I live in a hotel in Ankara (the Sheraton, to be precise), and I am here for the summer teaching the heir to the NurOl Holding fortune. Ankara is a boring city: I don't have any friends here, the night life sucks, and well, Sheraton people are not really Sean people.
It was once said to me, and having not headed the advice, I repeat it again here:
"I've been to Ankara, so you don't have to."
To pass the time, I've started watching action movies broadcast on an Arabic-language channel. The movies are nearly always in English, with Arabic subtitles, so this isn't a challenge or a way to get smarter... it's just action movies.
The Al-Arabia News Agency aired the most amazing commercial last night, between a movie with Jackie Chan (something to do with water that dehydrates a person to death) and a spy flick that turns into a bank-robbery.
Honestly, I paid more attention to the commercial:
Two Arab men, garbed in white thobes, walk into a very ritzy restaurant. The place looks like it's on top of the Sheraton Hotel. They sit and the waiter comes over. One of them orders a grilled chicken from the menu, which sets off a British narrator and a series of video and still images (each item on the list was given a few seconds on-screen)...
'Chicks are fed on a diet of soya, which is imported on ships like these, which emit 30,000 tons of CO2, causing glacial ice to melt, and driving these Islanders from their homes into refugee camps, where some of them get an education in terrorism. Some of those terrorists go on to show how well-rounded an education they received (there is a scene of a suicide bomber, blowing himself up in a busy, city street, which looks distinctly like New York), which causes these men to go to war (image of American troops), raising uncertainties about the global oil supply, so that these ships can't travel, leaving these chicks without soya.'
Cutting back to the restaurant, and the two men are staring at the waiter with open menus.
'I'm sorry sir, but there's no chicken today.'
It's a commercial about being informed, up-to-date on the news, etc. In a very Marxist way, though, it answers a question that long ago led me to really admire 'true organic' farmers.
The question:
"Why the hell can't I just grow chicken feed on a field next to the coop?"
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
From the Indiana Jones side of Turkish history...
Every day is a new twist in the case of the coup attempt by "Ergenekon", which was recently sort-of attempted but then broken up.
Some of the highlights from last week:
- The diary of a general involved in the plot could not be admitted as evidence, but did outline how the coup was planned. Note to self, when planning a coup, it is best not to keep a journal about it.
- The case against Ergenekon members is in excess of 2,500 pages. This caused a delay in presenting the case in court, because there were problems with the printer.
- Several previous acts of terrorism and prominent assassinations, including that of Hrant Dink, are being linked to Ergenekon. It's really hard to say if this is wild speculation, or if it is information based on elements of the case. I was living here when this happened, and the events surrounding the murder and the arrest of key suspects gave the appearance of both a conspiracy and subsequent cover up.
- In a bit of political theater (which who knows, may turn out to be true), a leading AKP member suggested that the attack on the American consulate in Istanbul was part of the Ergenekon plot to destabilize the country. You gotta understand that in Turkey, the government and military seldom get along, and are prone to bickering with one another. When the military wants to take power, they generally precede their coup with paramilitary violence. Then, the military declares the government unfit to rule, and takes control. I'll sketch out the history of this later, because it has been done THREE TIMES in forty years. I used to fake asthma attacks to get out of school, but honestly, I think I did it twice.
The slow pace with which information reaches the public must be due to the fact that the case is 2,500 pages long. Takes time to read all that.
Today's new bit is really special.
The newest allegation from the case suggests that the Ergenekon group is linked to a mythical Turkish secret society, over 600 years old. The central Asian "Argata", were living a wretched existence in caves, trapped in a land surrounded by mountains. Conveniently, a she-wolf led them to freedom through a secret passage. Happy day!
That ancient group later became the Ergenekon, charged with ushering the Turks rise to world domination. Basically, it's the James Bond version of an Aesop fable. The length of the case may be explained by the fact that it contains the entire text of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Once and Future King.
Imagine if Bush were arrested for war crimes, and the case exposed that neo-conservative Republicans were the legacy of the Knights Templar.
Then imagine if a lawyer actually claimed that in court...
Some of the highlights from last week:
- The diary of a general involved in the plot could not be admitted as evidence, but did outline how the coup was planned. Note to self, when planning a coup, it is best not to keep a journal about it.
- The case against Ergenekon members is in excess of 2,500 pages. This caused a delay in presenting the case in court, because there were problems with the printer.
