Some times, not very often, an unusual, elevated, unprecedented leader rises up of all controversy, and establishes himself as well as his people, at the front of the human race. In his outstanding insights, undoubtedly ingenious observations, Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey, is that man. Turkey is the country. The Turkish people are it. Above small politics, way above diplomacy, they state it as it is. No reference to European Union acceptance pre-requisites, not paying attention to critics, completely ignoring other Western cultures and their was on terrorism. Tayyip Edrogan, I salute you!
Not only you. The entire Turkish people, who never had a bone of racism in their bodies. In fact, quite the contrary. Turkey was one of the only countries who accepted Jews when they were deported from Spain in 1492. The country who embraced Armenians throughout the course of history. Paid and still are paying full attention to all United Nations decisions, and is completely united in their respective opinions. Turkey is one of the only countries in the world that takes human rights seriously. To the point of ridicule. Fair trials to all, no death penalties, equality and freedom for all. In fact, Turkey is the real United States. If it wasn’t completely ludicrous, I’d suggest to call Turkey the Advanced United States of Turkey. I would also recommend not only to accept Turkey to the European Union as a full member, but to also appoint Mr. Edrogan as its permanent President. For as long as he lives. In addition, I propose to appoint Turkey to the honorable position of the Conscious of the World, given its impartiality, its absolute innocence, and most of all, the absence of any “skeletons” in its history, any dubious events, any convictions in the planets history books.
Except, of course, the Genocide of the Armenian People earlier in the twentieth century. Except of course, of the complete denial and the absolute inability to take responsibility, even a century later. Ignoring, naturally, that the country is so well balanced, and unafraid of Muslim Fundamentalism, that it required the military, by constitution, to ensure that the country remains secular. To ensure that Muslim Fundamentalism does not take over the country.
The funny thing is that if Mr. Ataturk, the real great leader of modern Turkey, didn’t put the military in charge of keeping an open eye on the country, preventing the Muslim fanatics from taking it over, Turkey would have been Iran II.
Lets drop also the Ottoman Empire (too old) and the mistreatment of the Kurd minority in Turkey. Did I say mistreatment? The life of a Palestinian in Israel is paradise compared to the life of a Kurd or an Armenian in Turkey.
So, from Armenian Genocide through Kurd mistreatment, to Midnight Express, Mr. Erdogan, when I’m up for advice about how to deal with my terrorist neighbors, you’ll have to trust me, I will not turn to you. And despite the fact that Turkey is the preferred escape place for my countrymen, who love the shawarma, the Iskandar Kebab, and the cheap crap they can buy in the markets of Istanbul, and the little shops of Antalya. Despite the fact that Turkish Coffee is the best, you can keep all that – I would rather go to hell, where you’d love me to go anyway.
To Tayyip Erdogan: before you find the time to criticize your allies, the Israelis, who helped you build a formidable military and a flourishing tourism industry, not to mention agricultural technology and consulting, please establish an independent Kurd state in the North of Iraq and the south of Turkey. Please accept responsibility for the annihilation of one and a half million Armenians, and reform your legal system. Keep at bay your friends, the Muslim fundamentalists. After you’ve done all that, we can talk.
And please, don’t even dream of being an arbitrator in the Arab Israeli dispute – you’ve given up that opportunity with your ridiculous erruption at Davos.
To the Europeans I’d add: Know Thy Neighbor!
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