah Öcalan (who packed and given to Turkiye by USA) didnt changed.
2) No known names from the leading group died during clashes with security forces or over-border operations. .
3) Only changes in the leader group of PKK happened according to inner conflicts or Ocalan’s personal obsessions. Many of them executed by their own friends because of various reasons.
4) There had been some high ranked leaders who could leave the organisation, saving their lives and trying to create new groups but they all failed..

A Kurdish nationalist web page in the internet says nobody remembers the PM Ciller and her aid Karayalçın today but world is still talking about Cemil Bayık, Murat Karayılan and Rıza Altun. At a first glance it may seem right. They may have some advantages of experience, continuity and aggregation. But a closer look may show; the side in continuous change (Turkish state) can have greater advantage on side resisting to change (PKK).

Let us take Bayık example: 56 years old Bayık founded PKK with Ocalan while he was 24. Always in the leadership, he spent 25 years is Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. He spent his time in the cities of totalitarian regimes under the control and permission of their intelligence services or when at the mountains in endless alert. How realistic it can be for some one like him to realize the changes in Turkiye and the world, and produce polices according to these changes?

36 years old female confessor S.S. described the group controlling PKK for years as; "an old and oligarchic group" and went on: "This group dont have any chance to live without / out of PKK. No political opening, solution which would be created in Turkiye is not interested this group. Moreover; sabotaging any democratic progress in Turkiye is one of this group's goals. Even if the main political goals of the organisation are accepted, they wouldn't want the organisation to became legal. They can only be satisfied by Turkiye Republic to found a state named Kurdistan and they become the leaders.”

Some PKK managers really established a privileged life for themselves in 30 years and they don't ever want to give up. It is also not very possible for them to get used to another life. But solve the PKK problem of Turkiye their "retirement" is a must. So, it will not be only in "appearance" if they catch and handed over. It may not end PKK but open its way. At least it would serve, PKK to be controlled by new people who are more aware of the world realities."

It is not possible not to agree. Some old revolutionaries knows only one life style and cant open themselves to changes. We may not know what is going in PKK or about certain names but we know such examples in this country. An example is the members or leaders of ex Marxist - Leninist, socialist groups who are supporting PKK more than Kurdish people today.

After the dissolvement of Turkish left fallowing 1980 military coup and fall of Berlin wall, years longs prison or refugee lives they found themselves in an impossible emptiness. While some struggled and catch the progress in life, some stayed where they stopped. While some lucky (?) ones could manage their groups to survive even if they are small, some found their heaven in supporting PKK refusing the interpretation of ethnic nationalism it ended. They are more Kurdish than any Kurds and forgotten the internationalism.

So far, citizens of this country who supports human rights shouted/ voiced with all their hearts as; "We are all Armenians, we are Hrant!" after the assasination of valuable journalist Hrant Dink and along the trial of his murderers, or as "We are all Kurdish, we are all from DTP!" when the high court opened investigation to close the party. Personally I can shout and act even for Martians if there would be a martian- rights issue but I wonder why it is not thought to shout (just an ex) and act as; "We are all Turkish, we are all X, Y, Z..." even once, against any human rights violances or assasinations of intellectuals or injustices or imprisonments... or... or... or... of dozens, hundreds, thousands citizens of this republic...

Some should realy retire and give space to breath to the younger ones for our common future - whether they are dinasorius politicians, academicians, analiysts or terrorists...

PKK may be divided along ethnic lines

2007-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:00
Below article sent to me by a friend. Though it's origin is a newspaper I dont fallow, dont like the views, it seemed good to share to get a clearer view.

PKK may be divided along ethnic lines

As ironic as it might sound, the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) organization that has been waging a war of ethnic separatism against Turkey for the past 30 years may be risking division along ethnic lines within itself, recent intelligence reports suggest.

Recent operations Turkey has been carrying out against PKK bases in the Kandil Mountains of northern Iraq have revealed leadership struggles within the organization. Currently members of the group from Turkey are being eliminated, intensifying the fight for leadership between Syrian-born Fehman Hüseyin and Turkish-born Murat Karayılan. Karayılan, who acceded to the top of the PKK hierarchy after the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1999, had strengthened his hand when Öcalan's brother Osman Öcalan was also eliminated from the group.

His only rival was Cemal Bayık, but the rivalry was resolved when the two men chose to cooperate, mostly because Hüseyin, leader of the PKK’s Syrian Kurds, declared himself leader of the group. Hüseyin issued a declaration saying he had taken over and promised to return the PKK’s old fighter spirit. As such, Syrian Kurds and Turkish Kurds in the PKK are now competing for influence over the group. Meanwhile Iranian Kurds in the PKK, although neutral in general, seem to be standing closer to Kurds from Turkey.