- Several previous acts of terrorism and prominent assassinations, including that of Hrant Dink, are being linked to Ergenekon. It's really hard to say if this is wild speculation, or if it is information based on elements of the case. I was living here when this happened, and the events surrounding the murder and the arrest of key suspects gave the appearance of both a conspiracy and subsequent cover up.
- In a bit of political theater (which who knows, may turn out to be true), a leading AKP member suggested that the attack on the American consulate in Istanbul was part of the Ergenekon plot to destabilize the country. You gotta understand that in Turkey, the government and military seldom get along, and are prone to bickering with one another. When the military wants to take power, they generally precede their coup with paramilitary violence. Then, the military declares the government unfit to rule, and takes control. I'll sketch out the history of this later, because it has been done THREE TIMES in forty years. I used to fake asthma attacks to get out of school, but honestly, I think I did it twice.
The slow pace with which information reaches the public must be due to the fact that the case is 2,500 pages long. Takes time to read all that.
Today's new bit is really special.
The newest allegation from the case suggests that the Ergenekon group is linked to a mythical Turkish secret society, over 600 years old. The central Asian "Argata", were living a wretched existence in caves, trapped in a land surrounded by mountains. Conveniently, a she-wolf led them to freedom through a secret passage. Happy day!
That ancient group later became the Ergenekon, charged with ushering the Turks rise to world domination. Basically, it's the James Bond version of an Aesop fable. The length of the case may be explained by the fact that it contains the entire text of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Once and Future King.
Imagine if Bush were arrested for war crimes, and the case exposed that neo-conservative Republicans were the legacy of the Knights Templar.
Then imagine if a lawyer actually claimed that in court...
Monday, July 14, 2008
It was a busy week last week...
There's not a lot that I worry about in Istanbul. There are worries, that are often discussed over beer with good friends, but I don't walk around Istanbul scared that any of the below list will actually victimize me. Rather, I take an academic interest in these potential disasters, because they always seem inevitable. The inevitability of the event has nurtured a desire to witness it, a desire to share with Istanbullu (Istanbul natives) the experience and a part of the collective memory. I'm not saying I want to be where it happens, and certainly not suffer from it, but I do want to know more about the event and learn of it through talking with Istanbullu. This might be a journalistic impulse, or that of the oral historian, or plain dumb, but I'd be lying if I denied it.
So, I'm miffed that my exile in Ankara condemned me to miss three out of the five on the list.
Top Five Lurking, Completely Random, and Imminent Fears of Sean Cox in Istanbul:
5. Getting stabbed by a glue-sniffer.
On a scale of 1-17 (as a good friend used to say), 1 being the least likely and 17 the most likely, I project the odds that I may be attacked by a crazy person sniffing glue at about a 4 (though with the present state of unemployment and political disenfranchisement, this number is likely to rise). This is the only thing I ever really worry about in Istanbul, and usually I keep an eye out to avoid situations where I might bump into people high on inhaled household products.
4.5 Blindness from drinking bad Rakı
I only worry about this when I'm drinking suspicious tasting rakı, the anise-flavored alcohol that is oh-so-good with fish and cheese. A few years ago, a moon-shine rakı was "accidentally" bottled by YeniRakı, a major producer of the stuff. A number of people died and several were struck blind. Like I said, it's only a worry when the restaurant you're in runs out of the quality stuff, and instead brings you their "special brew" in a fish bowl from behind the bleach on the counter.
4. Terrorism
Terrorism is a funny concept, and one I generally struggle to wrap my mind around. Depending on who you are and your intentions when you kill innocent people, you are a terrorist. If you attack police, military, jandarm, armed contractors, paramilitaries, or spies, you are also a terrorist (the same is not true of them if they attack you or innocent people). I could lump terrorism in with number two, because the tactics are similar and the experiences at the business end of it are basically the same. It makes me sad, but Turks seem to accept that armed groups (government/military affiliated or ideologically driven) will employ terror against random and unsuspecting civilians, in order to make a point. In any event, I never fear that this will happen to me in Turkey. The glue-sniffers pose a more realistic threat.
3. Tanker Ship Collision in the Bosphorus
The fear is not so much the collision itself, as what might happen to the contents of the tanker involved. Petroleum or chemical products may explode. Other chemical products may seep out and cause illness or death. A major tear in the side of the tanker may enable the glue-sniffing terrorists inside to escape and go on a rampage through the city. You get the picture.
