It’s More Communist Provocation than ‘Turkish Spring’

[cratehorus]

For the last couple of days, because of the protests that were triggered by redevelopment plans of a park in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, I have been asked many times whether this could be the flame of a “Turkish Spring.” Once again, things about Turkey are being blown out of proportion and misrepresented with distorted information.

To begin with, it is simply not fair to compare Turkey—a democratic and secular country—with the Arab countries where people fought for their democratic rights, equality and freedom via protests, to free themselves from tyrannical regimes.

For one thing, the AK Party has been re-elected for the third time; each time, they have increased their share of the vote—a unique situation in the Turkish Republic’s history, and arguably, a rare situation in the worldwide political arena.

What’s more, it was the Turkish public that asked PM Erdogan to modify the current term-limit regulations so that he can serve as PM for another term. As a matter of fact, if elections were held today, PM Erdogan would very likely win the vote by 70%. So the inferences that mention Turkey’s democratic system in the same breath as brutal and repressive dictatorships in some Arab countries are inappropriate and disingenuous reflections. It is like trying to judge the whole of Turkey by just looking outside your window that opens on a narrow alley. It is important to remember that Turkey’s population is 76 million, and Turkey’s dynamic and public opinion cannot be framed with some protests of provocative factions.

But, my fears aside, the spokeswoman for the Administration said the U.S. believes peaceful public demonstrations “are a part of democratic expression,” and Turkey’s long-term stability is best guaranteed by upholding “the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and association.” She specifically called on security forces in Turkey to “exercise restraint.”

I’ve been corresponding with (and quoting lavishly) our frequent contributor Sinem Tezyapar, who lives in Istanbul, and nagging her for a first-hand report about events in her gorgeous city. She took a couple of days, but here it is, her first-hand account of what she thinks is really going on in Turkey these days.

Incidentally, after witnessing the pepper spraying, head bashing, face cracking police work in many U.S. cities over the “occupy” summer of 2011, I believe my president should take it easy on lecturing folks abroad on exercising restraint.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking...013/06/03/