Karayılan and Bayık had shown their discomfort at Abdullah Öcalan’s inclusion of Kurds of Syrian decent into the senior leadership of the PKK’s armed wing, the People’s Defense Units (HPG). Syrian Kurd Hüseyin, who commands Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seems for now to have the upper hand in the struggle for leadership that intensified after Turkey took steps to pressure the international arena to respect its right to self-defense and a military operation against terrorist bases in Iraq.

Names known to be close to Hüseyin have either been killed or sacked from the significant positions they held inside the PKK. Intelligence reports suggest that 20 PKK members known to have sworn allegiance to Hüseyin were recently executed. Intelligence sources also say that some of the recent cease-fires unilaterally declared by the PKK were actually breaks the group took to sort out the ever-intensifying conflict within itself. Some even suggest that the killing of seven village guards -- paramilitary forces comprising armed locals -- in Beşağaç in the southeastern city of Şırnak and the killing of 12 Turkish troops in Dağlıca were caused by the PKK’s internal leadership struggle.

Hüseyin has criticized Bayık and Karayılan for being too passive, while the two PKK leaders from Turkey accuse Hüseyin of being the pawn of international powers dominant in the region.

Karayılan and Bayık suspect that the US is thinking of using Hüseyin against Syria for its own purposes, further saying that Syrian Kurds were not this influential even in those times when the PKK was based in Syria, suggesting US plans in the region are the reason Hüseyin can act so fearlessly.

Intelligence reports from the Turkish military and police have long suggested that since the PKK left the Bekaa Valley in Syria, where its bases were hidden before Turkey warned Syria to stop harboring terrorists, and moved to northern Iraq, it became an instrument of international forces influential in the region.

Increasingly, more Syrian and Iranian Kurds and even Armenian militants have joined the group. The group is currently one of the most important cards all powers can play to realize their Middle East plans.

Although this card was played extensively against Turkey until very recently, the recent situation indicates that Syria will have to deal with it after this point. This is why many believe that although the US recently announced that the PKK is a “common enemy” of the US and Turkey, thanks to diplomatic efforts of the later, it will not be working to end all PKK activity in the region. The PKK’s elimination from the region in this case is likely to be limited to the terrorists from Turkey; an argument that strengthens the possibility of recent news suggesting that Bayık and Karayılan would be handed over to Turkey being true. Sources say if this duo is handed over to Turkey, this would help in the purging militants from Turkey from the organization.

According to Turkish intelligence units, the PKK is currently fractured into different groups. There is the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), which operates mainly in Iran although it is essentially the same group as the PKK. PJAK militants are trained in northern Iraqi camps along with PKK militants. Intelligence reports show that 40 percent of the approximately 5,000 militants hiding in northern Iraq are from Syria. When the PKK was under Abdullah Öcalan’s control, the percentage of Syrian Kurds inside the group was about 10 percent.

The group is finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new militants in Turkey due to the recent military operations Turkey has been carrying out in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds in the PKK blame Karayılan and Bayık for dragging Turkish troops into northern Iraq. Militants from Syria, reports suggest, are hiding in Syria to wait til military operations in northern Iraq end. PKK militants from Turkey, who are nested in a few villages in the Kandil Mountains, are trying to escape into Iran or Turkey with the help of PJAK. Some are even trying to get to Armenia to spend the winter there; which shows that Turkey’s obtaining a satisfactory result in its operation in northern Iraq is unlikely. Optimists emphasize that even driving PKK militants out of the Kandil Mountains area is a great achievement, likely to be enough to dissolve the PKK or at least greatly help that in happening.

Meanwhile, both Iran and Syria -- both certain that PJAK and the PKK will be played against them -- are stepping up measures against the terrorists. Iran is putting up a fierce fight against PJAK; Turkey has the full support of its neighbors in its fight against the PKK and all of its offshoots. Syria has increased pressure against the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the PKK extension in its territory. Sources also highlight that Syria has been working in full cooperation with Turkey recently and that it has put its military units at the Iraqi border on full alert against the PKK.

07.12.2007
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
Zaman Newspaper

WALK OVER BRIDGES

2007-12-08T06:52:00.000-08:00
Last night TVs showed strange military vehicles as portable bridges on their way to border area. Everyday, more military commandos are joining the operations along the Turkish-Iraqi border.

Reporters says; fully equipped soldiers, in groups of 10- 20, searching caves, mountains, and anywhere authorities believe that PKK members might be hiding, while helicopters and fighter planes from the Turkish military are supporting the operation from the air. Turkiye is locating missiles to the border, Northern Iraq Kurdish authority is pulling the Peshmerge forces to south. A Kurdish authority offical said; only PKK and bears left on those lands a few days ago.