2. Military Coup
This is higher on the list for two reasons. First, I think it more likely to directly affect me than anything else previously listed. Second, if it did happen, it would be way more interesting (for "interesting", read adventure-provoking) than most things previously listed. At least, one thinks so. In reality, it may just mean I take several days off work and have to buy my groceries at a certain time of day. Everybody I know on the political left would probably be detained, so I wouldn't have anyone to drink with. I imagine it would be a period of prolonged boredom, similar to what one experiences when living in Ankara.
1. Earthquake
This is something I think about on a weekly basis. Istanbul sits along the North Anatolian fault line, and has been struck by devastating earthquakes 12 times since the 5th century. The 1,000 mile long, strike-slip fault, transfers pressure from west to east, moving the epicenters of earthquakes along the fault and steadily closer to Istanbul over the years. The last major disaster on the fault, in 1999, leveled the nearby town of İznik, killed nearly 20,000 people, and scared the dickens out of Istanbullu, many of whom spent the next several weeks camping out in the streets. With little (or no) preparation on the part of the Turkish government, this disaster, when it comes, will be one of Biblical proportions.
So, to my chagrin, last week there was a derailed coup attempt, a shooting at the US consulate, and a tanker collision with a public park. All I could do was read the newspapers, which proved better at being retarded (and misleading) than writing informative articles. I refer you to the Turkish Daily News' headline from Friday, Al-Qaeda Linked to Istiniye Attack. Al-Qaida was not merely not involved, but they ran a headline based on speculation... probably a police officer saying, "Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group, maybe they could have done this." I guess it sells papers.
Each of these events probably deserves it's own post... and I'll try to get around to that. With disaster befalling the city I love, I busied myself with a trip to Hattuşaş, the ancient Hittite capital. It made for a lovely weekend.
So, I'm miffed that my exile in Ankara condemned me to miss three out of the five on the list.
Top Five Lurking, Completely Random, and Imminent Fears of Sean Cox in Istanbul:
5. Getting stabbed by a glue-sniffer.
On a scale of 1-17 (as a good friend used to say), 1 being the least likely and 17 the most likely, I project the odds that I may be attacked by a crazy person sniffing glue at about a 4 (though with the present state of unemployment and political disenfranchisement, this number is likely to rise). This is the only thing I ever really worry about in Istanbul, and usually I keep an eye out to avoid situations where I might bump into people high on inhaled household products.
4.5 Blindness from drinking bad Rakı
I only worry about this when I'm drinking suspicious tasting rakı, the anise-flavored alcohol that is oh-so-good with fish and cheese. A few years ago, a moon-shine rakı was "accidentally" bottled by YeniRakı, a major producer of the stuff. A number of people died and several were struck blind. Like I said, it's only a worry when the restaurant you're in runs out of the quality stuff, and instead brings you their "special brew" in a fish bowl from behind the bleach on the counter.
4. Terrorism
Terrorism is a funny concept, and one I generally struggle to wrap my mind around. Depending on who you are and your intentions when you kill innocent people, you are a terrorist. If you attack police, military, jandarm, armed contractors, paramilitaries, or spies, you are also a terrorist (the same is not true of them if they attack you or innocent people). I could lump terrorism in with number two, because the tactics are similar and the experiences at the business end of it are basically the same. It makes me sad, but Turks seem to accept that armed groups (government/military affiliated or ideologically driven) will employ terror against random and unsuspecting civilians, in order to make a point. In any event, I never fear that this will happen to me in Turkey. The glue-sniffers pose a more realistic threat.
3. Tanker Ship Collision in the Bosphorus
The fear is not so much the collision itself, as what might happen to the contents of the tanker involved. Petroleum or chemical products may explode. Other chemical products may seep out and cause illness or death. A major tear in the side of the tanker may enable the glue-sniffing terrorists inside to escape and go on a rampage through the city. You get the picture.
2. Military Coup
This is higher on the list for two reasons. First, I think it more likely to directly affect me than anything else previously listed. Second, if it did happen, it would be way more interesting (for "interesting", read adventure-provoking) than most things previously listed. At least, one thinks so. In reality, it may just mean I take several days off work and have to buy my groceries at a certain time of day. Everybody I know on the political left would probably be detained, so I wouldn't have anyone to drink with. I imagine it would be a period of prolonged boredom, similar to what one experiences when living in Ankara.
1. Earthquake
This is something I think about on a weekly basis. Istanbul sits along the North Anatolian fault line, and has been struck by devastating earthquakes 12 times since the 5th century. The 1,000 mile long, strike-slip fault, transfers pressure from west to east, moving the epicenters of earthquakes along the fault and steadily closer to Istanbul over the years. The last major disaster on the fault, in 1999, leveled the nearby town of İznik, killed nearly 20,000 people, and scared the dickens out of Istanbullu, many of whom spent the next several weeks camping out in the streets. With little (or no) preparation on the part of the Turkish government, this disaster, when it comes, will be one of Biblical proportions.
