Apparently I am too sleepy for subject lines tonight. 
Joel Send a noteboard - 25/11/2011 01:30:14 AM
Joel Send a noteboard - 25/11/2011 01:30:14 AM
I guess progress is progress, and in Turkeys case I will take what I can get. This still seems more like an opportunistic dig at a political opponent (who sounds like he was literally asking for it) than a sincere selfless apology, particularly if there is merit to the claim Erdogan conveniently ignored the involvement of anyone save the oppositions past leaders. And, of course, there is a certain OTHER massacre for which he might consider apologizing if he is feeling particularly penitent (but that probably would not score him any points in the next election. 
)
)I'm still baffled what on earth Kılıçdaroğlu thought he was going to achieve by making that request - if he isn't utterly clueless he must've known he would be creating far bigger trouble for his own party than for the government, so is he really that gutsy that he was willing to pay that price?
I almost feel like that has to be it; otherwise, yeah, Erdogan or virtually anyone else is probably a better Turkish PM than someone that incompetent/delusional.
And yes, you could certainly call the apology opportunistic. Erdoğan was offered the easiest of chances to simultaneously look statesman-like and trash his political opponents - but you can't blame him for taking it, especially not when the apology is undeniably a step in the right direction.
True, it is certainly no indictment of him, I am just not sure it is much of a vindication either. It IS a reversal of his general policy that Turkey need not apologize for any accusations of genocide, because all are groundless, and saying otherwise is libel and/or treason. I am not familiar with the incident in question, but it must have been pretty brutal if that is the one thing on which the leaders of both Turkeys major parties (which make the Democrats and Republicans look like high school sweethearts) agree. Hopefully setting this precedent will open the door to more progressive and enlightened policy from Turkey in general. I remain pessimistic though; Turkey is not nearly as the Mid-East about political disputes in which both sides consider repression and violence acceptable remedies, but it does have a more subdued history of that trend (hence the need to apologize for multiple instances.)
As for him ignoring people's involvement... well. Today's CHP is still the same CHP that had a monopoly of power for decades and was responsible for this and other crimes - and takes no small amount of pride in being that same party. Inönü is their hero, second only to Atatürk himself. Perhaps the political right at the time - to the extent any political movement was allowed to exist outside the CHP - was not blameless either (I know very little about the whole revolt), but any connection between those people and Erdoğan or his party is far more tenuous and debatable. The earliest party in the Turkish Republic that you can really associate with today's AKP is the Democratic Party of Adnan Menderes, which was founded in 1945 and came to power in 1950 (governing until the military deposed and hanged Menderes, so if the AKP gets nervous about the possibility of military coups, you know why). And even then they don't associate themselves with Menderes or admire him remotely as much as the CHP does with its heroes.
I admit I know less about this specific event than you do, only what is contained in the article, which was the sole basis for my comment: If the quoted claims AKP leaders had a role as well are valid, both parties are culpable, though that may not be as big an issue for the current AKP if it does not join the opposition in lionizing past leaders involved in atrocities.
And yes, let's hope the apologies for that other massacre come eventually, as well. If Kılıçdaroğlu wants to try and nail his party's coffin shut, he can try asking for that next time.
Something about trading the existence of Turkeys military party for that apology strikes me as less than unwelcome.
Then all they would have to do is get the AKP to recognize Kurdish civil rights and end the terrorism some Kurdish groups commit in pursuit of that.... 
Tell me again why this should be an EU country? Reasons that do NOT involve the EU seeing Turkey as a huge cash cow.
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
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Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
This message last edited by Joel on 25/11/2011 at 01:30:51 AM
/History: Turkish PM apologizes for 1937 massacre of Alevi minority
- 23/11/2011 08:02:16 PM
223 Views
I hope you will forgive me thinking this is a little surreal.
- 24/11/2011 01:32:43 AM
99 Views
Oh, I find it surreal too.
- 24/11/2011 07:41:07 PM
120 Views
Apparently I am too sleepy for subject lines tonight.
- 25/11/2011 01:30:14 AM
110 Views
- 25/11/2011 01:30:14 AM
110 Views