Yesterday, one interesting and funny news was from Peyamner News Agency. It didn't take part in Turkish news channels that PKK set terms for renouncing violence. The brief news article dated back to last week (3-Dec-07) was; " The separatist Turkey's Kurdistan's Workers Party (PKK) announced on Sunday conditions for renouncing violence and becoming part of the political process in Turkey. As a main condition, the PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds' identity in its constitution and of their language as a native language along with Turkish in the country's Kurdish areas...The party also demanded an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and constitution against Kurds, granting them full political freedoms and the release of all PKK members in Turkish custody. Other conditions were the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Kurdish areas in southern Turkey and setting a time frame for PKK fighters to give up arms and be part of the democratic process."

It is really funny if they still think they may make demands. Certainly the funny part is not some of those democratic rights which should be given anyway but believing they can make any kind of demands. They don't understand even the government don't have any choices any more but act according to the people's general tendency.

And people is fed up, don't want terror any more. One other interesting news article of today is about Armenian Turkish master student of Bosporus University, Loran Özhakyan; he left his studies and decide to serve his military term in Turkish Army, protesting the terror. His father Nazaret Ozhakyan said; "My son will serve his military obligation as all the sons of this motherland and be a Mehmetcik. If needed we can fight and fall martyr at the fronts for this motherland."

When I said; "I am worrying alot, if things change for worse and we find ourselves in the middle of war" to a friend a few days ago, she laughed and replied; "I think we are already in war, don't we?"

World may not be aware yet, we may not want to voice it even to ourselves yet but we are really in war. Just not able to define this war.

Days are passing as seconds. This military term's places will be announced tomorrow at Turkish General Staff's web page. S, E and O are waiting nervously. They all ask if there is a way to learn before the announcement at internet. No way and no need. What would it differ if they learn a few hours before or later? Nothing...

I don't want to remember the day I learned F was sent to border, I don't want to think about the time I will learn where others will be send. I only know; where ever they send I will find a way to go as any other mother, as I did before...

I can walk over any bridges if needed, portable or not. May be it is all we need; not to burn but to walk over bridges...

WHAT ABOUT CHANGE

2007-12-05T06:59:00.000-08:00
Yesterday F asked "..I would like to hear your feelings about what is happening now in northern Iraq".

I replied her; "If you are asking about the Kurdish autonomy of northern Iraq; I feel very good things are happening. They are in a great efford on building their territory, education sytem, health sector and all.

If you are asking about the Turkish relations; I feel they begin to understand that their fear on a "Turkish invasion" is false. There is no likely threat. Turkey is not even thinking about economic sanctions for now and going on providing all their needs including electricity, food tranportation etc. They also begin to understand that PKK is not only harmful for Turkey but also for them. In fact in the past, in various past operations during Saddam they fought against PKK beside Turkish armed forces.

They were evacuating border villages for weeks. Last week Turkish helicopters also throw leaflets calling the PKK members to surrender, they will be welcomed and free immidiately if they didnt participate any murders and if they did they will be granted with "home coming" law. Though the Kurdish autority denied the operation yesterday, today they gave detailed (more detailed than Turkish officials) information about the operation. They say the operation is not in their territory, and taking their forces some 20 or more kilometres inside to give more area to Turkish forces for operations. They are calling the area between as "no man's land" saying they have no control at the part and want PKK leave Iraq borders.

Turkiye is also acting more clever this time. Opening new economic packets for the area, prepearing laws to accept Kurdish as second language in education etc. But PKK and related groups are getting more agressive as they loose hope and support. Today Leyla Zana made a provocative talk in Brusselles, at Kurdish Conferance again and said "There is no hope for peace without the involvement of 'Mr. Ocalan' (imprisoned leader of PKK)". They are also differences between them. 2 of their deputies gave interviews condemning the agressiveness. PKK is threating the propeace Kurds too.

One most dangerous thing in my opinion is; they cannot take shelter in northern Iraq any more as a result of these Turkish operations and Kurdish Iraq's altitude. They also loose ground in Syria and Iran is attacking continiously. Latest news is; as a result of all these loosing shelter and support they are heading to Armenia. Armenia is a very poor country and there are many illegal Armenian refugees in Turkey. Turkey and Armenia is begining to have better relations whatever the diaspora says. But if Armenia have to open doors by the efforts of Armenian diaspora to these terrorists there may be unwanted new developments at the area (Armenia has a problem of invaded "Karabag" with Azerbeijan and Azeris are Turkic origin with good relations). This is a puzzle with so many unknown.

But Northern Iraq is doing good inside its own territory, they are aware that Turkiye had no intention of invading them or have any problem with them, Turkiye's only problem is PKK based at the mountains in the middle and they begin to say "it is no man's land" , they dont have any power over, meaning Turkey can go on operations."