So, to my chagrin, last week there was a derailed coup attempt, a shooting at the US consulate, and a tanker collision with a public park. All I could do was read the newspapers, which proved better at being retarded (and misleading) than writing informative articles. I refer you to the Turkish Daily News' headline from Friday, Al-Qaeda Linked to Istiniye Attack. Al-Qaida was not merely not involved, but they ran a headline based on speculation... probably a police officer saying, "Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group, maybe they could have done this." I guess it sells papers.
Each of these events probably deserves it's own post... and I'll try to get around to that. With disaster befalling the city I love, I busied myself with a trip to Hattuşaş, the ancient Hittite capital. It made for a lovely weekend.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Popped Collar and the Kentucky Waterfall
I don't follow fashion, cause frankly, if you have seen me dress myself, I obviously don't have the eye for it. My mother drilled me with the basics: I shouldn't wear brown shoes with a black belt (or black and brown together generally)... there was something else about dark clothes after labor day. OK, maybe I only know one thing about fashion.
Sorry, Mom.
I do know when someone is making a grave mistake, and the two realms listed in the title are growing in popularity in Turkey, among certain groups, and worth examining.
First, the popped collar. Where I come from, it is a hard look to pull off, even with irony in mind. Something about it screams "TOOL". So, imagine my surprise when I got into the elevator last night with a twenty-something kid next to me, his green polo outfitted for... well, I don't know what, really. I assumed he was American, and the blank look I received in return for the question "What part of the states are you from?", left me shocked.
It also brought back the memory of a poor choice made by a former room mate, Mustafa.
Some years back, a Spanish soccer player stepped onto the pitch with the newest look in futbol. My room mate was determined to have this variation of an old theme. Wikipedia describes it thusly:
It took a great deal of work to change my Mustafa's mind (what is good for a futbol player is obviously good for any young male). We toured through these sites, and I enlisted an American woman to help convince him that it would ruin the good thing he had going.
This is one of those problems of coming at fashion from a different cultural background. I used to run at the Boğazici University track, sometimes when they were having American football practice. Huge guys, helmets, pads, who couldn't play for shit, but nonetheless looked the part, made me cringe. All my memories of asshole jocks came flooding back, and connected to things like popped collars, binge drinking, date rape, fraternities... twenty-two years in the states had tied those ideas together.
Imagine my shock when the football team was extra careful about staying out of my way when I was running. One player signaled to two others, who hadn't seen me coming, to make sure they cleared out of my lane.
Mullets and popped collars fall into the same category. They don't offer me the same information about class or social status that they can in the states. It's just another impersonation of something foreign.
All my prejudices are thrown off, and while this is probably a good thing, still... mullets?
Sorry, Mom.
I do know when someone is making a grave mistake, and the two realms listed in the title are growing in popularity in Turkey, among certain groups, and worth examining.
First, the popped collar. Where I come from, it is a hard look to pull off, even with irony in mind. Something about it screams "TOOL". So, imagine my surprise when I got into the elevator last night with a twenty-something kid next to me, his green polo outfitted for... well, I don't know what, really. I assumed he was American, and the blank look I received in return for the question "What part of the states are you from?", left me shocked.
It also brought back the memory of a poor choice made by a former room mate, Mustafa.
Some years back, a Spanish soccer player stepped onto the pitch with the newest look in futbol. My room mate was determined to have this variation of an old theme. Wikipedia describes it thusly:
The Spanish mullet is generally shorter and lighter than a classic mullet, only using the last inch or so of hair above the hairline.The article fails to duly ridicule the look, but the rest of the internets accomplish that rather handily.
It took a great deal of work to change my Mustafa's mind (what is good for a futbol player is obviously good for any young male). We toured through these sites, and I enlisted an American woman to help convince him that it would ruin the good thing he had going.
This is one of those problems of coming at fashion from a different cultural background. I used to run at the Boğazici University track, sometimes when they were having American football practice. Huge guys, helmets, pads, who couldn't play for shit, but nonetheless looked the part, made me cringe. All my memories of asshole jocks came flooding back, and connected to things like popped collars, binge drinking, date rape, fraternities... twenty-two years in the states had tied those ideas together.
