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Free thought, democracy...
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It would have been great if this article could be dedicated to Çetin Altan, 82, one of the great masters of word who received Sunday the Culture and Art Grand Award of the Culture and Tourism Ministry in appreciation of his life-time contributions to Turkish literature and cultural life.
Altan, apart from being one of the greatest contemporary writers, has always been a man of integrity who, as Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay rightly stated, even at the times of military coups, for the sake of defending his ideals and upholding democracy, preferred to suffer hardships and prosecution rather than accommodating himself to the "political reality" of the time or allowing himself be allured with some expectations from the coup administrations.
Speaking Sunday at the same ceremony in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlined that without writing and ideas the world would not have been able to attain the present advanced civilization and therefore he saluted Altan who paid a high price for his thoughts. He said "to endure" was the foundation of democracy and underlined that today’s Turkey was neither the Turkey who brought Altan to the door of court over 300 times, nor that kept eminent poet Nazım Hikmet behind bars for more than 12 years and compelled him to die in exile. He said the Turkey which was producing groundless fear, was being replaced today with a free Turkey.
Altan has been writing since 1943, that is since he was in his teens. Many generations grew up reading his articles. Most of his articles have survived the test of time. Articles that he wrote one or two decades ago can be read today as if they were written yesterday on some very recent events. Altan was shy at the ceremony. "I am not used to such treatment. I was not expecting to be presented such an award. Men of literature are not used to such treatment (in this country). I am afraid, people will have suspicions about myself. This is a great surprise to me; I am puzzled," a shy Altan said as he received the award from Erdoğan and Günay.
Was he wrong? Put aside the over 300 times he faced the courts because of what he wrote and once received a punch in his face in Parliament (at the time when he was a deputy from the legendary Workers Party of the 1960s), even today are not critics under pressure of all sorts in this country? Was not the prime minister Ñ the same one who boasted during the award presentation ceremony that Turkey has become a free country Ñ called for boycott of the media critical of the performance of the government twice within the last few months? Was not a crowd Ñ apparently pre-arranged Ñ welcoming Erdoğan, the "conqueror of Davos," at 2:00 a.m. Friday morning attempted to lynch newsmen after the premier "ordered" that no journalist should attempt to criticize why he walked out the Davos panel or to support the way the moderator administered the panel? Were not the prime minister, his party people and his gang of merry men in the allegiant media attacking writers and journalists who dare to say "Erdoğan was right to have a reaction to the insult he was subjected at Davos but walkout was an act of over-reaction?"
Still, it was good to see Erdoğan at least paying lip service to the notion that without writing and free thought humanity cannot advance. Though he might not accept being criticized, he can at least call for tolerance to adverse ideas because "to endure" is the root of democracy.
An interesting interview
There was an exemplary interview in Monday’s Milliyet with Silvyo Ovadya, the leader of the Turkish Jewish community. Ovadya was stressing that Turkish Jews were not demanding tolerance but they were asking respect to the Constitution and the rights of Turkish Jews as "equal citizens" of this state.
What else? Turkish Jews are apparently fed up with the across the board vilification of Jews in the name of defending the "right cause" of the people of Gaza who suffered a human tragedy in the hands of Israel last month. What is the responsibility of the Turkish Jewish community in the policies and the actions of the Israeli state on Gaza? Other than having the same belief, nothing. But, when reactions are not confined to the Israeli state but directed against all Jews, that becomes anti-Semitism and makes our Jews vulnerable as well. Naturally I cannot summarize the entire interview with Ovadya here, but the interview by Devrim Sevimay is definitely a must read, particularly for Erdoğan before it becomes too late.
Speaking Sunday at the same ceremony in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlined that without writing and ideas the world would not have been able to attain the present advanced civilization and therefore he saluted Altan who paid a high price for his thoughts. He said "to endure" was the foundation of democracy and underlined that today’s Turkey was neither the Turkey who brought Altan to the door of court over 300 times, nor that kept eminent poet Nazım Hikmet behind bars for more than 12 years and compelled him to die in exile. He said the Turkey which was producing groundless fear, was being replaced today with a free Turkey.
Altan has been writing since 1943, that is since he was in his teens. Many generations grew up reading his articles. Most of his articles have survived the test of time. Articles that he wrote one or two decades ago can be read today as if they were written yesterday on some very recent events. Altan was shy at the ceremony. "I am not used to such treatment. I was not expecting to be presented such an award. Men of literature are not used to such treatment (in this country). I am afraid, people will have suspicions about myself. This is a great surprise to me; I am puzzled," a shy Altan said as he received the award from Erdoğan and Günay.
Was he wrong? Put aside the over 300 times he faced the courts because of what he wrote and once received a punch in his face in Parliament (at the time when he was a deputy from the legendary Workers Party of the 1960s), even today are not critics under pressure of all sorts in this country? Was not the prime minister Ñ the same one who boasted during the award presentation ceremony that Turkey has become a free country Ñ called for boycott of the media critical of the performance of the government twice within the last few months? Was not a crowd Ñ apparently pre-arranged Ñ welcoming Erdoğan, the "conqueror of Davos," at 2:00 a.m. Friday morning attempted to lynch newsmen after the premier "ordered" that no journalist should attempt to criticize why he walked out the Davos panel or to support the way the moderator administered the panel? Were not the prime minister, his party people and his gang of merry men in the allegiant media attacking writers and journalists who dare to say "Erdoğan was right to have a reaction to the insult he was subjected at Davos but walkout was an act of over-reaction?"
Still, it was good to see Erdoğan at least paying lip service to the notion that without writing and free thought humanity cannot advance. Though he might not accept being criticized, he can at least call for tolerance to adverse ideas because "to endure" is the root of democracy.
An interesting interview
There was an exemplary interview in Monday’s Milliyet with Silvyo Ovadya, the leader of the Turkish Jewish community. Ovadya was stressing that Turkish Jews were not demanding tolerance but they were asking respect to the Constitution and the rights of Turkish Jews as "equal citizens" of this state.
What else? Turkish Jews are apparently fed up with the across the board vilification of Jews in the name of defending the "right cause" of the people of Gaza who suffered a human tragedy in the hands of Israel last month. What is the responsibility of the Turkish Jewish community in the policies and the actions of the Israeli state on Gaza? Other than having the same belief, nothing. But, when reactions are not confined to the Israeli state but directed against all Jews, that becomes anti-Semitism and makes our Jews vulnerable as well. Naturally I cannot summarize the entire interview with Ovadya here, but the interview by Devrim Sevimay is definitely a must read, particularly for Erdoğan before it becomes too late.
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