On the other hand, is it possible not to agree with some ideas in the speeces during EU Conferance? Certainly not. We founded this republic hand in had. For example DTP deputy Ahmet Türk began his speech as;

"I believe that Turkey’s attempt of accession into the EU is the fourth most important strategic decision in the history of the republic. The first decision is the strategic cooperation of the Turks and Kurds in building a country which materialises itself in the creation of the republic. This joint decision of the people is certainly historic one.

What is achieved here is the joint determination in creating a country which upholds the equality and freedom of each citizen. The post-republic strategic cooperation between the Kurds and Turks is the second strategically significant decision. This is the period of 1921-1924 and at this present time this period is looked at as the “golden age”.

The first parliament was deemed to be a joint parliament of Kurds and Turks. Representation was according to identity and region. In fact Mustafa Kemal himself believed that the Kurds should be allowed a special status and even made the statement “a type of village headmanship”.

This is a most notable period we can refer to, to tackle current problems and debates. The third significant strategic decision is: within the atmosphere stated above instead of furthering the republic democratically, the strategic cooperation with the Kurds was cut short and the period of conflict began."

Though he began mentioning total realities, can we say the "third strategic desicion" (with his words) was specially about Kurdish popilation or was there other, more important international tendencies, politics fallowing the rise of USSR and communism around the world. If we don't take the historical facts into considiration we can end at wrong venues.

Other example is Leyla Zana's speech. She mentions "methods including beatings, detentions, torture, executions, forced migrations, sending to forced exile, extra judicial killings, village evacuations, village guards, release based on confessions" etc and asks; "What about methods that not known or disclosed?"

Who can deny all those methods, nobody! But can we say those methods performed only to Kurds? Again we should remember the history, may be this time a closer history. These are all methods of Cold War era created by USA begining with Vietnam and exported all around the world. This country lost a generation, generations of intellectuals, socialists to those bloody methods.

Those methods didnt differ ethnicity in Turkey but only question the ideology of people till 90s. Just think the dungeons, torture rooms of 1980, do you think they were counting us as Turks, Kurds etc.. One difference was; while nearly all other democratic, socialist etc (armed or not) movements defeated or dissolved under the brutality of US backed September 12, 1980 military coup; those times' Apoists managed to survive and founded PKK (using their own brutality on civilian people).

Even if the youngsters of today can't know or remember; at least they can try to find news archives and read about the village raids, burned schools, murdered teachers or nurses, doctors by PKK.

It is right that one's terrorist can be other's freedom fighter. It is right that Kurdish people suffered much more than any other ethnicity in this country. Deserve more rights than they have now. But there is a point we shouldn't forget to see; change...

The defination of "terrorist" changed, defination of "freedom fighter" changed, concept of "fighting for democracy" changed, "world politics" changed, understanding of "human rights" changed, Northern Iraq is changing, Turkiye is changing...It is the soul of dialectic metarialism...

Unfortunatelly some couldnt change according to the nature of material. Some still seach solutions with armed conflicts or ethnic nationalism. May be Zana's question is just what "today's terrorists" should ask themselves too; "What about methods that not known or disclosed?"

TURKIYE ENTERED IRAQ

2007-12-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

Turkish Armed Forces is in northern Iraq.

Yesterday PM Erdoğan announced that the government has given full authority to the Turkish Armed Forces to conduct a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, fallowing the two days meeting of Supreme Military Council (YAŞ). It was meaning that the Turkish Armed Forces has the legal right to organise a cross-border military operation without further consultation with the government.

The Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decisions released by Turkish Armed Forces web page was giving the signal of the operation as; "Turkish Armed Forces' Preparation Conditions for War has been discussed".

Operation begun with shelling from land and air strikes. News says 100 Special Forces (Purple Berets) soldiers carried the operation with success and turned back.

Though neither USA, nor Turkey accepted any shared intelligence logic knows who have the satellites to carry point operations.

It is cold and snowy in the area.

DTP's demonstrations at main cities of the area are all ending with less support compared to past and clashes with the police.

An important point is; Turkey's human rights organisations, NGO and unions, intellectuals released a common declaration against PKK, condemning the death threaths to Kurdish- Turkish civilians, intellectuals for the first time.

It is interesting that the Army is now fighting with guerrilla war tactics and "terrorists" who were called as "guerrillas" until now are staying naked in front of the eyes .

It is important that the Muslim and Christian villagers welcomed their kidnapped Priest dancing and singing with drums together.

This is an interesting land. Storms never end. People used to sit silent for long and suddenly shake up at the most unexpected time.

Turkey began the operation in Iraq at 3 pm today, only 4 hours before. And it is only the beginning of the storm.

Wish the mothers stay strong, children may have dreams and storm will never turn to a war.

Boys who will serve the new term at military left only 11 days at home. Mothers can't look in their sons' eyes, sons can't look in anyone's eyes other than themselves...