Imagine my shock when the football team was extra careful about staying out of my way when I was running. One player signaled to two others, who hadn't seen me coming, to make sure they cleared out of my lane.
Mullets and popped collars fall into the same category. They don't offer me the same information about class or social status that they can in the states. It's just another impersonation of something foreign.
All my prejudices are thrown off, and while this is probably a good thing, still... mullets?
When I worked with refugees...
I have a new job for the summer, something absurd and in Ankara that I'll talk about later. The job I left, was only part-time with the International Organization for Migration. I was the "airport guy," though my title was, and I'm not kidding: Identification Authenticating Officer.
I never had a badge, my biggest lament in that position. I would go to the airport, usually around 2 AM, with another IOM staffer, and we would help assist refugees with their exit procedure. This amounted to coordinating 35 refugees, usually from Iran or Iraq, and sometimes E. Africa, to get all their baggage checked, documents verified and in order, and conveyed through passport control to the airplane. It usually took between three and five hours, depending mostly on the police.
It is the kind of work that involves managing a great deal of chaos. The population I was working with was, understandably, traumatized by their experience. In short, refugees are often treated as criminals in Turkey. You don't ever want to be a refugee, and you don't want that for your family.
Having fled their homes under duress (because of war, persecution, famine, biblical-style badness, etc.), these people were subjected to the treatment of the Turkish police and legal system, which regards refugees in much the same way that the US government does illegal immigrants. People are detained, shuffled around, and occasionally they get separated from family; some are abused, subjected to extortion, or poorly fed and clothed.
The IOM, and several other organizations, are working to change this, but change is slow.
By the time I saw a refugee, they had likely been in Turkey anywhere from nine months to five years. I even met a couple who had been here for eight. So, when people are within hours of leaving to goto the US, where they have been set up with a job and a home and hope, they are a little agitated and needy. One gets lots of questions, worried looks, and I had to learn to try to be a comforting and empathetic person, while still directing the group.
Did I mention it was 2 AM?
Five plus years ago, I remember what was in the news, and what people were say, in the months preceding the Iraq war. There pro/con style arguments. There was a staunch, principled opposition. There were "hawks" and "doves" (why we anthropomorphize those positions I will never understand).
I was a "dove," because I thought the war was a bad idea. I even went to a protest in Washington D.C., to be the best possible dove I could be.
In all the talk I heard about the coming war, the planning, the opposition, etc., I don't remember anyone mentioning the potential plight of refugees. I know I never thought about it, at the time.
I was with the IOM for about six months, before moving the Ankara. It is work I'd would like to continue... except 2 AM is a strange hour to be up several times a week. Anyhow, my experience there was really informative, and I'll have more to say about it. With the total Iraqi refugee population topping two million, it will continue to be a problem for Turkey, and the region as a whole. Long after the Iraq war ends, there will probably still be talk of the "Iraqi diaspora".
I just reckoned I oughta preface my connection to it, before I said any more. While I still worked the job, I was taking notes on the experience, and there are some funny, as well a some sad stories, that I mean to publish here.
I never had a badge, my biggest lament in that position. I would go to the airport, usually around 2 AM, with another IOM staffer, and we would help assist refugees with their exit procedure. This amounted to coordinating 35 refugees, usually from Iran or Iraq, and sometimes E. Africa, to get all their baggage checked, documents verified and in order, and conveyed through passport control to the airplane. It usually took between three and five hours, depending mostly on the police.
It is the kind of work that involves managing a great deal of chaos. The population I was working with was, understandably, traumatized by their experience. In short, refugees are often treated as criminals in Turkey. You don't ever want to be a refugee, and you don't want that for your family.
Having fled their homes under duress (because of war, persecution, famine, biblical-style badness, etc.), these people were subjected to the treatment of the Turkish police and legal system, which regards refugees in much the same way that the US government does illegal immigrants. People are detained, shuffled around, and occasionally they get separated from family; some are abused, subjected to extortion, or poorly fed and clothed.
The IOM, and several other organizations, are working to change this, but change is slow.
By the time I saw a refugee, they had likely been in Turkey anywhere from nine months to five years. I even met a couple who had been here for eight. So, when people are within hours of leaving to goto the US, where they have been set up with a job and a home and hope, they are a little agitated and needy. One gets lots of questions, worried looks, and I had to learn to try to be a comforting and empathetic person, while still directing the group.
Did I mention it was 2 AM?
