Ab, you reminded me that in 2007 we were visiting Greece and Turkey. While our ship was sailing from Istanbul to Kusadasi I was lounging around on deck just digging the air when I was approached by an older Turkish lady. I was wearing a NY Yankee t-shirt so I guess she figured out I was an American. Anyway, she said in perfect if somewhat accented English, if she could ask me a question about "Mr. Bush." My wife, on the next chair immediately cracked up. I told her something along the lines of "certainly, however I am not a fan of Bush."
That went right over her head but by now I was hooked so I invited her to proceed and what she came out with was:
"What is wrong with Mr. Bush? Why can he not see that the Kurds are criminals and terrorists?"
Now, this was late October, 2007 and there had been something on the news about Bush trying to get Iraqi Kurds to stop Turkish Kurds from fucking around in Turkey but that was on CNN and I had no idea how the story was being played in the Turkish press.
So I told her in all sincerity that Bush wouldn't know a Kurd if he tripped over one. If someone told him that the Kurds did not like Saddam Hussein that was as far as his interest in the Kurds would go...except to arm them to the teeth. I said, and this I recall clearly, that Bush "was a one-dimensional man for whom even moderate thought was an effort" and if he was doing something with the Kurds it had everything to do with Iraq and nothing to do with Turkey." To which she made the very valid reply "but WE are your NATO allies." I agreed but pointed out that Turkey fighting Kurdish rebels in Turkey and calling for help would put us in the position of bombing Turkey. I concluded by suggesting that such was not what NATO was about.
We chatted for another 20 minutes or so and my wife even joined in. We found out that her late husband was a diplomat who had spent two years with the Turkish UN staff in New York and she was just the most charming and educated person you could imagine.
But she had a real hard-on for the fucking Kurds.
That went right over her head but by now I was hooked so I invited her to proceed and what she came out with was:
"What is wrong with Mr. Bush? Why can he not see that the Kurds are criminals and terrorists?"
Now, this was late October, 2007 and there had been something on the news about Bush trying to get Iraqi Kurds to stop Turkish Kurds from fucking around in Turkey but that was on CNN and I had no idea how the story was being played in the Turkish press.
So I told her in all sincerity that Bush wouldn't know a Kurd if he tripped over one. If someone told him that the Kurds did not like Saddam Hussein that was as far as his interest in the Kurds would go...except to arm them to the teeth. I said, and this I recall clearly, that Bush "was a one-dimensional man for whom even moderate thought was an effort" and if he was doing something with the Kurds it had everything to do with Iraq and nothing to do with Turkey." To which she made the very valid reply "but WE are your NATO allies." I agreed but pointed out that Turkey fighting Kurdish rebels in Turkey and calling for help would put us in the position of bombing Turkey. I concluded by suggesting that such was not what NATO was about.
We chatted for another 20 minutes or so and my wife even joined in. We found out that her late husband was a diplomat who had spent two years with the Turkish UN staff in New York and she was just the most charming and educated person you could imagine.
But she had a real hard-on for the fucking Kurds.