Five plus years ago, I remember what was in the news, and what people were say, in the months preceding the Iraq war. There pro/con style arguments. There was a staunch, principled opposition. There were "hawks" and "doves" (why we anthropomorphize those positions I will never understand).
I was a "dove," because I thought the war was a bad idea. I even went to a protest in Washington D.C., to be the best possible dove I could be.
In all the talk I heard about the coming war, the planning, the opposition, etc., I don't remember anyone mentioning the potential plight of refugees. I know I never thought about it, at the time.
I was with the IOM for about six months, before moving the Ankara. It is work I'd would like to continue... except 2 AM is a strange hour to be up several times a week. Anyhow, my experience there was really informative, and I'll have more to say about it. With the total Iraqi refugee population topping two million, it will continue to be a problem for Turkey, and the region as a whole. Long after the Iraq war ends, there will probably still be talk of the "Iraqi diaspora".
I just reckoned I oughta preface my connection to it, before I said any more. While I still worked the job, I was taking notes on the experience, and there are some funny, as well a some sad stories, that I mean to publish here.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Deep Shit...
This will take some explaining.
In my first semester here, way back in 2004, there was often political talk, the sort which sounds unmistakably like "conspiracy theories". I'm gonna have to keep those words in quotes, cause I know it's often a derogatory phrase. Try to understand that I'm attempting to articulate phenomenon, which people actually believe to explain their world. Sometimes, when people speculate about possible interests and agendas within an organization, they come up with some absurd stuff:
"Sean, did you know that the Jews control the world?"
- "No, I didn't. I'm not a Jew, but I'm Jew-ish, do you think they will give me a job?"
"Sean, did you know that the Jews planned and carried out the Sept. 11th attacks?"
-"I can believe it, they also eat puppies, right?"
"Sean, did you know that America is run by the Jews?"
-"Huh, so are Jews in general poor administrators?"
And so on... The concept of who is a "Jew" is an interesting one here, and the term is generally synonymous with "Israeli". I can understand why, but that doesn't make it sound any less preposterous. Admittedly, AIPAC, the US alliance with Israel, and Israeli spies in the White House, all feed these "theories".
The bait and switch with the above conspiracy theory is that it creates the impression of unseen and impregnable ethnic forces honing American policy, distracting from the fact that a long-time ally willfully compromised US national security and is being investigated for it. There is a conspiracy, but the associated theory is nonsense!
Apologies for the long explanation. "Conspiracy theory" is a genre that I had to learn to negotiate while conducting my Fulbright research. I think it is a legitimate way that people deal with the unknown shadows of their governments. It happens everywhere, and all the more frequently in societies or circumstances of questionable democratic openness. The theory is confirmed by a real event, though the event may be evidence of some other possible theory. Either way, I regard it as important that people, who are prevented from knowing/trusting what goes on in their country, are making an effort to explain it.
Seriously though, can we stop with UFOs?
That said, if evidence were presented today that confirmed UFO conspiracy theories, I would probably crap my pants and become a believer.
This is what happens in Turkey, often.
Turkey has many "conspiracy theories", and perhaps I'll explain some of the absurd ones later. Right now, I want to talk about history (which is, anyway, just a PC term for "conspiracy theory").
The household theory in Turkey, the one known by EVERYONE (I'm always shocked by this, like it's part of the school curriculum), is called the Derin Devlet, or "deep state". It describes the money and power interests that are formed by the intersection of military, government, radical right wing, mafia, and capital agendas. S0me of them were "trained" my the CIA as part of Operation Gladio. These people are generals, journalists, assassins, businessmen, police, terrorists, chefs, etc., all plotting Turkey's future behind the scenes. As the theory goes, this group manipulates public opinion through media control, disappears key opposition, leads all the major arms of government and the military, and so on.
In short, they are in charge and unknown... and probably Jewish, depending on who you ask.
Here is a short list of events, attributed to the Derin Devlet, that made international news:
Assasination of Father Santoro
Assasination of Hrant Dink
Murder of Journalists and Academics (generally on the political left)
The Taksim Square Massacre in 1977
There is even a version that projects the Derin Devlet as starting back in WWI, tying it into the Armenian Genocide.
The thing about a theory, is that it is related to evidence. In this case, I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but the evidence is definitely startling (I'm loving up on Wikipedia today, cause you probably can't read Turkish):
"The Susurluk scandal was an affair that rocked Turkey between 1996-1997, and pointed to an illicit relationship between the government, the armed forces, and organized crime in the country, a connection sometimes attributed to the Deep state."
Basically, there was a car crash in 1996. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found the bodies of an Istanbul deputy police-chief, the leader of militant right-wing gang, and a mafia hit-woman. The only survivor of the crash was the Şanliurfa leader of the "True Path Party". I recommend following the link, cause the description of the grab-bag which the crash offered up is amazing, and pretty damning.
So, why am I covering all this old news? Context.
Starting in January, "some 33 people, among them former generals, lawyers, two “mafia” leaders, rank-and-file soldiers and even a journalist [were] apprehended in a nationwide operation...", members of another secret organization, Ergenekon. The following weekend, thirteen more were arrested. Yesterday, according to TDN's print edition, twenty-five more of these douche bags went down.
It's fascinating for me, to say the least, because the Deep State is part of the fabric of so many political discussions. Like I said, it's as though all that "evidence" on UFOs, that just couldn't be believed, were suddenly confirmed as the truth. At the same time, though, it is hard for me to be optimistic. The words of a friend, spoken after the first round of arrests, are ringing in my ears:
"This is nothing to get excited about. One-half of the Deep State just decided to arrest the other half. They'll be replaced soon enough."
In my first semester here, way back in 2004, there was often political talk, the sort which sounds unmistakably like "conspiracy theories". I'm gonna have to keep those words in quotes, cause I know it's often a derogatory phrase. Try to understand that I'm attempting to articulate phenomenon, which people actually believe to explain their world. Sometimes, when people speculate about possible interests and agendas within an organization, they come up with some absurd stuff:
"Sean, did you know that the Jews control the world?"
- "No, I didn't. I'm not a Jew, but I'm Jew-ish, do you think they will give me a job?"
"Sean, did you know that the Jews planned and carried out the Sept. 11th attacks?"
-"I can believe it, they also eat puppies, right?"
"Sean, did you know that America is run by the Jews?"
-"Huh, so are Jews in general poor administrators?"
And so on... The concept of who is a "Jew" is an interesting one here, and the term is generally synonymous with "Israeli". I can understand why, but that doesn't make it sound any less preposterous. Admittedly, AIPAC, the US alliance with Israel, and Israeli spies in the White House, all feed these "theories".
The bait and switch with the above conspiracy theory is that it creates the impression of unseen and impregnable ethnic forces honing American policy, distracting from the fact that a long-time ally willfully compromised US national security and is being investigated for it. There is a conspiracy, but the associated theory is nonsense!
Apologies for the long explanation. "Conspiracy theory" is a genre that I had to learn to negotiate while conducting my Fulbright research. I think it is a legitimate way that people deal with the unknown shadows of their governments. It happens everywhere, and all the more frequently in societies or circumstances of questionable democratic openness. The theory is confirmed by a real event, though the event may be evidence of some other possible theory. Either way, I regard it as important that people, who are prevented from knowing/trusting what goes on in their country, are making an effort to explain it.
Seriously though, can we stop with UFOs?
That said, if evidence were presented today that confirmed UFO conspiracy theories, I would probably crap my pants and become a believer.
This is what happens in Turkey, often.
Turkey has many "conspiracy theories", and perhaps I'll explain some of the absurd ones later. Right now, I want to talk about history (which is, anyway, just a PC term for "conspiracy theory").
The household theory in Turkey, the one known by EVERYONE (I'm always shocked by this, like it's part of the school curriculum), is called the Derin Devlet, or "deep state". It describes the money and power interests that are formed by the intersection of military, government, radical right wing, mafia, and capital agendas. S0me of them were "trained" my the CIA as part of Operation Gladio. These people are generals, journalists, assassins, businessmen, police, terrorists, chefs, etc., all plotting Turkey's future behind the scenes. As the theory goes, this group manipulates public opinion through media control, disappears key opposition, leads all the major arms of government and the military, and so on.
In short, they are in charge and unknown... and probably Jewish, depending on who you ask.
Here is a short list of events, attributed to the Derin Devlet, that made international news:
Assasination of Father Santoro
Assasination of Hrant Dink
Murder of Journalists and Academics (generally on the political left)
The Taksim Square Massacre in 1977
There is even a version that projects the Derin Devlet as starting back in WWI, tying it into the Armenian Genocide.
The thing about a theory, is that it is related to evidence. In this case, I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but the evidence is definitely startling (I'm loving up on Wikipedia today, cause you probably can't read Turkish):
"The Susurluk scandal was an affair that rocked Turkey between 1996-1997, and pointed to an illicit relationship between the government, the armed forces, and organized crime in the country, a connection sometimes attributed to the Deep state."
Basically, there was a car crash in 1996. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found the bodies of an Istanbul deputy police-chief, the leader of militant right-wing gang, and a mafia hit-woman. The only survivor of the crash was the Şanliurfa leader of the "True Path Party". I recommend following the link, cause the description of the grab-bag which the crash offered up is amazing, and pretty damning.
So, why am I covering all this old news? Context.
Starting in January, "some 33 people, among them former generals, lawyers, two “mafia” leaders, rank-and-file soldiers and even a journalist [were] apprehended in a nationwide operation...", members of another secret organization, Ergenekon. The following weekend, thirteen more were arrested. Yesterday, according to TDN's print edition, twenty-five more of these douche bags went down.
It's fascinating for me, to say the least, because the Deep State is part of the fabric of so many political discussions. Like I said, it's as though all that "evidence" on UFOs, that just couldn't be believed, were suddenly confirmed as the truth. At the same time, though, it is hard for me to be optimistic. The words of a friend, spoken after the first round of arrests, are ringing in my ears:
"This is nothing to get excited about. One-half of the Deep State just decided to arrest the other half. They'll be replaced soon enough."
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Kisses...
There are lots of details about a language that you just can't learn in a class. I'll make time to explain the multitudinous imprecations of the Turkish language later... maybe.
Anyhow, something I've run into a great deal lately, is the Turkish variation of SMS/EMail-speak. When I first encountered this sort of thing in English, I think I was thirteen. "BRB", "LOL", and "AFK", are all early examples that come to mind. After I moved to Turkey and acquired my first cell phone in 2004 (I know, much later than most), I remember getting messages from English-speakers to this effect: "Nice 2 c u 2day. Lets meet b4 class 2morow."
The Turkish effort is much the same, with numbers replacing certain sounds. However, in the race to simplify and truncate into the available 160 characters, I've noticed that vowels, silent letters, and even suffixes start to disappear. This happens mostly in the future tense, where Turkish picks up some long verb suffixes, but to give you a sense of what this looks like, I tried to compose an analogous example in English:
"Hey! Hwr u 2day? MayB go watch the match 2night, wna come? If not, lets meet 2mrow 2 drink T. By! :P"
I think, if you were learning English as a second language, the extent to which this can be confusing would be clearer.
It is obviously a very informal way of communicating, something only done with people familiar to the sender. I find the most interesting phenomenon in all of it, is the intersection of gesture and the text message, and I've noticed the word "öptüm" close a number of communiques.
After Turks meet with friends or family, the familiar good-bye is generally a kiss to both cheeks exchanged over a handshake or hug. After hearing a friend end a phone call this way, I realized that it is even common to end remote communications with a "kiss".
Any of the following phrases will do:
öpücük(ler)- kiss(es)
öptüm- I kissed
öpüyörüm- I kiss/am kissing
öpücük gönderiyorum- I'm sending a kiss
Anyhow, something I've run into a great deal lately, is the Turkish variation of SMS/EMail-speak. When I first encountered this sort of thing in English, I think I was thirteen. "BRB", "LOL", and "AFK", are all early examples that come to mind. After I moved to Turkey and acquired my first cell phone in 2004 (I know, much later than most), I remember getting messages from English-speakers to this effect: "Nice 2 c u 2day. Lets meet b4 class 2morow."
The Turkish effort is much the same, with numbers replacing certain sounds. However, in the race to simplify and truncate into the available 160 characters, I've noticed that vowels, silent letters, and even suffixes start to disappear. This happens mostly in the future tense, where Turkish picks up some long verb suffixes, but to give you a sense of what this looks like, I tried to compose an analogous example in English:
"Hey! Hwr u 2day? MayB go watch the match 2night, wna come? If not, lets meet 2mrow 2 drink T. By! :P"
I think, if you were learning English as a second language, the extent to which this can be confusing would be clearer.
It is obviously a very informal way of communicating, something only done with people familiar to the sender. I find the most interesting phenomenon in all of it, is the intersection of gesture and the text message, and I've noticed the word "öptüm" close a number of communiques.
After Turks meet with friends or family, the familiar good-bye is generally a kiss to both cheeks exchanged over a handshake or hug. After hearing a friend end a phone call this way, I realized that it is even common to end remote communications with a "kiss".
Any of the following phrases will do:
öpücük(ler)- kiss(es)
öptüm- I kissed
öpüyörüm- I kiss/am kissing
öpücük gönderiyorum- I'm sending a kiss
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